HOME STRUCTURE: DETERMINANT OF STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN AGBANI EDUCATION ZONE OF ENUGU STATE

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to ascertain if home structure could determine students’ performance in mathematics and English language in public secondary schools in Agbani education zone of Enugu state. Causal comparative or expost factor research design was adopted for the study. The study was conducted in Enugu state, specifically in Agbani Education zone. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. Proportionate stratified random sampling techniques were used to draw 333Junior Secondary School Two (JSS2) students from two secondary schools in the Education zone. The sample was made up of 132 students from monogamous homes and 201 students from polygamous homes. The sample also composed of 192 students from single parent homes and 141 students from two parent homes. Two instruments, a questionnaire and a form were used for data collection. The questionnaire was used to collect data on the students’ home structure while the form was used to collect data on the students’ performance from records and vital documents in their schools. Data collection was personally undertaken by the researchers who visited the schools and administered the instruments. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while z-test statistic was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Major findings of the study revealed that home type (monogamy and polygamy) did not influence the secondary school students’ performance in English language and mathematics significantly, but parent type did. It was recommended among other things that teachers should be trained to handle students’ individual home structure differences in their teaching in order to elicit the desired performance from students.