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A SURVEY OF POVERTY AND ITS IMPACT ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Poverty has been defined in the literature from two perspectives: the macroeconomic perspectives and the expansive cultural perspective. The economic perspective defines poverty in terms of the external circumstance that influences a person’s economic behaviors and transactions like the purchase of consumer goods, the acquisition of skills and provision of production service. In this regard, poverty is defined as a state of deprivation in terms of both economic and social indicators such as income, education, health care, portable water, access to food, social status, self-esteem and self-actualization (Okog 1998). Poverty is also said to exist when income or disposable resources are inadequate to support a minimum standard of decent living (Ogwunmike, 1991).

Poverty is one of the most serious problems contorting Nigeria today; it is generally associated with condition under which people lived. Poverty can be simply put as a condition where a person is unable to satisfy the most basic and elementary equipments for human survival in the term of food, clothing, shelter, heath, transport, education and recreation. That is, it is the absence of access to the basic human needs of the citizen. The poverty level in Nigeria contradicts the country disposal; the country ought to have done better than it is doing presently. Poverty is a global phenomenon that is very dynamic, complex and multi- dimensional. It is currently one of the most serious problems in the world. 

Schools, Colleges and Universities have no worth without students. Students are the most essential asset for any educational institution. The social and economic development of the country is directly linked with student academic performance. The students’ performance (academic achievement) plays an important role in producing the best quality graduates who will become great leaders and manpower for the county thus responsible for the country’s economic and social development.

Student academic performance measurement has received considerable attention in previous research, it is challenging aspects of academic literature and science student performances are affected due to social, psychological, economic, environmental and personal factors. These factors strongly influence student performance, but these factors vary from person to person and country to country.

Education is the best legacy a nation can give to her citizens, especially the youth. This is because the development of any nation or community depends largely on the quality of education of such a nation. It is generally believed that the basis for any true development must commence with the development of human resources. Much then is said that formal education remains the vehicle for social- economic development and social mobilization in any society.

Nigeria like any other developing nation has witnessed prolong military role and aborted civilian administration, which necessitated the promulgation of decrees, edicts and laws concerning educational practices at federal, state and local government, due to coup detail de-emphasized the continuity in the implementation of educational laws and policies since 1970s till the present time. This gradually laid the foundation of fallen standards in education at the primary and secondary schools levels (Shittu, 2004).

Frequent changes of ministers and commissioners of education by successive governments coupled with the politicization of education by political parties that emerged in the country’s political scene since 1974 have also brought about disparity in educational practices, which causes differential academic performance and classroom functioning of both teachers and students from state to state.

 According to Olotu (1994), in the quest of finding survival feet, the nation as evolved series of socio economic and educational measures and policies such as Structural Adjustment programme (SAP), Austerity measures, Universal Primary Education (UPE), Universal Basic Education (UBE) and devaluation of the Naira. These measures have not improved the social economic and educational status of families in the country. They have rather increased their suffering and widened the socio- economic gap between families. Johnson (1996) lamented that parents become poor due to these hard measures, such that they can no longer provide adequate education for their children. Also, they can no longer provide shelter, clothing and special needs for their children in school (such as provision of textbooks, school uniforms and good medical care and so on).

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The incidence of poverty is very high among the unemployed, the uneducated women and rural dwellers (Gbosi 2004). Aljazeera (2009) reported that Nigeria is ranked 155 out of 177 countries in the world poverty index ranking while 92% of Nigerians are trying to make ends meet.

It has been observed previously that poverty causes some problems for the performance of students. Poverty has negative effects on students’ academic performance, the following factors can be used to measure the performance of students’ academics, and among them are: social, psychological, Economic, environmental and personal factors.

The cause and effects of poverty on academic achievement are stated below:

i. Lack of interest and motivation

ii. Truancy

iii. School dropout

iv. Drug abuse

v. Cultism

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to survey poverty and its impact on the academic performance of students.

Specific objectives include;

1. To Determine the Causes of Low Performance of Rural Students in Academics.

2. To Identify Solutions for Improving the Academic Performance of Rural Students.

3. To Examine Factors Influencing the Academic Performance of Rural Students.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the primary causes contributing to the low academic performance of rural students?

2. What potential solutions or interventions can be implemented to enhance the academic performance of rural students?

3. Which factors, such as socio-economic background, access to resources, or teaching methods, have the most significant influence on the academic performance of rural students?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES:

Hypothesis i

H0 there is no significant relationship between the socio-economic status of rural students and their academic performance.

H1: There is a significant relationship between the socio-economic status of rural students and their academic performance.**

Hypothesis ii

H0 teaching methods have no significant effect on the academic performance of rural students.

H1. Traditional teaching methods have a significant effect on the academic performance of rural students.

Hypothesis iii

H1:  Limited access to educational resources does not significantly impact the academic performance of rural students.

H0: Limited access to educational resources significantly impacts the academic performance of rural students.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will be important to the government, parents, guidance, proprietors, principal and students both in rural and urban areas in such a way to know the effect of poverty on their academic life and the solution to curb the rate of poverty to the minimum rate.

Also, it will serve as a guide for school management to provide adequate materials for their students to meet the quality of the labor force.

Lastly, the Government should provide the basic needs for students and make the learning effective.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will examine the effect and causes of poverty as an academic in some selected rural secondary schools, A case of selected secondary schools in karu local Government Area, Nasarawa state.

1.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The limitations of this study include its focus solely on selected rural secondary schools in Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, potentially limiting the generalizability of findings to other regions. Additionally, the study may face constraints in accessing comprehensive data on poverty and academic performance, as well as potential challenges in obtaining a representative sample size. Time and resource constraints may also limit the depth of analysis and the ability to explore all factors influencing poverty's impact on academic performance.

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Poverty: The state of being extremely poor, characterized by a lack of resources, income, and basic necessities such as food, shelter, and access to education and healthcare.

2. Academic Performance: The extent to which students achieve desired learning outcomes, as measured by grades, standardized test scores, class rank, and other indicators of educational achievement.

3. Impact: The effect or influence that poverty has on various aspects of students' academic experiences and outcomes, including attendance, engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes.

4. Survey: A research method used to gather data and information from a sample of individuals or groups, typically through the administration of questionnaires or interviews, to gain insights into their perceptions, attitudes, behaviors, and experiences related to poverty and academic performance.

5. Secondary Schools: Educational institutions that provide instruction to students typically between the ages of 11 to 18, encompassing grades 6 through 12 or 7 through 12, depending on the educational system, and serving as a bridge between primary education and higher education.

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