PSYCHOSOCIAL VARIABLES OF STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC UNDERACHIEVEMENT IN UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT

PSYCHOSOCIAL VARIABLES OF STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC UNDERACHIEVEMENT IN UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT

PSYCHOSOCIAL VARIABLES OF STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC UNDERACHIEVEMENT IN UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT

 

By

 

EYO, KUYIK SAMUEL

 

Department of Educational Psychology, Guidance and Counselling

Faculty of Education

University of Port Harcourt

 

ABSTRACT

The study investigated psychosocial variables of students’ academic underachievement in University of Port Harcourt. A sample of 282 year three students was used for the study drawn from a population of 940 year three students of faculty of education, University of Port Harcourt. Correlation research design was used for the study. Census sampling technique was used to compose the sample. Five research questions were answered while five corresponding null hypotheses were tested in the study at 0.05 level of significance. Two instruments were used for the study. The instruments are the Psychological Variables Questionnaire and Social Variables Questionnaire. The instruments were validated by the research supervisor and two experts in Measurement and Evaluation. The reliability of the instruments was estimated using Cronbach alpha reliability method of internal consistency. Simple linear regression was used to answer the research questions while Analysis of Variance associated with regression was used to test the hypotheses. It was found among others that motivation and study habit significantly relate with undergraduates academic underachievement. It was also found that school, family and societal value system does not relate significantly with underachievement. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that parents, counselors and significant others should encourage the children to imbibe effective study habit in their academic work.

 

Keywords: Underachievement, Psychosocial and Undergraduate,  

 

 

 

Introduction

Humans are endowed with the ability to achieve optimally in any endeavor they occupy their time or their mind with. Learning is one of the activities that humans occupy themselves with throughout the life span. Learning as an activity aids the individual to garner competence in his/her endeavors, to become self-reliant and contribute to the development of the society where she finds herself. Learning is a process that is deemed to have taken place when a relatively permanent change in behavior or performance has been observed. Such a change in behavior must be a result of practice or exercise. Learning is crucial to the all-round development of an individual. To achieve this, the school has been purposefully organized to facilitate and promote effective teaching-learning process by eliminating aversive stimuli in the learning situation and increasing satisfying stimuli (Ezewuas cited in Eriega, 2013). Be that as it may, after the school machinery has put in a lot of hard work in imparting knowledge to students through instruction, often times, and the results of tests given for assessment of students’ achievement of instruction is far below the capacity of some of the students or below what was expected of them, hence the term “underachievement”.

Hornby (2015) defined underachievement as “not doing well as one could, especially in school work”. Underachievement is a discrepancy between potential (what a student ought to be able to do) and actual performance (what a student is demonstrating) (International encyclopedia of social sciences, 2008). However, underachievement as used in this study refers to ‘a situation where a student’s performance in academic work is below his intellectual ability not necessarily due to low intellectual capacity but due to other extenuating factors’. It also refers to a situation whereby the outcome of a students’ performance in school assessment is below what is expected. For example, many students do well in classroom discussions; they are able to engage in academic debates bothering on their course of study but their performances in tests (assignments, examination, etc.) are below what is expected of them.

Academic underachievement is a complex issue that has continued to perturb parents, teachers, researchers and advocates of academic success such as the school and government. Students’ academic underachievement is a quagmire that is seen at every level of education. Be that as it may, stakeholders of education have employed several avenues to ameliorate the situation but to no avail. For instance, parents send their children to schools perceived to have efficient and adequate manpower, and a conducive environment. Teachers use various teaching methods to ensure that students get a firm grasp of instruction. Government on its part provides the needed human and material resources to ensure an effective teaching and learning process that would culminate in maximum performance by students.

