TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Title Page - - - - - - - - - i
Certification - - - - - - - - - ii
Dedication - - - - - - - - - iii
Acknowledgements - - - - - - - iv
Table of Contents - - - - - - - - vi
Abstract - - - - - - - - - viii
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study - - - - - - 1
1.2. Problem
Statement - - - - - - - 6
1.3. Purpose
of the Study - - - - - - 8
1.4 Research
Objectives - - - - - - 8
1.5. Research
Questions - - - - - - 9
1.6 Significance
of the Study - - - - - 10
1.7. Limitations
of the Study - - - - - - 12
1.8 Definition of Significant Terms - - - - 12
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1.
Alcoholism and Academic Performance - - - 14
2.2 Marijuana
and Academic Performance - - - 20
2.3 Tobacco
and Academic Performance - - - - 26
2.4 Levels
of Drug and Substance Prevention - - - 31
2.5 Barbiturates
and Academic Performance - - - 33
CHAPTER
THREE
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction - - - - - - - -
38
3.2 Research
Design - - - - - - - 38
3.3 Target
Population - - - - - - - 39
3.4 Sample
Size Sampling - - - - - - 39
3.5 Research
Instruments - - - - - - 40
.6 Validity
and Reliability - - - - - - 40
3.7 Reliability
of Instrument - - - - - - 40
3.8 Data
Collection Procedure - - - - - 41
3.7 Data
Analysis - - - - - - - 42
CHAPTER
FOUR
DATA
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS
4.1. Introduction - - - - - - - -
44
4.2 Relationship
between Drug Abuse and Academic
Performance - - - - - - - - 44
4.3 Influence
of Marijuana Abuse on Academic Performance -
45
4.4 Influence
of Barbiturates Abuse on Academic Performance- 45
CHAPTER
FIVE
SUMMARY
OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1. Introduction - - - - - - - -
47
5.2. Summary
and Findings - - - - - - 47
5.3. Conclusion
- - - - - - - - 49
5.4 Recommendations
- - - - - - - 50
References - - - - - - - -
53
ABSTRACT
The
aim of this study was to examine the effect of drug abuse on students’ academic performance in secondary
schools in Ethiope East Local
Government Area of Delta State. In an attempt to do this research
questions were raised, hypotheses formulated. A sample of two hundred and forty
students from six secondary schools in Ethiope East Local GovernmentAreaf Delt State was used. A 20-item Liker type questionnaire designed by the researcher and
approved by the supervisor was used to gather data on drug abuse from the
sample. The dependent variable was measured using a performance test developed by the researcher and
validated by the supervisor and other experts in three core subjects
of English language, Mathematics and Biology. Pearson Product Moment
Correlation was used to analyze the data for the five hypotheses. Based on the findings conclusions were made
that there is a significant inverse relationship between drug abuse through intake of hallucinogens, alcohol
consumption, cigarette smoking, intake of narcotics, intake of
stimulants by students and their academic performance. Based on the
conclusion, recommendations were
made, which include that Federal Government, states and Local Governments shouldadopt an approach for preventing drug abuse in oursecondary schools by improving the quality of academic
life and help fulfill the academic mission of secondary schools. Public and private school administrators should
target at the vulnerable segment of our society, such as the older
children,dolescents and young adults. Such educational measuresshould be carefully presented through methods that avoidthreats and dramatization. Parents and schools authoritiesshould
educate their pupils on the need to stay away from destructive effects
of these drugs.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Drug abuse is the Use
of drugs for purposes other than medical reasons, thus affecting the individual
in a negative way socially, cognitively or physically Kuria (1996). Social
effects may be reflected in an individual’s enhanced tendency to engage in conflicts
with friends, teachers, and school authorities. Cognitive effects relate to the
individual’s lack of concentration on academic work and memory loss. While
Lewinsohn (2007) defines a drug as any product other than food or water that
affects the way people feel, think, see, and behave. It is a substance that due
to its chemical nature affects physical, mental and emotional functioning. It
can enter the body through chewing, inhaling, smoking, drinking, rubbing on the
skin or injection. Drug abuse amongst the global youth population has become a
serious problem affecting everyone. Addiction leads many people, young people
prominent amongst them, into downward spiral of hopelessness that in some cases
ends fatal. They range from gluesniffing street children and teenage ecstasy
users, to hard core heroin and cocaine addicts (Nacada, 2005).
Drug abuse is
responsible for lost wages, destruction of property in schools, soaring health
care costs and broken families. It is a problem which affects us all as parents,
children, teachers, government officials, taxpayers and workers. United States
of America was found to have citizens who were four times more likely to report
using cocaine in their lifetime than the next closest country, New Zealand (16%
vs. 4%), Marijuana use was more widely reported worldwide, and the U.S. also
had the highest 2 rate of use at 42.4% compared with 41.9% of New Zealanders
(Warner 2005-2008).The problem of alcohol and illicit drug use on college and
secondary campuses is significant. Among college and secondary students,
specific problems identified include binge-drinking, underage drinking,
underage binge-drinking, and drug use. Estimates of prevalence of these
behaviours range from 25 to 44%. American researchers have identified an upward
trend for these problems, with increased percentages of students self-reporting
these behaviours between 1993 and 2001 (Mohler-Kuo et al., 2003).
