Effect of Socio-Economic Status of Parents on Educational Attainment of Female Secondary School Students in Rivers State of Nigeria

Abstract

Investigations into the factors that influence academic performance of female students in secondary schools have attracted the interest and concern of teachers, counselors, psychologists, researchers and school administrators in Nigeria. Different factors are capable of influencing the academic performance of female students, such factors range from family background, socio-economic status of the parents and other environment factors like; availability of suitable learning environment, adequacy of educational infrastructure like textbooks and well-equipped laboratories. The study adopted ex-post facto research design, the sample for the study comprised of 95 participants. The instrument used to gather primary information was tagged Students Academic Achievement Scale (SAAS) r=0.78. Significant effect of financial status of parents was found on academic achievement of female secondary students (X2cal < x 2 tab = 26.681 < 12.59). There is significant effect of educational status of parents on educational achievement of female children (X2 cal < x2 tab 21.17 < 12.59). The following recommendations were proffered for the parents, government and other stakeholders in educational sector in Nigeria; Parents should imbibe learning-enriching and achievement-sustaining behaviors to be able to help their female children acquire as much learning as their male counterparts. There is the need for federal and state governments to make education free from primary school to tertiary institutions. This will give female children from less privilege homes the opportunity to acquire basic primary education to university level.

Keywords: Financial status, performance, stratification, academic achievement and wealth.