High School and Academic Performance

Journal of Education and Practice ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol 1, No 1, 2010

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Indiscipline Among the Female Secondary School Students in Selected Rural Communities of Rivers State in Nigeria : Causes and Effects on Academic Performance
Sarumi Abidoye, Ph.D1 & Okoji Olufemi Onweazu2 Department of Adult Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. [phone]. Department of Educational Management, Faculty of Education, Lead City University, Nigeria [phone]. E-mail of the corresponding author : * [e-mail] ABSTRACT The study examined the causes and effects of indiscipline on academic performance of female secondary school students in Rivers State of Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted using questionnaire as the main instrument. 225respondents were randomly selected from four communities in two local Governments in Rivers State. The hypotheses raised were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that there is a significant effect of peer group on indiscipline (X2C =47.0,X2T=3.841,df=1,P 3.841), we reject the research hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis. Thus, this indicates that there is significant effect of parental control of children on indiscipline among the secondary school students in rural communities of Rivers State of Nigeria. 3.1 Discussion of Findings It was confirmed from the data analyzed above that peer group influence, either at home or schools, play a vital role in shaping the life pattern of the individual learner. The finding correlates with the opinion of (Egunjobi 2005) that the negative influence of peer group on the female secondary school students was higher than the positive aspect of it. Peer group influence affects the good foundations laid in the home as a result of the desire of the female students to copy negative character of their colleagues in their schools. Oladeji (2010) pointed out that members of secret cults even at secondary school level were found to be a mixture of students from the rich and poor family, this is traceable to the effect of peer group.

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Journal of Education and Practice ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol 1, No 1, 2010

www.iiste.org

Type of school administration as an important tool in the determination of the level of indiscipline in school also formed the focus of studies carried out by Popoola (2010). He asserted that the more democratic the school administrator is, the more discipline the students of such School will be. He pointed out further that student democracy at that level of education could be enhanced if the school authority constitutes effective Students’ Representative Council (SRC). If the students are encouraged to participate in decision making that affects their welfare, they will obey the rules and regulations of the school and through this they will be more discipline. The finding tallies with the assertion of (Ajila and Olutola, 2007) that home has a great influence on the students’ 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 assertion is traceable to the fact that the family background and context of a child affect his reaction to life situations and his level of performance. Although the school is responsible for the experiences that make up the individual’s life during school periods, yet parents and the individual’s experiences at home play tremendous role in the moral and academic performance of their children. Furthermore, parents have important role to play in curbing indiscipline among the female secondary school students. Aderoju (2004) traced a very vital role of the parents which can be achieved between the school and the home. In his findings, he asserted that the notorious students came from homes where parents do not care about what goes in the school. He pointed out further that once a student knows that an impromptu visit can be made on him by the parents, such a student will be very careful and this will help them to be more disciplined. 3.2 Conclusion It was revealed through the study that most parents are no longer concerned with the moral and academic performances of their children, as they give more time to their businesses than they do to the moral training of their children. The absence of this home training affects, to greater extent, the moral and academic achievement of their children. The study revealed further that school supervision is one of the most essential ingredients of our school system that has suffered the worst neglect. This neglect has caused our education a lot of moral, intellectual, psychological, social and economic derogations 3.3 Recommendations The following recommendations were offered to the stakeholders in the educational sector on how to avert indiscipline among female students in our secondary schools. 1. There should be prompt and adequate use of rewards for hardworking teachers and students as well as punishment for defaulting ones. Teachers and students who are not committed, even after warning should be expelled from the school. 2. Series of regular programmes like seminar, workshops, in-service training and others should be organized to update teachers knowledge as well as guiding both teachers’ and students’ behavior in schools 3. If parents spend time with their children, before and after school periods, the children moral upbringing and academic performance will be harmonized and strengthened. REFERENCES Adeogun, P.O (2001) The Nigerian Education Today, Lagos: Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nigeria. Aderoju, T.A ( 2004) Indiscipline in Nigerian schools : A comprehensive study of its effects on students. Atoro Press, Ilorin. Ajila and Olutola (2007) The Effects of Family Structure and Parenthood on the Academic Performance of Nigerian University Students. International Journal of Psychology in Africa Vol 12 (2) pp 120 – 129. Akinpelu, J.A (1981). An introduction to Philosophy of Education, London Macmillan. Asaolu, K.M (2007) Examination Malpractices in schools: New Trends in Education, London: George Allen Press. Amaele, S (2007) Moral Values in Nigerian Education : Issues, Problems and Prospects. Bounty Press. Egunjobi, O.T (2005) Western Education and the effect on African culture. Evans Book Publishers.

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Journal of Education and Practice ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol 1, No 1, 2010

www.iiste.org

Ezewu, E.E ( 1995) ‘Towards a Political Philosophy of Education’. A keynote Address to the 13th Annual Conference of the Philosophy of Education Association of Nigeria, University of Port Harcourt. Jackson, O.F ( 2007) Discipline of students in schools. Onitsha PEP Publishers. Johnson, H.B (2009) The Effect of Indiscipline on the Achievement of Secondary School Goals. An unpublished M. Ed project submitted to the Department of Educational Management, Lead City University, Ibadan Nigeria. Laolu, A.M (2005) Administration of Public Schools in Nigeria. New York, Harper & Row Publishers . Oladeji, G.O (2010) Examination Malpractice, Effects and Remedies in Nigeria. Atoro Press, Lagos. Olusegun, R.O (2005) Brief Survey of Indiscipline in Schools, Ibadan. Heinemman Books (Chapter 2). Popoola T. (2010) Moral Decadence inhibits development in Nigeria Tribune August 12, 2010 pp 10 -13

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References: Adeogun, P.O (2001) The Nigerian Education Today, Lagos: Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nigeria. Aderoju, T.A ( 2004) Indiscipline in Nigerian schools : A comprehensive study of its effects on students. Atoro Press, Ilorin. Ajila and Olutola (2007) The Effects of Family Structure and Parenthood on the Academic Performance of Nigerian University Students. International Journal of Psychology in Africa Vol 12 (2) pp 120 – 129. Akinpelu, J.A (1981). An introduction to Philosophy of Education, London Macmillan. Asaolu, K.M (2007) Examination Malpractices in schools: New Trends in Education, London: George Allen Press. Amaele, S (2007) Moral Values in Nigerian Education : Issues, Problems and Prospects. Bounty Press. Egunjobi, O.T (2005) Western Education and the effect on African culture. Evans Book Publishers. 12 Journal of Education and Practice ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol 1, No 1, 2010 www.iiste.org Ezewu, E.E ( 1995) ‘Towards a Political Philosophy of Education’. A keynote Address to the 13th Annual Conference of the Philosophy of Education Association of Nigeria, University of Port Harcourt. Jackson, O.F ( 2007) Discipline of students in schools. Onitsha PEP Publishers. Johnson, H.B (2009) The Effect of Indiscipline on the Achievement of Secondary School Goals. An unpublished M. Ed project submitted to the Department of Educational Management, Lead City University, Ibadan Nigeria. Laolu, A.M (2005) Administration of Public Schools in Nigeria. New York, Harper & Row Publishers . Oladeji, G.O (2010) Examination Malpractice, Effects and Remedies in Nigeria. Atoro Press, Lagos. Olusegun, R.O (2005) Brief Survey of Indiscipline in Schools, Ibadan. Heinemman Books (Chapter 2). Popoola T. (2010) Moral Decadence inhibits development in Nigeria Tribune August 12, 2010 pp 10 -13 13