Relationship between parents’ attitudes, culture on academic performance of secondary school female students in Benue state, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Parents’ attitudes and culture are some of the variables used to measure academic performance of secondary school female students. Parental attitude shows a positive, negative or mixed evaluation of a person, place, thing or event by individual parents. Parents’ culture involves the way of life or behaviours that are characteristics of particular parent(s), social group and organization such as language, symbols values and norms. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between parents’ attitudes, culture and academic performance of secondary school female students in Benue State, Nigeria. Methodology: The design was a correlational survey design. The population consisted of 13226 female students in 99 secondary schools. 378 female students were sampled out of the population based on Research Advisor (2006) Sample Size Table. A multi-stage sampling technique was adopted which comprised of systematic, proportionate and purposive sampling techniques. “Parents Attitudes, Culture and Academic Performance Questionnaire” was validated and used. The reliability coefficient of the pilot study was done using Cronbach’s Alpha method and the test yielded a reliability coefficient of .80. Direct administration and collection of data from respondents was used. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to answer the research questions while the hypotheses were tested with linear regression and multiple regression at .05 level of significance. Results: The study revealed that there was a significant relationship between parents’ attitudes, culture and academic performance of secondary school female students. It also revealed that parents’ attitude and culture jointly correlate with female students’ academic performance. Recommendations: Counsellors should encourage parents and other concerned stakeholders through seminars to show positive attitudes towards the female students.