Igwe (2008), observed that a large quarter of society believe that a student’s academic achievement is determined by his attitude, aptitude, ability, skills and competencies which she exhibits to prove the knowledge garnered in the classroom through the school apparatus. Therefore, the school is deemed the place where the cognitive, affective and psychomotor potentials of the student are developed. Education is held in high esteem globally because of the pivotal role it plays in the shaping and preparation of the individual for self-reliance and future challenges. This it does through the process of teaching and learning. To this end, education is the avenue through which the individual is trained and nurtured through the acquisition of knowledge and understanding of basic concepts which is not inert. According to Fafunwa (as cited in Aminigo and Nwaokugha, 2007), “education is the process by which a young person or an adult develops his abilities and other behavioural forms which are of positive or acceptable value to the society where she/he lives”. In addition, education through the teaching and learning process plays an essential role in the development and harnessing of one’s potential for his benefit and that of the society, being that when a society is developed, its political, social and economic sectors are liberated from stagnation.

It is obvious that most students perform very well in their senior secondary school certificate examination, meet the bench mark for admission into the university, succeed in the Post-UTME screening and get into the university. However, when they get into the university, their performance and/or achievement is not encouraging as it dwindles and worsens with each passing semester or session. In addition, many students contribute brilliant ideas to topical issues in the classroom but the outcome of tests taken by some of such students are heartrending. Many researchers have attributed this malady to neurological imbalances, learning deficiencies, developmental problems of adolescence, lack of motivation and focused on secondary school students. However, little attention has been given to personal factors (not related to physiological imbalance) and environmental factors. It is against this background that the researcher is interested in investigating the interaction of psychological and social factors on students’ academic underachievement, especially students in tertiary institution.

Review of Related Literature

Hornby (2015), conceptualized underachievement as not doing well as one could. It is a situation in which a person, especially a student, is not able to achieve as expected in academic tasks. Academic underachievement refers to the inability of a student to perform or achieve as well as expected in academic work; the student achieves below his perceived intellectual ability, potential or aptitude. However, the international encyclopedia of the social sciences (2008), define academic underachievement as a discrepancy between potential (what a student ought to be able to do) and actual (what a student is demonstrating) performance. It is a failure to meet the academic requirements of the school setting.

Motivation plays a crucial role in academic success. Denga (as cited in Agbakwuru, 2009) defined motivation as “internal force that ignite, propel, poke, energize, arouse or spur, direct, regulate and sustain behaviour towards goal attainment”. Similarly, Santrock (2010), defined motivation as “the reasons why people behave the way they do”. He stated that motivated behaviour is energized, directed and sustained. However, Eriega (2013), described motivation as “a socially learned pattern involving need, drives, mechanism and end-result”. He further stated that need arises from an individual’s awareness that he or she is lacking something which ought to have been there. Drive is a pattern of persistent stimulation that evokes sustained activity.

According to Coleman (2003),” habit is a disposition to behave in a particular way; a learned behavioural response associated with a particular situation”. Habit is a pattern of behaviour that has been repeated and has become automatic (Baltus, 2012). However, Eriega (2013), define study habit as “the procedures or techniques employed by a student in order to grasp, interpret and apply contents of lectures intelligently”. He further stated that it has to do with constantly consulting relevant literature and intelligently integrating information collected from many sources to make a meaningful piece of relevant information and valid knowledge.

Family background is a collective terminology that describes family characteristics such as family structure, socioeconomic status of parents, family size and other factors pertaining to family life (Okonkwo and Osuafor, 2013). Family structure means family composition, for instance monogamous or polygamous family. A monogamous family is a family in which the father of that family has more than one wife at the same time and the wives are aware of one another as wives to a particular man (Ajiboye and Omolade, 2005). Socioeconomic status refers to the categorization of persons according to their economic, educational and occupational characteristics.

The school in this study comprises all the apparatus through which teaching and learning are achieved. They include the school environment, culture of the school, the teacher, teacher-student relationship, etc. According to Kemjika (2002), “the school refers to an organized or formal institution established for the purpose of transmitting formal education to societal member”. The school exists when the two major components the teacher and student) meet and interact for the purpose of giving and receiving formal instruction. In addition, the school concerns itself with the intellectual development of the students. It is purposefully established for the transmission of knowledge. It is presumed that the school through its structure acts as an agent of influence and change in the life of students. Femsiek and Smith (as cited in Voegeli, 2008) assert that “almost a third of a youth’s life is spent in school; apart from the family the school is the most important influence to youth in forming friendships, and in the attainment of successes or failures.

