ABSTRACT
The study sought to examine
technological advancement and psychosocial issues (resilience, academic
stress, peer relations and family structure) as determinants of academic
performance of Economics Students in Tertiary Institutions in Ogun
State. A two-stage sampling technique was adopted to select 600
(200-400 Level) students in Covenant University Ota, Babcock University,
Ilishan, Tai-Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode and Olabisi
Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye. The study made use of a well-structured
questionnaire to solicit information from the respondents. Data
collected were subjected to the quantitative technique of regression
analysis. The results revealed that technological advancement is not a
significant determinant of academic performance (p>.05); resilience
(p<.05) and academic stress (p<.05) are the psychosocial issues
that significantly determined academic performance and lastly, the joint
influence of academic performance and psychosocial issues significantly
determined academic performance (p<.05). Based on this, the study
suggests amongst others that, students should properly utilize
technological facilities such as internet, laptop, e-notebook, ipad and
the like in their academics. These facilities should be used to source
for information pertaining to their courses, assignments, tests,
term-papers, examinations and projects. This will widen the knowledge
frontiers of the students, raises their level of exposure and
enlightenment, which will further improve their academic performance.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The National Policy on
Education (2009) recognizes education as the nation’s greatest asset
towards the quick development of its economic potentials, sociological
and human resources, hence, it focuses on the integration of the
individual into a sound and effective citizen. Education has been the
pillar upon which all meaningful national development is built. It is
the instrument which sets the pace for growth, development, and
understanding of issues in their entire ramification. For education to
be relevant in a society, it has to be effectively taught and this can
only be achieved through the use of good methods and suitable
instructional materials.
Schools, Colleges and
Universities have no worth without students. Students are most essential
assets for any educational institute. The social and economic
development of the country is directly linked with students’
performance. The students’ performance plays an important role in
producing the best quality graduates who will become great leaders and
manpower for the country thus responsible for the country’s economic and
social development. (Ali, N., Jusof, K., Ali, S., Mokhtar, N., and
Salamt, A.S. 2009).
In the school setting, the
teaching and learning process is not complete without an evaluation of
the learning outcome. The academic performance of a student measures the
student’s level of understanding of what he/she has been taught.
Epunam (1999) defines academic
performance of a child as the learning outcomes of the child which
include the knowledge, skills, and ideas acquired and retained through
their course of study within and outside the classroom situation.
Previously most
studies of student academic performance conducting on such issues like
gender differences, teacher’s education and teaching style, class
environment, socio economic factor and family education background. This
research focuses on Technological Advancement and Psychosocial issues
on the academic performance of Economics students.
Technological Advancement
has to do with Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)
particularly computers, laptop (which make use of internet) and mobile
phones, while psycho-social issues which is divided into psychological
factors: Academic stress and Resilience; and social factors Peer
relation and Family structure.
The use of computers
has had a major impact on the university school context and in the
teaching and learning method. (Ema, and Ajayi, 2006). One puzzling
question is the effective impact of these computers’ usage on students’
performance and the returns of education. The effect of computer usage
on learning is currently in relation to the internet to facilitate
teaching and learning. Computers are the technologies used in conveying,
manipulating and storing of data by electronic means. They provide an
array of powerful tools that may help in transforming the present
isolated teacher-centered and text bound classroom into rich,
student-focused, interactive knowledge environment. To meet these
challenges, learning institutions must embrace the new technologies and
appropriate ICT tools for learning. (Ogunsola, 2005).
The direct link between ICT use
and students’ study habit and academic performance has been the focus of
extensive literature during the last two decades. Some of them help
students with their learning by improving the communication between them
and the instructors (Valasidoa and Bousiou 2005).
Leuven, Lindahl, Oosterbeek, and
Webbink (2004) stated that there is no evidence for a relationship
between increased educational uses of ICT on students’ performance. In
fact, they find a consistently negative and marginally significant
relationship between ICT use and some student performance measures.
Supporting this, some students may use ICT to increase their leisure
time and have less time to study. Online gaming and increased
communication channels do not necessarily mean increased achievement.
Karim and Hassan (2006) noted
the exponential growth in digital information which changes the way
student perceive study and reading and in how printed materials are used
to facilitate study.
Psycho-social issues on the other hand
are Resilience, Academic Stress, Peer Relation and Family Structure.
Resilience and Academic stress are psycho issues to be discuss and their
determinant to students’ academic performance.
Resilience can be considered to be a
social construction (Haeussle, 2013), which implies that resilient
qualities can be acquired and developed by individuals (Higgins, 1994).
It is not considered a personality trait, but a dynamic and
developmental construct, associated with positive adaptation of
individuals in the face of adversity and a product of professional and
personal dispositions (Gu & Day, 2007). Resilience is one of the
most essential personal factors influencing academic achievement.
Academic stress is a mental distress
with respect to some apprehended frustration associated with academic
failure, apprehension of such failure or even an awareness of the
possibility of such failure (Gupta and Khan 1987). In the context of
school, academic stress means a pervasive sense of urgency to learn all
these things which are related to or prescribed by the school (Shah,
1988). Academic stress is the product of a combination of academic
related demands that exceeds the adaptive resources available to an
individual. It is widely acknowledging that a student’s academic
achievement and academic ability depends on both the internal and
external factors such as proper study habits, intelligence, educational
aspirations of self and parents, medium of instruction. If these
situations are not conducive for learning, they may lead to academic
stress.
