ABSTRACT
This research work investigated the effect of Truancy on the
performance of adolescent students; a case study of secondary in
Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The subject of this research comprised one hundred (100) students
randomly selected from five secondary schools in Alimosho Local
Government Area of Lagos State.
Data Analysis was carried out by the use of Chi-square with the
independent samples used to test the significance between grouped means
of the hypothesis statistics.
Based on these findings, some recommendations which could be of
immense benefit to students, teachers, parents and the community at
large.
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
No one, not even a nation has ever argued the fact that education is a
veritable instrument for liberating people from the shackles of
ignorance, poverty, illiteracy and the likes. Longe (1999) opines that
"there is over-whelming evidence that education is a weapon in the fight
against poverty, there can be little doubt that educating the children
improves their changes of escaping poverty". In the same vein, education
is also useful to fight for one's right, itself being a basic natural
human right.
The role of education toward the development of individuals in the
society and the nation as a whole cannot be over-emphasize, hence, there
is the need to give proper, adequate and equal education to everybody
regardless of sex, race or tribe.
Yolah (2001) asserts that "education is a harbinger expanding
opportunities for the development of human potentials so essential for
full productive life".
Moreover, Anuforo (2007) says "education is a process, product and a
discipline. In order to transmit norms and values of a given people' .
Okafor (1987) opines further that “education embraces all experiences
through which and individual acquires knowledge or ideas, develops his
intellect and strengthens his will".
However, upon the great importance of education to every individual,
some students even with free opportunity to education still run away
from schools which made them to be known as truant students. This issue
of truancy has being a major concern of all and sundry especially
government and parents in our society.
Truancy is that abnormal acts in which the rules and regulations of
the school authority are violated by students. Truancy can be described
as an act where by secondary students especially adolescents from school
activities without permission and without genuine reasons. Truancy,
according to the US Department of Education, is the first sign of
trouble; students start giving up, skip school and find life outside the
school environment lively more than the school environment.
Research data tells us that students who become truant and eventually
drop out of school put themselves at a long term problem in becoming
productive citizens. Truancy has great implication in that it has a
broad effect in the general norms and value of the entire school and the
entire society, therefore it is important to note that the phenomenon
exist from the inception of generation.
Moreover, the subjection has been a great concern for many Nigerians
especially the teachers and the school administrators. The effort of the
government on education has been found difficult to be ascertained
because of truancy among students which has caused a lot problem to the
educational system. This has brought about backwardness among the
students, the educational policy makes and educational evaluators as it
affects their studies and also affects the policy of the government.
Truant students especially the adolescents would leave their homes in
the morning, but instead of going to school, they enjoy visiting cyber
cafes, going to boy or girl friends houses, loiter on the streets either
with school uniforms or may have changed into mufti in a hidden corner.
Truancy has led many children to commit crimes such as armed robbery,
rapes, and secret cults and pick pocketing. It is very obvious that
among the criminals paraded on Television by Police everyday include
students who have supposed to be in school. Many unwanted pregnancies
resulted into abortions are the results of truancy. Akinloye etal (1997)
reveals that truants will seek solace in drugs he or she becomes a
tout, addict, smuggler, area boy, armed robber, such a child then
becomes a burden and a threat to the society. This study is therefore
geared into investing the effects of truancy among adolescent students.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The importance of this work is to investigate the effect of truancy
on the academic performance of adolescent students in Alimosho Local
Government Area of Lagos State.
Ife Abodunrin (2011) quoted from Erikson’s Theory of psychosocial
development described an adolescent as a student of 12-18 years of age.
This project work is particular about adolescent students in the
secondary schools in Alimosho Local Government. Truancy has brought
about career degeneration and backwardness in secondary schools in
Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, because of their
irregular attendance and presence in schools. Truancy also brings about
poor academic performance in many schools.
In Alimosho Local Government, students seek academic work as a threat
because of many factors within and outside the school. It has become
the order of the day, seeing students roam on the streets when they are
supposed to be at school. Many Alimosho Local Government adolescent
students have been arrested by the Surveillance of the State Governor of
Lagos State and have been taken to Welfare Centre for rehabilitation.
These adolescents falls between J.S.S 3 - SSS3 respectively.
