ABSTRACT
This study was
carried out to investigate the influence of parental achievement orientation on
achievement motivation and school adjustment of in-school adolescents. Five research questions and two null
hypotheses guided the study. The study
adopted ex-post-facto research design. The population for the study was 10,077
SS2 students and a multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 420
students for the study. The instruments for data collection were questionnaire
titled: parental achievement orientation questionnaire (PAOQ) and students’
achievement motivation and school adjustment questionnaire (SAMSAQ). The data
generated from trial testing were analyzed using Cronbach Alpha statistics an
overall reliability index of 0.802 was obtained. Mean and standard deviation were used to
answer research questions while paired sample t-test was used to test the
hypotheses at 0.05 probability level. The findings of the study revealed that,
achievement orientation of in-school adolescents’ parents is significant as
perceived by the students. The findings also showed that, parental achievement
orientation has significant influence on achievement motivation and school
adjustment of in-school adolescents. Based on the findings the researcher
recommended that parents should develop positive parental achievement
orientation that will make their children to have high achievement motivation
and good school adjustment.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
of the Study
School is a formal organization established by
the government or the community or an individual to carry out the business of
teaching and learning in the society. School is one of the major stepping
stones for academic, socio-economic, cultural and political development in
Nigeria.And it has been described as one of the most influential socialization
domains in an adolescent’s life (Catalano, Haggerty, Oesterle, Fleming and
Hawkins, 2004). School alsoprovides adolescents with the forum for interaction
with peers from different socio-economic backgrounds and teachers of different
standing and exposure. And provides arena for personality development, social
adjustment and it help adolescents to realize their potential.
Adolescence is a period of rapid
exploration, a particular period between puberty to adulthood. Meyer in
Santrock (2005) defines adolescence period as a time of growing up, of moving
from the immaturity of childhood into the maturity of adulthood. Okafor in
Landies (2000) defines adolescence period as a period when the individual is in
process of transfer from independent, irresponsible age of childhood to the
self-reliant, responsible age of adulthood.
Okafor in Landies (2000) added that, this period is used to describe youths
within the age limit of 12 to 19 years. As a result of developmental changes
that take place during this period, an adolescent becomes physically, socially
and intellectually mature. Physiological and psychological changes, which
accompany sexual maturity, come so quickly that individual is unsure of himself,
his capacities and interest. Iwuama
(1997) opine that, adolescents often feel insecure in articulating their
obvious need as a result of on-going changes on their body. Iwuama (1997) added
the features associated with adolescents which includes body contour and
stature taking an adult shape, physical and sexual maturation as shown by
changes in both the primary and secondary sex characteristics, they are often
concerned about what people think or say about them, experience a lot of storm
and stress as a result of increased emotion tension resulting from physical,
emotional and psychological development.
During this period, adolescents are given ambiguous treatment by their
parents or caregiver, at a particular stage the adolescents are seen to be too
young, at another stage they are expected to take up responsibilities (Iwuama,
1997). If adolescents are given proper guidance
services and education at this period they may become very useful and fulfilled
citizens but if neglected they may constitute greater problems to themselves,
their parents, teachers, school authorities and the society at large (Iwuama,
1997). Some parents and caregiver may give their adolescents’ children proper
orientation, like changes that occur at adolescence period, teach them sex
education at home before they enroll in secondary school, give them proper
guidance and counseling and also teach them moral education while some parents
and caregiver may fail to give their adolescents’ children such orientations. A
child that was opportune to acquire the above mentioned orientations from their
parents at home may become a successful adolescent in school.
In-school adolescents are those
adolescents who are still in secondary school. According to Onyejiaku (1991),
they are referred to as “School Stayers”. Some of the in-school adolescents see
school as the most significant institution in their lives because school helps
adolescents to realize their potentials but when they do not perform well in
school, it may lead to unrealized potentials which could result to low
achievement motivation and poor school adjustment. Some of the in-school
adolescents may see school as a challenging because some of them may not have
the ability to carry out school tasks while some of them may be interested to
continuing academic pursuit to higher institution.
Operationally, in-school adolescents are young
children who are studying in secondary school.
Some of in-school adolescents may find it difficult to cope and deal
with the challenges that exist in school environment which could result poor
school adjustment.
Adjustment can be
defined as the reaction of an individual to external or internal demands and
pressures which social environment imposes on him. Mangle (2006) defines
adjustment as an outcome of the individual’s attempts to deal with stress and
meet his needs and effort to maintain harmonious relationship with his environment.
