ABSTRACT
The focus of this research has been to
investigate the effects of birth other on the Educational Development of
students. Five Secondary Schools in Mainland Local Government Area of
Lagos State have been used for the study.
Four research hypotheses focusing on the
relationship between birth-order and students academic performance and
educational development, the relationship between family size and
students educational development, the relationship between
social-economic status of a child's family and his educational
development, the difference in the performance and educational
development of the first, middle, last born child.
Two hundred (200) students were randomly drawn from the Five Secondary Schools.
The instrument used in the study was a
set of Questionnaire. The researcher administered the instrument on the
subject after seeking and obtaining permission from the principals of
the schools used. The required data was collected after the researcher
had explained and given instruction to the students on what to do with
the instruments. Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient and
chi-square analysis were used in analyzing the data.
In the course of the study, it was
discovered that factors like birth order, family background,
socio-economic background of the child, parental interest and attitude
towards children's education, parental level of education, and the level
of interaction between parents and their children affect students
educational development either positively or other wise.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Purpose of the Study
1.4 Significance of the study
1.5 Research Questions
1.6 Hypotheses of the Study
1.7 Scope of the Study
1.8 Limitations of the Study
1.9 Definition of Terms
CHAPTER TWO - LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Family Size (Forms of Family) Socio-Economic Status
2.2 The Relationship Between Home Environment and intelligence Quotient
CHAPTER THREE – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Population of the Study
3.3 Sample and Sampling Techniques
3.4 Research Instrument
3.5 Validation
3.6 Reliability
3.7 Method of Data Collection
3.8 Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR – DATA ANALYSIS
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 Data Analysis
4.2.1 Hypothesis One
4.2.2 Hypothesis Two
4.2.3 Hypothesis Three
4.2.4 Hypothesis Four
4.3 Summary and Findings
CHAPTER FIVE – DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
5.0 Introduction
5.1 Research Hypothesis One
5.2 Research Hypothesis Two
5.3 Research Hypothesis Three
5.4 Research Hypothesis Four
5.5 Conclusion
5.6 Recommendations
5.7 Suggestions for Further Studies
REFERENCES
APPENDIX 1
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Birth order is significant in child
rearing, consequently the family is first in the life of the child in
several ways. As Cooley put it "the family is the cradle of
personality". It is primary in point of time in the processing or
induction of the child into society and culture.
The new individual's basic drives and
need can reach fruition only with the setting provided by these people
who surround him. His interpersonal relationships will be reflected not
ire terms of any cultural determinant alone but in terms of the various
individual differentials represented by family members. Therefore it is
pertinent to note that intellectual development in social studies as a
subject area has to be viewed closely putting into consideration the
family unit as being the key ingredients in the formation of eventual IQ
growth, along with environment variable of a student's family.
A child’s personality or socialization
trend may depend on his sibling position or birth order. The impact of
ordinal birth position upon the child and sibling relationship has
received considerable exploration nation wide, certain generalizations
may now be made if we remember that all of their birth positions are
incident to the social and emotional Climate of the home. And this
depends largely on the types of homes, like the nuclear family, which
can be looked at as a democratic home with a minimum frustration. And
the extend family with it accompanying frustration. Again of these types
of families, the socio-economic status also counts in determining its
correlation to personality development of the individual student in
general and their performance in social studies in particular.
In this study these generalization .will
be grouped into the oldest child(as first born child) whose position in
the family structure is a unique one though various studies and writers
ascribe- different effects on the position.
The youngest child or the last child in
the family whose position is also a crucial position depending on the
economic condition of the family and accompanying cultural advantages
for him.
The study of these age differentials
will go along way in helping teachers, parents and the society at large
to carry. out effective investigation of the effects of birth order on
students performances in social studies.
Birth order as an integral part of a
child formative and development stages is the much that will be focused
on as it affects the learning ability and assimilation rate of the
students in social studies.
Coupled with this is the home and
parental status and environmental factors militarizing against students
achievement in school generally and social studies in particular will
also be focused as an area of study, being an essential and a strong
determinant of measuring students performance in social studies. Coupled
with this is the home and parental status and environmental factors
militating against students achievement in school generally and social
studies in particular will also be focused as an area of study, being an
essential and a strong determinant of measuring students performance in
social studies.
Birth order or order of delivery of
children in this case will be further viewed or analyzed from the
perspective of the first born child, the middle born child and the last
born child as earlier indicated.
Huni (1966), supports the motion that
the environment of the child has a great influence on the acquisition of
basic knowledge and skill.
Kernes ( 1997), points out that for the
child to grow intellectually and socially with increased independence-to
meet daily-life situation, the child must be provided a conductive
environment which helps him develop adequate motor skills and be
motivated to learn.
The home is the foundation of education
because it plays a central role in socializing the child. The child
spends his early years and learns his language at home.
The importance of the family was
stressed by Data (1984) that the environment of the home remains a
principal settings in which the child's initial experience have an
enduring impact on the physical, intellectual and personality
development of the child". According to Datta, the early social and
physical environment that home provides for the child has an impact on
his later social and cognitive development.