Abuse of substance is
considered as one of the most critical problems in public health in the
American colleges (Sullivan and Risler, 2002). Pakistan had an approximately 25
to 44% of students reporting alcohol and/or illicit drug use, and prevalence
rates on the incline, this problem is a significant concern for Pakistani
colleges and secondary (Khattak, Iqbal and Ullah, 2012). Binge drinking,
alcohol use, and illicit drug use is associated with a number of consequences
for students. Sheffield et al. (2005) indicate that binge drinking is
associated with significant consequences to students, including employment,
educational, and relationship problems. In addition, Wechlser et al. (2002)
indicate that, in comparing underage with legal age students, underage students
who drink are more likely to experience consequences related to their alcohol
use. Researchers in Pakistan have identified an increasing prevalence of
drinking and drug use among college students, an increasing trend of
self-reported alcohol-related consequences, including arrests, has also been
noted between 1993 and 2001 (Nicklin, 2000; Wechsler, Lee and Nelson 2002).
In accordance with
present research related to alcohol and drug use among college and secondary
students, the currently proposed research seeks to examine the extent and
nature of alcohol use and how their academic performance is being affected by
it. 3 South African study found an alcohol use prevalence rate of 39.1% and a
cigarette use prevalence rate of 10.6% among high school adolescents. Other
drugs that are commonly used in these settings include cannabis, inhalants,
tranquilizers, heroin and cocaine, among others. The drug problem in South
Africa is extremely serious, with drug usage reported as being at twice the
world norm. Over 15% of their population has a drug problem. Studies show that
people who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to
become alcoholics. School kids who use alcohol or drugs are three times more
likely to get involved in violent crimes.
Frighteningly the
average age of drug dependency in South Africa is 12 years old and dropping (Peter
Jordan, 2008). Tanzania, is the second country after Kenya in East Africa with
an increasing number of drug users mainly being school going teenagers The Drug
Control Commission (DCC) Report (2011) states that the actual number of drug
addicts in general is estimated to be at between 150,000 and 500,000
nationwide. Statistics issued by Mirembe Hospital in Dodoma region that were
incorporated in the DCC Report show that the number of young people who use
drugs and attend clinics at the hospital increased from 290 in 2000 to 569 in
2005, equal to a 96.2 per cent increase. Kenya has reported high rates of
substance use among students in public Secondary, (Odek-Ogunde et al., 2004)
indicated rates as high as 84% for alcohol use and 54.7% for tobacco. The rates
would continue to rise among students in institutions of higher learning in the
near future for instance, (Kuria MW., 1996) found alcohol use prevalence rates
of up to 15% among secondary school students, while (Kwamanga et al., 2003)
found lifetime cigarette smoking rates of 32%. In a study among students in
Kenya, (Ogwell et al., 2003) found a lifetime cigarette smoking rate of 31%. 4
The National government in UasinGishu County embarked on an aggressive campaign
to fight drug and substance abuse (Michael Shiundu, 2014, Kenya News Agency).
Stakeholder established advisory committees and other mechanisms to help
sensitize communities on the vice. The campaign, which targeted parents and
students was spearheaded by chiefs and their assistants at the grassroots level
According to Kapsoya
location Chief Musa Kipchumba, drug abuse was becoming a disaster both in rural
and urban settings, as barons target school children. In an interview, the
Chief said the involvement of communities in the awareness campaigns had seen a
reduction in cases of drug abuse by both parents and their children, hence
increasing student enrolment and completion rates in schools. He said while
drug and substance abuse had hit hard on the youthful population, the older
people were also resorting to substance abuse through excessive intake of
alcohol. Creating awareness to the public on the dangers of drug abuse has
become one of the key priorities in the County Government work schedule as
public servants, through this effort it is hoped that there will be reduced
cases of drug and substance abuse by a huge percentage The report emphasized
that measures had been put in place to reduce the production and sale of
illicit brews, stating that through area advisory committees established under
the County Commissioner’s office, they have managed to disband the illicit brew
dens.
1.2. Problem Statement
Due to the rapid
development, drug use has become common among students in campus and is even
affecting their performances in class. Despite the worldwide concern and
education about the dangers of drug abuse, most of the students have limited
knowledge of how dangerous the habit is (Ngesu, 2008) Many students have
dropped out of school and others opted to engage in criminal activities thus
endangering the lives of the people living in Ethiope East Local Government
Area of Delta State. The young
generation no longer has role models since most of the young Adults are
unemployed and under the influence of this drugs. Despite the government’s
concern and heightened campaigns against the vice among high school students,
there exists a parallel accelerated rate of students who are illicit drug
users. Although, students are expected to be aware of the effects of drug abuse
and commit themselves to their studies, the habit still exist default of their
prior expected awareness of its consequences.