A change in an environment requires a change in the organism in that particular
environment for it to thrive well.
Arkoff in Mangal(2007) opine that, how one copes in a particular
environment depends on one’s personal characteristics and the circumstance of
the situation. Arkoff in Mangal (2007)
added that, both personal and environmental factors therefore, work together in
adjustment. This implies one cannot do
without each other. For an individual to be well adjusted in the environment
there should be interaction between an individual and the environment.
A person is well adjusted if he or she copes
well in the environment.Adjustment is a state in which the needs of the
individual on one hand, and claim of the environment on the other hand are
fully satisfied. If otherwise, there will be maladjustment among or within the
individuals in the environment. There are three areas where an individual need
to be adjusted to live a balance life. These areas include: family, school and
society (Margett, 2002).
Operationally,
adjustment can be defined as the individual’s way of dealing with changing
situation. This is because people do not exist in a vacuum. They live in social
environment, knowing that change is the only constant thing in the life situation
and circumstance. A person who is well
adjusted at home may also have good school adjustment.
School adjustment has to do with ability of
the students’ to cope effectively with internal or external demands and
pressures which school environment imposes on them such as attending lessons,
doing assignments, being attentive in subject, not cheating in examination,
making a good grade and not dropping out of school, Mangal (2006). According to
Coleman (2005), school adjustment is a degree to which adolescents become
comfortable and successful in school environment. Secondary school students,
either at home or in the school, struggle to cope in environment they find
themselves, Onyejiaku (1999).
School adjustment could
be good and poor. Good school adjustment has to do with ability of the students
to cope well in the school while poor school adjustment also has to with
inability of the students to cope well in the school. Adolescents’ adjustment to school required
assistance from parents and family members since child’s development and
adjustment start from home, (Onyejiaku, 1999).
Recently in Orlu Education Zone of Imo State the researcher has observed
through the help of teachers and school counselors that secondary school
students have poor school adjustment and some of these students indulge in examination
malpractice, bullying,truancy, school drop-out, fighting, secret cult, and
other school violence and offences.
School adjustment could be academic,
emotional, psychological and social. Academic, well adjusted students will
overcome learning problems and instructional difficulties, and they make a
satisfactory progress in exploratory experiences. Emotionally, well adjusted
students have control their emotion; have a stable emotion and will not exhibit
action like anxiety, fighting and aggression. They have internalized control
over their emotion. Psychologically, well adjusted students have good self
concept about themselves and others. They know how to cope or deal with
disappointment and loss; can also influence their environment positively in
order to achieve their goal. Socially, well adjusted students do not exhibit
withdrawal behavior and other anti-social behavior (Onyejiaku, 1999).
Operationally, school adjustment can be seen
as ability of a student to cope and deal
with the challenges that exist in school environment. For a student to
be well adjusted in school they need to be motivated firstly at home by their
parents, siblings or caregivers and this may enable them to study hard and
achieve success. A student who has good school adjustment may also have high
achievement.
Achievement is task-oriented behavior that allows the individual’s
performance to be evaluated according to some internally or externally
imposed criterion, which involves the individual in competing with
others, or that otherwise, involves some standard of excellence.
Ukah, (2008) defines achievement as a progressive realization of a
predetermined worthwhile goal. Ukah (2008) added that, it is a “Journey” that
is “on Going” but is not an event rather is a positive result of steady forward
movement. Harackiewicz and Sansone
(2000) opined that, students’ achievement increases their motivation to achieve
more success in whatever activities they are doing.
Motivation is generally defined as
internal and external conditions that stimulates, directs and maintains
behavior. According to Deci and Ryan (2000), motivation is greatly appreciated
because of the positive and negative outcome it produces. Motivation also explains, for example, why
some students swot to pass examinations, while some students wait for manners
from heaven, and why an individual perseveres and deprives himself of some
pleasures in order to achieve a life goal, (Ngwoke, 2010). Bernstein and Maier
(2005) were of the view that, motivation shapes a person’s behavior based on
their own self view and can influence their choice and responses from outside
cues.
Motivation could be Intrinsic or
Extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation can be defined as a driven force
from within an individual which cannot be control byexternal factor. Bulter
(1997) defines intrinsic motivation as striving to engage in activity because
of self satisfaction. Students’ that demonstrate intrinsic motivation, engage
in academic tasks due to the enjoyment or satisfaction they derive from such
task. Extrinsic motivation on the other hand, comes as a result of wanting to
earn grade or reward, avoid punishment, and please the parents, teacher and
family members. Children who are extrinsically motivated perform in order to
obtain some reward or avoid some punishment, (Mark, 1998).
