PERSONAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS AS CORRELATES OF ACADEMIC UNDERACHIEVEMENT AMONG STUDENTS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined academic underachievement among students with hearing impairment in Ibadan, Nigeria. A descriptive research design of correlational type was adopted. Purposive sampling technique was used to choose 60 students with hearing impairment from two schools in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data were collected with the Academic Underachievement Questionnaire (AUQ) which consists of four sections which are Peer Influence Scale (r = .877), Self-concept scale (r = .653), School environment Scale (r =.265) and Teachers’ effectiveness Scale (r = .303). Three research questions were raised to guide the conduct of the study. Data were analyzed using frequency count, percentage, Pearson Moment Correlation and Multiple Regression Analysis. Peer influence, self-concept, school environment and teachers’ effectiveness had significant correlation with academic underachievement among students with hearing impairment. All the independent variables jointly contributed to academic underachievement of the respondents. Using the standardized regression coefficient to determine the relative contribution of Peer Influence (β=0.954 t=9.856, p) indicates most potent contributor to the prediction, followed by Self Concept (β=0.707 t=5.60, p), Teachers’ effectiveness (β=0.27 t=3.879, p) and School Environment (β=0.214 t=2.185, p). Therefore, students with hearing impairment should be assisted by their teachers to tackle all the factors that are capable of causing academic underachievement among them.