Obanya (1981) further asserted that the
environment of the learner affects his attitude to schooling as well as
his performance in school.
Uche (1984) claims that there: is enough
evidence from past research findings, that child's school performance
is related to their background and to activities which go on in a
child's home is related to the social status of their parents.
He also believes that many tower class
parents fail to provide even the minimum level of reinforcement and
stimulation for their children intellectual development.
1.2 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of the study is aimed at
stressing the indispensable effects of birth order on students
performance educational development. Consequently, that parents,
teachers and. the society Will be able to appreciate the various
differences in the students throughout their schooling periods. Thus, it
is expected that through this study that glaring effects of Birth order
be enumerated enough for parents and the society at large to take
redress where necessary, and maintain an appreciated standard of
breeding children so as to attain a desired result of intelligent,
well-motivated children as a product of education.
The study will also help the teachers
understand why a student learns in the way he does and their
performances in social studies and also make the students aware of the
various variables that determine their academic achievement in social
studies.
1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The specific statement of the problem is
to analyze the extent to which birth order of the children or their
positions in the family affects the child's performance in sue:
along with the socio-economic status of the family.
Analysis of the position of the
children, that is, the first child, middle child and the last born child
in the family will be studied closely in order determine their
academic performance in social.
In order to ascertain the reasons for
the different levels of performance of the students with respect to
their individual positions in the family.
Miner (1969) has pointed out that the socio-economic status of the child was related to the level of achievement attained.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The fundamental question which are considered in this study are -
1. Is there be any significant relationship between birth order and
students performance in educational development?
2. Is there be any significant relationship between family size and students performance in school?
3. Is there be any significant relationship between socio-economic status arid students educational development?
4. Is there be any significant
difference in the performance and educational development of the first
child, middle child and the last child ?
1.5 HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY
1. There is no significant
relationship between birth order (first, middle and last born child) and
students educational development.
2. There is no significant relationship between family size and students educational development.
3. There is no significant relationship between socio-economic
status of a child family and his educational development.
4. There is no significant difference in the cc of the first child, middle child and the last born
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study take a look at the effect of Birth order on students performance and educational development
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The research experience some forms of limitation in the process of the
study.
The researcher experienced financial
constraints which inhibited the number of contacts that were made at the
various destinations and the number of questionnaires that were
provided and administered.
There was also general reluctance to
give information and other factors like accessibility to source of
information due to the formal protocols required by the Principals. Also
insufficient availability of Secondary data poses a constraint to the
study.
Parents' reluctance to give information or respond to questionnaires also militated against this research work.
The research is also limited to mainland
Local Government Area of Lagos State. Thus there is a limit to which
the result of the student could be generalized.
1.8 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The significance of the study lies in
the fact that, it would create a sort of awareness about birth order in
education achievement.
Obviously, it would give an insight into
the reasons why certain students perform excellently in social studies
than the others. At the long run, the finding of this study will help
educationists, parents and teachers and the society at large to realize
the fact that students'. academic performance is not based on
intelligence alone, neither is it base solely on the socio-economic back
ground of the students nor on family size.
Thus, this study may be useful
to-educational planners, administrators, educational policy makers and
other societal issues.. This will make them to be aware of the fact that
apart from intelligence. quotient(IQ), attitude of the child and the
parents' education and standard of the school the child attends, others
factors such as socio-economic status of the family, Birth order
produces an impact on the academic performance of students in the
school.
To the parents, this study will also be
significant in child rearing. Parents tend to discipline their borns
more than their other children and give them more attention.
Bringing out the real picture of the
contribution of the family to the academic performance of the child,
thus making the parents to bear a part of the blame that would normally
be on the child alone for his or her poor performance in school.
The school principals will find study
invaluable in that it will help in understanding the child better so as
to know why he or she performs in a particular way.
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Nuclear Family: A
family which consists of a man, his wife and children. This is a smaller
family unit living a separate existence in contact with relatives but
not inter-dependent on them.
Extended Family: The
extended family may be a nuclear family or a polygamous family, it
includes, aunts, uncles, cousins, grand parents, wives of sons and their
children as all members of the family.
Polygamous Family: In a
polygamous family a man is legally married to more than one Wife Thus
polygamous family is made up of a man, his wives and their children.
Socio-Economic Status:
This refers to the social and economic position of an individual can
find himself or herself. It is regarded as the most significant
predicting factor responsible for the academic achievement of students
depending on the family.
Environment: This is
the immediate physical surrounding of the child in the physical
environment, there exist forces such as temperature, humidity and
pressure which affect the individual and consequently his learning.
Academic Performance:
It can be defined as the result or out come of a student during the
course of study. It can also be said to be a phenomenon used to grade
the successful out comes of students in particular.
Intelligence Quotient(IQ) can be said to
mean Judgment, good sense, the ability to comprehend and to reason well
and to adapt one self to circumstances.
Home Environment: This is used to refer to the atmospheric nature of an environment of which a
Family Size: This include the total number of children and parents in an immediate family or extended family.
Birth Order: It is the order of child delivery, the position in which a child comes e.g. first, second and third.