In addition, in school both
intrinsic and extrinsic motivation may be found to be unavoidable thus the need
is to find out the different ways in which students could be motivated so they
may have the motive to learn in school. AStudent who demonstrates intrinsic
motivation may also have high achievement motivation in whatever activity he is
doing.
Achievement motivation
can be seen as desire of an individual to perform well and strive for
excellence and fear of failure. Gesinde (2000) defined achievement motivation
as self-determination to succeed in whatever activities one engaged in, it may
be academic work or other activities. It
is in the view of McClelland (1961) that, those who strive for excellence and
success without consideration for the material reward have high achievement
motivation. McClelland (1961) opines
that, high achievement motivated people seem to be more concerned with personal
achievement than with the reward of success. They want to know how well they
are doing. McClelland added that, high achievement motivated people have common
characteristics which includes they have the capacity to set high personal but
obtainable goals; have the desire for job-relevant feedback (how well am I
doing) rather than for attitudinal feedback (how well do you like me?) and
constantly seeks for improvement.
Students’ achievement motivation has three
patterns which include: mastery goals, performance goals and performance
–avoidance goals. Mastery goals: This
has to do with ability of the students to have a complete knowledge about the
desired result. Students with mastery goals sustain effort; have high
self-efficacy, willingness to accept challenges, and high achievement.
Performance-approach goals: This has to
do with ability of the students to complete an action that is challenging.
Students with performance-approach goals can sustain effort and have high
self-efficacy. They can increase achievement and detract from willingness to
accept challenging tasks, which decreases achievement. Performance-avoidance
goals: This also has to do with ability of the students to keep away from goals
which were challenging. Students with
performance- avoidance goals are detracts from motivation and achievement,
particularly for learners that lack confidence. Ngwoke (2010) opines that,
students’ achievement motivation could be high or low. It may be high if a student is motivated to
achieve success in any challenging tasks; it may also be low if a student is
not motivated to achieve success in any challenging tasks.
Students
with high achievement motivation exhibit certain characteristics which make
them look unique from students with low achievement motivation, (Byme in
Sheffer, 2005). Students with high achievement motivation may have good school adjustment.
Students with high achievement motivation want to expect success in whatever
they are doing but eventually if they fail, they will redouble their effort
until they succeed ( Gesinde ,2002).
Students with low achievement motivation tend to dodge classes or may
show lack of interest in school work. Some students are highly motivated to
succeed and excel while others are not motivated to succeed and may not be
positively disposed to work hard to achieve success, (Santrock, 2005). Being
achievement motivated keeps students dynamic and it makes people to have self
respect for them (Santrock, 2005 & Adedeji, 2007). It has been in
recognition of Mau and Biko (2000) that, students’ perception of achievement
motivation for learning tend to have strong impact in their life. Researcher
has observed that, some secondary school students in Orlu Education Zone of Imo
State have low achievement motivation and these students dodge classes while
some of them lack interest in school work, and this is attributed to negative
parental achievement orientation.From counseling report conducted by Nwamou in
Orlu Education Zone in 2008, it was discovered that some of the secondary
school students in the Zone have low achievement motivation.
Operationally,
achievement motivation can be defined as tendency to endeavor for success or
failure activities. Parents that do not
motivate their children in school may have their children come out with low
achievement motivation and school adjustment problems. This is so
becauseparents play positive and negative impact in children’s developmental
and learning processes. Recognition of
the roles parents play is reflected on educational policies and current
legislature including No Child Left Behind, 2102 (4) (2001) and the reauthorize
of Title 1. These policies mandated that schools should implement procedure
that actively involves parents in educational process (Fishel & Remiirezi,
2005). The influential roles played by parents ginger their children to have
high achievement motivation and good school adjustment because children from
different backgrounds have different orientations which they carry into school
or social environment, (Akaneme and Ngwoke, 2010).
Achievement orientation
can be seen as attitudes and behaviors of the individual toward achievement. Witt
(1999) opine that, achievement orientation is a concern of working well or
surpassing a standard of excellence.
Achievement orientation is what motivates an individual to work hard in
order to achieve success or failure.
Operationally,
achievement orientation is the value or worth one places on success or failure
or positive or negative outcome of one’s effort to succeed in life. This value
or worth an individual places on success or failure may be negative or positive.
This means the value or worth parents places on success or failure is parental
achievement orientation.