Although excessive use
of illicit drugs is prevalent in all societies, students with no exception,
none of critical studies on factors influencing its prevalence comparing in
school to out of school youth has yet been conducted in Ethiope East Local
Government Area of Delta State. This has been established from a thorough
search in the archives and libraries so as to ascertain originality of this
study. This has been a green field of research that has greatly prompted the
choice Ethiope East as the location of the study. This study therefore, seeks
to establish the correlation between poor academic performance and the use of
drugs in public secondary schools in Ethiope East Local Government Area of
Delta State. The study will also assess the various reasons as to why students
abuse drugs and the various types of drugs available to the students’
population. Behaviour is a major aspect of life, after observing students
behaviour when under the influence of this drugs this study will recommend ways
of rehabilitating those already affected and ways of eradicating drug peddling
business going on at our Secondary. The study will also propose policy
recommendations to mainstream drug related projects to secure students’ rights
to education and the entire young generation.
1.3. Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this
project is to investigate the influence of drug abuse on students’ academic
performance in public secondary schools in Ethiope East Local Government Area
of Delta State
1.4 Research Objectives
The objective of the
current study will be:
1.
To determine the extent to which Alcohol
abuse Influences Student’s Academic Performance in Ethiope East Local
Government Area of Delta State
2.
To examine the extent to which Marijuana
abuse influences Student’s Academic Performance in Ethiope East Local
Government Area of Delta State
3.
To evaluate how Tobacco abuse influences
student’s Academic performance in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta
State.
4.
To examine the extent to which
Barbiturates abuse influences student’s Academic Performance in Ethiope East
Local Government Area of Delta State
1.5. Research Questions
The study will attempt
to answer the following questions:
1. What
is the extent of Alcohol abuse among students in public secondary in Ethiope
East Local Government Area of Delta State?
2. What
are the main causes of Marijuana use among the students in public secondary
schools?
3. Which
are the drugs commonly abused by the students in public secondary schools?
4. What
are some of the negative impacts on academics caused by the abuse of tobacco?
5. How
does the use of Barbiturates influence students’ academic performance?
1.6 Significance of the Study
The findings of the
study will be useful to the Community, Institutions of higher learning and the
County Government. The study will reveal the influence of major drugs on
students’ academic performance and in their behaviour aspects. There are many
parents and lecturers with questions as to why their students don’t perform as
expected, the government is also looking for explanations as to why the youth
are not innovative and as to why most of them drop out of school. Ethiope East
Local Government Area, like many other local governments, is faced with the
social problem of high rates of drug abuse. To make matters worse, the
percentage of drug abusers in the population increases yearly despite the
efforts to eradicate the problem. Failure to solve this problem not only
threatens the life of individuals, but also the economic and social development
of the country as a whole. The current study is useful in contributing to the
general body of knowledge in this area. Beyond that, however, it also explores
the potential of secondary as well as other schools to curb the drug problem.
The study should help
to make local government; administrators, local community as well as students
aware of the factors hindering the effectiveness of the approaches which
attempt to curb drug abuse and, where possible, create opportunities to
eradicate the problem. The proposed programme would be useful in educating all
youths and adults inEthiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, on the
risks of drug consumption. Thus, this study would play an important role in
reducing, or even preventing high rates of drug use and abuse. Based on the
findings, recommendations will be made. If followed, these recommendations
would be useful to administrators and local government in curbing drug abuse in
schools through improving existing educational programmes, and striving to
develop ones that are even more efficient.
A part from proposing
more effective preventive measures in relation to drug abuse, the study will also
provide a background for other studies in its prevention. This would help in
promoting a drug-free school environment and better academic performance, thus
improving the standards of education in the county. In the absence of specific
policies on substance abuse in schools this study will make important
recommendations on the way forward.
1.7. Limitations of the Study
Exploring the possible
confounds and conducting a thorough investigation into the construct validity
of information given by respondents will be difficult and would require
additional research. This research could perhaps assume a qualitative nature,
and might probe people’s concepts about personality resilience,
comprehensibility, manageability and so on. Interviews and panel discussions
with people from the local community, local government and the administration
may help but in spite getting a research permit and letters of introduction
from relevant government authorities and schools, suspicion of the area of
research would also likely to cause unnecessary delays. Drug abuse is sensitive
and many people may withhold vital information.
1.8 Definition
of Significant Terms
* Alcohol
abuse - A pattern of drinking that result in harm to one’s health,
interpersonal relationships, or ability to work.
* Academic
Performance - The extent to which a student has achieved his or her educational
goals.
* Barbiturates
- They are drugs that act as central nervous system depressants. They produce
effects ranging from mild sedation to total anaesthesia. They include sleeping
pills and mau.
* Binge
Drinking - drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time or drinking to get
drunk or feel the effects of alcohol
* Drug -
Any product other than food or water that affects the way people feel, think,
see, and behave. It is a substance that due to its chemical nature affects
physical, mental and emotional functioning.
* Drug
abuse- The Use of drugs for purposes other than medical reasons, thus affecting
the individual in a negative way socially, cognitively or physically. Influence
- the power to change or affect someone, the power to cause changes without
directly forcing them to happen.