Influence of Parents’ Socioeconomic Status on Performance of School Children in Kabong, Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

RINTEP, Friday Christopher; Fwangle, Ishaya Istifanus

doi:10.64348/zije.202514

Authors

RINTEP, Friday Christopher Author
Fwangle, Ishaya Istifanus Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64348/zije.202514

Keywords:

Socioeconomic status, children’s educational performance, occupation and environment

Abstract

This study examines the influence of parents’ socioeconomic status on the performance of school children in Kabong, Jos North LGA, Plateau State, Nigeria. The purpose is to critically study how parents’ occupation and environment affect the educational outcomes of the child. The social survey design was employed for the study. The study adopted mixed method and used questionnaire tagged: Parents’ Socioeconomic Status and Performance of School Children Questionnaire (PSSPSCQ) of Parents and Educational Performance of a Child Questionnaire, and accompanied by interview guide as instruments of data collection. Instruments were subjected to content validity and questionnaire was tested after a pilot study using Cronbach’s reliability test which yielded a coefficient of 0.837. A sample size of 378 parents and teachers was determined using Krejcie & Morgan formula. Respondents were selected using multi-stage sampling technique. Data collected was collated using SPSS v.26 and presented in simple percentages and cross tabulations, while qualitative data collected was analyzed using thematic content analysis. The study discovered that, socio-economic status of parents affects the educational outcomes of children to a large extent. Lower income generally correlates with lower academic outcomes and vice versa; conducive home environment affects children's academic performance, particularly the availability of a quiet reading space and access to educational resources. The study recommended that: there is need to improve the occupational status through welfare programs, flexible job opportunities, and vocational training to enhance financial stability and school involvement. NGOs, FBOs, and CSOs should provide learning resources such as such as reading spaces, computers, and internet access can significantly enhance academic performance, especially for children from underprivileged backgrounds, since many homes lack conducive study environments.

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