Parental achievement orientation can be
defined as attitudes and behaviours of the parents toward achievement. According
to Johnson (2009), parental achievement orientation is the desire of parents to
improve on their self awareness and performance of life goal. Johnson (2009) added that, parental
achievement orientation have two dimensions which include positive parental
achievement orientation and negative parental achievement orientation. Parents
with positive achievement orientation have improved on self awareness and
performance of life goal while parents with negative achievement orientation
have not yet improved on self awareness and performance of life goal.It is
expected that student’s desire to excel in school and achieve success is when
parental achievement orientation will be enhanced. Students consider going to
school more seriously when there is positive parental achievement orientation.
Parental achievement orientation has four patterns which include:
Mastery goals, performance-approach goals, performance- avoidance goals and
work-avoidance goals. Mastery goals: This type of orientation focuses on accomplishing
a task, improving, and increasing understanding. Parents with mastery goal
orientation will like to accomplish any task which they are pursuing. (Wolters,
2003) opines that, parents with mastery goal orientation will persist in the
face of challenges and difficulty, attribute success to effort, use effective
strategies such as self-question and maintain their interest and effort even
after formal instruction is finished. Performance-approach goals: This type of
orientation emphasizes on looking competent and receiving favourable judgment
from others. (Midgley, 2001)opines that, parents with performance-approach goal
orientation tends to be confident and have high self-efficacy, but may exert
only minimal effort or use superficial strategies, such as memorization, to
reach them. When goals become challenging, they may engage in self-behaviours,
such as not trying when they are not sure they can meet the goals, even cheat ,
(Midgley, Kaplan and Middleton, 2001 and Brophy, 2010). Performance-avoidance
goals: This type of orientation emphasizes on attempts to avoid looking
incompetent and being judged unfavourable, and this is the most detrimental for
motivation and achievement. Ryan (2007) opine that, parents with
performance-avoidance goals orientation attempt to avoid looking incompetent
and tend to have negative achievement orientation while those parents who are
looking competent tend to have positive achievement orientation. Work-avoidance
goals: This type of orientation has to
do with inability of an individual to face challenging tasks. Parents with
work-avoidance goal orientation feel successful when tasks are easy or can be
completed with little effort (Dowson and Mchnerney, 2001). Dowson and Mchnerny
(2001) added that, parents with work-avoidance
goal orientation tend to use ineffective learning strategies, make minimal
contribution to group activities, ask for help even when they do not need it,
and complain about challenging activities.
Parental achievement orientation has both
positive and negative influence on students. If parental achievement
orientation is positively carried out it may result to high achievement
motivation and good school adjustment but if it is negatively carried out it
may result to low achievement motivation and poor school adjustment. Amato and Fowler (2002) opine that, parents
with positive achievement orientation express happiness at time of
accomplishment, they set high standards for their children, and they think how
well they have done something and look for new and better ways to improve their
skills and performance.
Parents with negative achievement orientation
may be preoccupied with their business, work and other things outside home than
their children education that is why some of the parents may not to be familiar
with positive parental achievement orientation. Some of these parents exhibit
non-challant attitude towards the needs of children in school and at home as
well. And this condition may lead to Children that have such parents to fill
helpless and confused because they consider going to school more seriously when
there is positive parental achievement orientation. Parents with positive
achievement orientation may not have good parents-child relationship; they may
not show love, care and warmth to their children. Such children may have low achievement
motivation and poor school adjustment. Positive parental achievement
orientation could breed high achievement motivation and good school adjustment
whereas negative parental achievement orientation may also breed low
achievement motivation and poor school adjustment.Smetana (2002) also opines
that, parents with positive achievement orientation set high standard for their
children and they take time to monitor their children’s academic achievement.
Statement
of the Problem
The trend of low achievement motivation and
poor school adjustment among secondary school students in Orlu Education Zone
of Imo State seems to be increased. It may be that their parents do not have
positive parental achievement orientation that will make their children to
study hard in school. Consequently, some parents seem to be more preoccupied
with their businesses, work and other things outside their home which makes
some of the parents not to be familiar with positive parental achievement
orientation that is necessary for them.
Some of these parents exhibit non-challant attitude towards what their
children may need to study in school and at home as well, while some parents
with low literacy may not take part in the academic assignments and activities of
their children. And some parents may be busy with their household chores or
both parents work outside the house for daily sustainability of the whole
family. As a result, they may not have enough time to monitor their children
school lessons and assignments regularly. This condition may lead the children
that have such parents to feel helpless and confused because they consider
going to school more seriously when there is positive parental achievement
orientation. Studies also show that, some secondary school students in Orlu
Education Zone of Imo State have low achievement motivation and these students
dodge classes while some of them lack interest in school work, and this is
attributed to negative parental achievement orientation.
The researcher has discovered that, there is
also poor school adjustment among secondary school students in Orlu Education
Zone of Imo State and some of these students indulge in examination malpractice,
bullying, truancy, dropping out of school, fighting, secret cult,
and other school violence and offences. This phenomenon could be the type of
parental achievement orientation these parents have and how motivated the
students’ could be. Several studies have been carried out on students’
achievement motivation and school adjustment of secondary school students and
it appears however, that there is no available study on the influence of
parental achievement orientation on achievement motivation and school
adjustment of in-school adolescents. Therefore, the problem of this study posed
as question, “What is the influence of parental achievement orientation on
achievement motivation and school adjustment of in-school adolescents in Orlu
Education Zone of Imo State?
Purpose
of the Study
The general purpose of
this study is to determine the influence of parental achievement orientation on
achievement motivation and school adjustment of in-school adolescents in Orlu
Education Zone of Imo State.
Specifically, this study sought to:
1. Find out the pattern of achievement
orientation of in-school adolescents’ parents.
2. Find out the pattern of achievement motivation of in-school adolescents.
3. Find out the pattern of school
adjustment of in-school adolescents.
4. Determine the influence of parental achievement orientation on achievement motivation of In-school adolescents.
5. Investigate the influence of parental achievement orientation on school adjustment of in-school adolescents.
Significance
of the Study
This study has
both theoretical and practical significance. Theoretically, the findings from
this study will help to verify and sustainDavid McClelland’s theory of
achievement motivationwhich posits that, some people have an intense desire to
achieve while others are not so eager about achievement.
Practically, the study
which is the influence of parental achievement orientation on achievement
motivation and school adjustment of in-school adolescents will generate data
that will be found useful to psychologists, educators, curriculum developers,
school administrators, parents, students and the general public.
For the psychologists, they will benefit
through seminars and workshops because the findings when published are expected
to provide data that will help in propounding more theories on parental
achievement orientation, achievement motivation and school adjustments.
For the educators, they will hopefully benefit
from this study through seminars and workshops because the information from the
findings when published will give them more knowledge on level of achievement
motivation and pattern of school adjustment of the students.
For
the curriculum developers, they will benefit through seminars and conferences
because the findings when published are also expected to help them to design
educational programme that is necessary for the students.
For the school administrators, the findings
when published will provide a high quality curriculum and instructions in a
supportive way for effective teaching and learning in schools.
The findings from this study when
published will also be beneficial to parents through seminar and workshop.
Thus, Information they will get will help them to know the pattern of parental
achievement orientation that is necessary for them and the findings will also
help them to give their children the needed motivation and support that will
enable them to adjust well in school.
For
the students, the findings when publishedwill help them to know the pattern of
achievement motivation and pattern of school adjustment that is necessary for
them And the findings willhelp them to develop spirit of hard work,
self-confidence, purpose and goal setting before enter into any programme, and
it will also help them to have high achievement motivation and good school
adjustment.
Generally,
the findings from this study will also form bedrock for the future researchers
in similar areas. This is because the results when published will provide more
empirical studies for future researchers.
Scope
of the Study
The geographical
scope of this study comprised of all the SS2 students in the 98 public
secondary schools in Orlu Education Zone of Imo State. Orlu Education Zone is made up of 12 local
government areas. The content scope of the study is delimited to influence of
parental achievement orientation on achievement motivation and school
adjustment of in-school adolescents in Orlu Education Zone of Imo State.
Research
Questions
The
following research questions guided the study:
1.
What is the pattern of achievement orientation of in-school adolescents’
parents?
2.
What is the pattern of achievement motivation of in-school adolescents?
3.
What is the pattern of school adjustment of in-school adolescents?
4. What is
the influence of parental achievement orientation on achievement motivation of
in-school adolescents?
5. What is the influence of parental achievement orientation on school adjustment of in-school adolescents?
Hypotheses
The
following Null hypotheses were guided the study and were tested at P < 0.05
probability level.
H01: The
influence of parental achievement orientation on achievement motivation of
in-school adolescents in Orlu Education Zone of Imo State is not significant.
H02: The influence of parental achievement orientation on school adjustment of in-school adolescents in Orlu Education Zone of Imo State is not significant.
INFLUENCE OF PARENTAL ACHIEVEMENT ORIENTATION ON ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION AND SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT OF IN-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN ORLU EDUCATION ZONE OF IMO STA