Value system of society as used in this study refers to the premium which society places on certain issues viz-a-viz education. The student does not exist in a social vacuum. Events that have brought about the falling standard of education and students’ academic achievement are constellation of historical, economic and ideological shifts that have taken place (Adesehinwa, 2013; Steinberg, 2011). The society where the student finds himself/herself has a profound influence on the student and the school. Iwundu (2007) opined that a society that holds academic success, derived from hardwork, in high esteem will motivate its members to develop interest and favourable attitude towards schooling. Similarly, a society that does not regard academic achievement, look at those striving for education with scorn but celebrate people who make money through dubious means, is more likely to instill in its members unfavourable attitude towards education.

This study is anchored on the needs theory of Abraham Maslow as the satisfaction of the basic needs of human precedes the motivation for the satisfaction of higher needs. The hierarchy of needs theory in relation to academic achievement posits that students must satisfy their lower order needs before they could garner the psychological strength needed for academic activities. Thus, this study is hinged on the “needs theory”. Where students go to school without adequate meal, shelter, security of their environment, it would be difficult to pursue higher academic achievement. Although achievement motivation places greater emphasis on the psychological need in humans to succeed in school, work and other areas of life and students’ capacity for personal growth, freedom to choose their destiny, and positive qualities. The fact is that most students can only strive for academic success when their basic needs are satisfied. It is more likely that most students underachieve because the first three motives on the hierarchy are not duly satisfied. For instance, Kpolovie (2012) asserts that students need certain classes of foods to enable the brain generate the energy needed for effective learning. In addition, when a student’s “academic safety” needs (School fees, text books, etc.) are not satisfied, the student will not be adequately motivated for learning. School fees constitute a student’s academic safety needs as it gives him/her a sense of being a student of that school (Anto, 2015).

Statement of the problem

Students’ academic underachievement is causing crusaders of academic success and stakeholders of education (parents, teachers, government) to raise eyebrows over the ability of today’s students to efficiently hold the baton of leadership tomorrow. The situation has made teachers and researchers to wonder why there are many underachievers in our schools and what will become of society when such underachievers eventually graduate and go into the labour market. It is pertinent to note that academic underachievement has turned many students into “fly-by-night students”. That is, students who perceive academic success as something that must be gotten at all costs and thus want to make good grades and graduate from the university as soon as possible without caring about the level of honesty and/or hard work behind their grades and success. This scenario has paved way for various forms of examination malpractices in our educational system and has dampened many teachers’ zeal for classroom activities. From the foregoing the problem of this study is to investigate the psychosocial variables of students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt.

 

 

Objectives of the study

The aim of this study is to investigate psychosocial variables of students’ academic underachievement in University of Port Harcourt. Specifically, it seeks:

  1. To find out the extent to which psychological variables (motivation and study habit) independently relate with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt.
  2. To find out the extent to which psychological variables (motivation and study habit) jointly relate with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt.
  3. To find out the extent to which social variables (family background, the school,     and value system of society) independently relate with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt.
  4. To find out the extent to which social variables (family background, the school      and value system of society) jointly relate with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt.

Research questions

This study was guided by three research questions as follows:

  1. To what extent do psychological variables (motivation and study habit) independently relates with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt?
  2. To what extent do psychological variables (motivation and study habit) jointly relates with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt?
  3. To what extent do social variables (family background, the school and value system of society) independently relates with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt.?
  4. To what extent do social variables (family background, the school and value system of society) jointly relates with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt?

Hypotheses

Three corresponding null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance to guide this study.