Peer- Relations and Family Structure are
the social issue that will be discuss in this project work and their
determinant to students’ academic performance. Peer-relations positive
are promoters of school engagement as they ill up the necessities of
belonging and attachment (Martin & Dowson, 2009), Studies show that
children who experience frequent mistreatment by peers are at risk for
poor psychological adjustment and lower grade point average (Burk &
Laursen, 2005; Schwartz, Gorman, Dodge, Pettit and Bates 2008).
The home has a great influence on the
child’s psychological, emotional, social and economic state. The state
of the home affects the individual since the parents are the first
socializing agents in an individual's life. This is because the family
background and context of a child affect his reaction to life situations
and his level of performance. Family structure in terms of single and
two parent families has been noted in the literature to have a
significant influence on students’ performance and mental development
(Tenibiaje, 2009; Eweniyi, 2005). This is because providing a supportive
learning environment at home requires parents’ time as much as
financial resources.
However, objective of this work is to
study the effect of Technological Advancement and Psychosocial Issues on
the academic performance of Economics students in higher institution in
Ogun State. Consequently, the study shall make sound recommendation
that will improve the academic performances of the students in the study
Area.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Technological Advancement
(Information and Communication Technologies) has gained immeasurable
ground in the lives of students in Nigeria, most especially in the
higher institutions. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is
a common sight today in our schools as you see students going to
school/class with some of the most expensive ICT gadget e.g.
sophisticated mobile phones, tablets, iPad and laptops that have all the
application, facilities and software that can connect them to the
internet and all forms of social media platforms and other website and
so on. Where they chat, download, upload, exchange and play different
kinds of media contents, which most are pornographic in nature.
(Olofuniyi, Fashiku, and Owombo, 2012).
The pattern of usage of
most of these ICT gadgets by the students during and after school hours,
such as their level of engagement in free night calls chatting, instant
messaging, social networking and examination malpractices etc. is
greatly influencing their academic performance.
Also, the psycho social issues, which
comprises of psychological and social factors determine the students’
academic performance which hinder student from attempting their dream
profession later in life. The focus of the current study is to determine
how each of these psychosocial variables (Resilience, Academic Stress,
Peer Relation and Family Structure) affected the student academic
performance either negatively or positively.
This study is to conduct a research
on the influence of Technological Advancement and Psychosocial issues
among Economics students in higher institutions in Ogun State on their
academic performance.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY`
The objectives of the study are to
- To explain the effect of Technological Advancement on the
academic performance of Economics students in Higher Institutions in
Ogun State.
- To determine the influence of psychosocial issues (Resilience,
Academic Stress, Peer Relation and Family Structure) on the academic
performance of Economics students in Higher Institution in Ogun State.
- To determine the influence between the independent variables
(Technological Advancement and Psychosocial issues) on the dependent
variables (Academic Performance) of Economics students in Higher
Institution in Ogun State.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- Will the effect of technological advancement (ICT)
significantly determine academic performance of Economics students in
Higher Institutions in Ogun State?
- Will the influence of psychosocial issues (Resilience, Academic
Stress, Peer Relation and Family Structure) significantly determine the
academic performance of Economics students in Higher Institutions in
Ogun State?
- Will there be any significant influence between technological
advancement and psychosocial issues on the academic performance of
Economics students in Higher Institutions in Ogun State?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
HO1: The
effect of technological advancement will not significantly determine the
academic performance of Economics students in Higher Institutions in
Ogun State.
HO2: The
influence of psychosocial issues will not significantly determine the
academic performance of Economics students in Higher Institutions in
Ogun State
HO3: Technological
Advancement and psycho-social issues have no significant influence on
academic performance of Economics students in Higher Institutions in
Ogun State.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The outcome of this study
will contribute to the existing literature and will be beneficial to
the education sector and the Ministry of Education, particularly in the
area of educational technology, and the study will also help to
alleviate educational stress and improve social behaviors of the
student.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE:
This is the learning outcomes of the child which include the knowledge,
skills and ideals acquired and retained through his/her course of study
within and outside the classroom situation. It is also the extent to
which a student has achieved his or her educational goals.
ACADEMIC STRESS:
Is the mental distress with respect to some anticipated frustration
associated with academic failure or even unawareness to the possibility
of such failure.
DETERMINANT: Something
that controls or affects what happens in a particular situation, or a
factor that decisively affects the nature or outcome of something.
FAMILY STRUCTURE: Is
the composition and membership of the family and the organization and
patterning of relationships among individual family members.
HIGHER INSTITUTION: A
learning environment which grants academic degree in various subjects,
typically provide undergraduate education and post graduate education.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT):
It is any communication device or application, encompassing radio,
television, cellular phones, computers and network hardware and
software, satellite system as well as the various service applications.
PEER RELATION: Is the affiliation of children with other peer group of same interest and attribute.
PSYCHOSOCIAL: Relating to the interaction of social factors and individuals’ thought and behaviors.
RESILIENCE: The
capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, toughness or an ability
to recover from adversity, depression or adjust to change.
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT: It
is the generation of information or the discovery of knowledge that
advance the understanding of scientific relation or technology.