THE INFLUENCE OF STUDY HABITS ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCES OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background of the Study

Human life, which is the best creation of god, has got two aspects: The biological and sociological or cultural. While the former is maintained and transmitted by food and reproduction, the latter is preserved and transmitted by education. It is again through education that he promotes his intelligence and adds his knowledge with which he can move the world for good and for evil according to his wishes. Education in fact, is one of the major “life processes” of the human beings “just as there are certain indispensable vital processes of life in a biological sense. Education is indispensable to normal living, without education the individual would be unqualified for group life (Muraina, 2013).

The importance of scholastic and academic achievement has raised important questions for educational researchers. What factors promote achievement in students? How far do the different factors contribute towards academic achievement? (Ramaswamy cited in Gudaganavar and Halayannavar, 2015). Many students do badly academically, due to factors other than low intellectual capacity. One such factor is poor study habits, which often result in poor academic performance even among the naturally bright students.

Habits are true indicators of individuality in a person. So, study habits are the behavior of an individual related to studies. Which is adjudged from his study habits? In the process of learning, learner’s habitual ways of exercising and practicing their abilities for learning are considered as study habits of learners. The pattern of behavior adopted by students in the pursuit of their studies is considered under the caption of their study habits.

Study habits can be described as effective or ineffective depending upon whether or not they serve the students well. Many of the issues concerning secondary school students performance in government revolve around developing good study habits. Reading habit refers to the behavior which expresses the likeness of reading of individual types of reading and taste of reading (Busayo, 2011).

Africans are not reading society, but chatting society; the background of learning through culture, the cultural habit of people prefer listening and chatting to reading (Busayo, 2011). In the light of this, creating good study habits is very germane to African children/students’ success in schools. Traditionally, parents are often advised to have a particular study area in their home for their child’s home work, stick to a specific schedule, and do one task at a time (Stephens, 2010). Parents can certainly play a major role in providing the encouragement, environment, and materials necessary for successful studying to take place at home.

However, at school, library provides a quiet, well-lit study place and environment that is conducive to mental concentration. Adesoji (2007) to posit that libraries have been associated with the concept of life-long reading and learning. He stated further that library especially school libraries are desirable in order to inculcate into the students very early in life the habit of reading for various purposes, education, pleasure, information, culture etc.

The role of study habits in the academic outcomes of a student cannot be overemphasized. Success or failure of each student depends upon his/her own study habits. Of course, study is an art and as such it requires practice. Some students study more but they fail to achieve more. Others study less but achieve more. Success of each student definitely depends upon ability, intelligence and effort of students. No doubt, regular study habits bring their own rewards in the context of students’ academic performance.  It is on this premise that this study explores the relative effect of Study Habits on Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Government.

1.2    Statement of the Problem

An ineffective study habit is one of the basic problems having a heavy toll on students’ performance in government, many of the students do not read or study to comprehend. This problem is