SOCIAL SUPPORT AND INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCE AS A PREDICTOR OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

SOCIAL SUPPORT AND INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCE AS A PREDICTOR OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

ABSTRACT

The study examined social support and interpersonal competence as a predictor of academic performance among senior secondary school students, a case study of 2 private and 2 public schools at ilishan-remo, ogun state. The study employed the survey design and the purposive sampling technique to select 450 students across all faculties. A well-constructed questionnaire, which was adjudged valid and reliable, was used for collection of data from the respondents. The data obtained through the administration of the questionnaires was analyzed using the Pearson correlation analysis.

The results showed that there is positive and significant relationship between social support and academic performance (r=0.772; p<0.05). Furthermore, a positive and significant relationship interpersonal competence and academic performance (r=.896; p<0.05). Also, a positive and significant relationship between social support and  interpersonal competence  (r=0.772; p<0.05).

The study concluded that social support and interpersonal competence are crucial factors and strong predictors of academic performance among senior secondary school students.

The study suggested that; Children should be given financial supports by there parents so they won’t be intimated when seeing there friends; The government should give all brilliant secondary school students scholarship, as that will enhance there academic performance; Children should be given free hands at home and schools sometimes to enable the teachers and parents know what they are capable of doing, which will be seen as competence test; Parents should should make an educational investment for there children, either in the banks or insurance companies, as that will enhance the student future confidence, even if the parent dies.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1         BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Academic performance is of maximum importance to parents, educators, guardians and even the Government. This of course is because of the huge impact education has on the national and economic development of the country. According to Davison institute (2004), Performance is a measure of quality and quantity of success one has in the mastery of knowledge, skills or understanding. Performance is also defined as the observable or measurable behavior of a person or an animal in a particular situation usually experimental situations. (Simpson and Weiner, 1989). This means that performance measures the aspect of behavior that can be observed at a specific period, to determine a performance, a performance test has to be conducted.

SOCIAL SUPPORT AND INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCE AS A PREDICTOR OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS