In-School Adolescents’ Parent-Child Relationship as Predictor of Students’ Academic Achievement in Secondary Schools in Awka Education Zone

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to determine how in-school adolescents’ parent-child relationship predicts students’ academic achievement. Specifically, the study determined how in-school adolescent parent-child relationship predicted students’ academic achievement in Mathematics in secondary schools in Awka Education Zone. One research question and one null hypothesis guided the study. This research work is a co-relational study and was carried out in public secondary schools in Awka Education zone. The population of the study comprised of 11,266 secondary school students in the 18 public secondary schools in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State. The sample for the study consisted of 200 students. Ten schools were selected by simple random sampling. Twenty (20) students were selected from each of these schools using purposive sampling technique. A self-constructed instrument was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by experts and the reliability index determined using Cronbach alpha method. Data were collected by the researcher through direct hand-delivery process. Data collected were analyzed using range of scores to answer the research question while regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Findings indicated that parent-child relationship of the in-school adolescents predicted students’ achievements in Mathematics. Among others, it was recommended that parents should use warmth parent-child relationship than hostile parent-child relationship in handling their children especially as these children grow into adolescence.