They are the future of this great nation, in so much that this
problem has to be looked into for proper correction. Furthermore, due to
the adolescent students irregular attendance in school and the general
breaking down of law and order of schools, stealing, thuggery and all
sorts of delinquent behaviours have become a common phenomenon, which is
a result of student low interest in academic work among others. It is
therefore not going to be out of place to investigate the effect of this
social problem on the performance of such students.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This study will seek to examine the factors responsible for truancy
in secondary schools and the effects such factors have on the academic
performance of the students. Hence the purpose of the study will seek to
assess the effects of truancy on the academic performance of secondary
students in an urban environment
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study will help to make necessary correction by which the
educational system in Alimosho Local Government can be restructure. It
will help solve the problem of truancy and as well as reshape the lives
they would be useful for themselves, their parents and the society at
large.
The finding of the study will help to encourage the teachers to
cultivate the habit of delivery their lessons in a manner that would
motivate students' interest. The finding and recommendation will also
help educational policy makes and planners in their planning strategies.
Furthermore, the outcome will enable the parents to understand
truants and know them. The study hopefully will also act as a model or
reference for subsequent research work by individuals who may want to
research this area. Teachers would be exposed to various juvenile acts,
the students which they might likely be involve in as a result of their
irregular attendance in school.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The extent to which there is a clear relationship between students' academic performance and truancy is the focus of this study.
The following research questions are therefore, posed to be answered in the course of this study?
1. Is there any significant difference between the academic
performance of adolescent students who are truants and those who are
not?
2. Is there any significant effect of home environment on adolescent students academic performance and playing of truancy?
3. Is there any significant effects of school factors and students playing of truancy?
4. Is there any significant effect of peer group on students playing of truancy?
1.6 REASEARCH HYPOTHESES
In other word to answer major research questions four (4) null hypotheses were raised thus:
H01: There is no significant difference between the academic
performance of adolescent students who are truants and those who are
not.
H02: There is no significant effect of home environment on adolescent students academic performance and playing of truancy.
H03: There are no significant effect of school factors and students playing of truancy.
H04: There is no significant effect of peer group on students playing of truancy.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study was carried out to find the effect of truancy on the
academic performance of adolescent students in Alimosho Local Government
Area of Lagos State.
1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This research study is limited to selected secondary schools in
Alimosho Local Government Schools in Lagos State, due to financial
constraints, time factor, attitude of the respondents and inadequate
literature.
1.9 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF THE TERMS
EFFECT: It is a change that somebody or something
causes in somebody or something else. It is also a result or an outcome
of something.
TRUANCY: It is described as a way whereby a school
pupil stays away from school without permission or reasons. It is also a
habitual absenteeism.
ACADEMIC: It is related with education, especially studying in schools and universities. An act of reading and studying books.
PERFORMANCE: An act of how well or badly you do something, how well or badly something works
ADOLESCENTS: A child who is developing from a child
into an adult, which falls between the ages of 13 and 18 and the
problems they face for example, boys and girls with their experiences.
ABORTION: This is the act of deliberate ending of a pregnancy at an early stage, Tough a medical operation.
JUVENILE: This is related to young people who are not yet adults. A young person either a girl or a boy.
DISCIPLINE: This is an act of training people so
that they will obey orders and control their own feelings and behavior.
It is also the method of training one's mind or body to control
behavior; punishment follows if they do not comply or obey those rules.
DELINQUENCY: This is bad or criminal behaviour
usually of young people. It is an anti-social act or deviate, stealing,
bullying, rioting etc are delinquencies.
DEVELOPMENT: The latest in a number of real or
imaginary events. Gradual growth or somebody or something, so that it
becomes more advanced, stronger etc. it is also the process of producing
or creating something new or more advanced e.g a new product.
TRUANT: A child who stays away from school without a good reason. A child who absent from school without a permission.
EDUCATION: It is an act of teaching and learning.
Way of acquiring knowledge. Ability b develop skills. Method of
imparting new experiences into somebody. It is also an agent of
socialization.
ENVIRONMENT: The conditions in which you live and
work, that affect your life. The world that we live in. It is also the
conditions that affect the behavior and development of somebody or
something.
SOCIETY: Group of people who live together with
shared ideas. People with a common interest. People in general, living
together in communities. The group of people who share the same customs,
laws, etc.
THUGGERY: An act of being violent. A violent behaviour usually a criminal acts or behaviour. Brutal and hard.
DELINQUENT: Young people with their behaviour showing a tendency to commit crimes, especially “JUVENILE DELINQUENT SOCIAL PROBLEM”. All the problems associated with the society.