  1. Psychological variables (motivation and study habit) do not have any significant independent relationship with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt.
  2. Psychological variables (motivation and study habit) do not have any significant joint relationship with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt.
  3. Social variables (family background, the school and value system of society) do not have any significant independent relationship with students’ academic under achievement in the University of Port Harcourt.
  4. Social variables (family background, the school and value system of society) do not have any significant joint relationship with students’ academic under achievement in the University of Port Harcourt.

Methodology

The correlational research design was adopted for the study. Year three students of faculty of education, university of Port Harcourt were used for the study. A total sample of 282 year three students were used for the study. Census sampling was used to draw the sample. Two instruments used for the study are Psychological Variables Questionnaire (PVQ) and Social Variables Questionnaire (SVQ). Instruments were validated by experts in Measurement and Evaluation. A reliability coefficient of 0.74 for sub-section 1 of PVQ, 0.830 for sub-section 2 of PVQ, 0.58 for sub-section 1 of SVQ, 0.75 for sub-section 2 of SVQ, 0.52 for sub-section 3 of SVQ. On the whole, SVQ had a reliability coefficient of 0.78. Simple linear regression was used to analyze the data. Then beta values were used to answer the research question concerning the independent contribution of the variables. On the other hand, the ANOVA associated with the regression was used in testing the hypothesis at 0.05 significance level.

Research Question 1: To what extent do psychological variables (motivation and study habit) independently relate with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt?

Hypothesis 1: Psychological variables (motivation and study habit) do not have any significant independent relationship on students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt.

Table 1: Regression summary for Independent relationship of psychological variables on students’ academic underachievement

Source

Unstd. B

Std. Coefficient

      Beta

T

Sig.

B

Std. B

Constant

45.75

2.77

 

 

 

Motivation

0.20

0.08

0.16

2.55

0.01

Study Habit

0.20

0.09

0.14

2.31

0.02

 

Result from table 1 was used to answer the research question and to test the corresponding null hypotheses. The standardized regression coefficient (Beta) was used to test the significance of individual predictors or psychological variables on the criterion variable (students’ academic underachievement). The beta value shows that motivation has a relationship of about 0.16 student’s underachievement. The table reveals a t-value of 2.55. This value was statistically significant as P=0.01 < 0.05. For study habit, beta value was 0.14 was realized meaning that study habit has a relationship of about 14% with student’s underachievement. This better value had a t-value of 2.31 which is statistically significant as P=0.02<0.05. From their sig. values, it is clear that both the hypothesis is rejected meaning that psychological variables of motivation and study habit independently all have significant relationship with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt.

Research Question 2: To what extent do psychological variables (motivation and study habit) jointly relate with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt?

Hypothesis 2: Psychological variables (motivation and study habit) do not have any significant joint relationship with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt.

Table 2: Regression summary for joint relationship between psychological variables and students’ academic underachievement.

 

R

R2

Adj R2

Std Error

0.024

0.06

0.05

11.93

 

 

 

 

Sum of Sq

Df

Mean Sq

F

µ

Sig.

Result

Regression

Residual

Total

2515.19

30711.72

42266.91

2

279

281

1277.59

142.34

 

8.98

 

0.05

 

0.0001

 

Significant

Reject  Ho

Table 2 shows a simple regression (R) of 0.24 and a R2 0.06. This R2 value shows that motivation and study habit jointly accounts for 6.0% of the variance in the dependent variable being students’ academic underachievement. In testing the null hypothesis, the R of 0.06 produced a resultant F of 8.98 which is statistically significant as P=0.0001 < 0.05). Hence, since sig was less than alpha, the null hypothesis is rejected. This implies that Psychological variables (motivation and study habit) jointly relates with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt.

Research Question 3: To what extent do social variables (family background, the school and value system of society) independently relate with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt?

Hypothesis 3: Social variables (family background, the school and value system of society) do not have significant independent relationship with students’ academic under achievement in the University of Port Harcourt.

Table 3: Regression summary for joint relationship between social variables and students’ academic underachievement.

 

Source

Unstd. B

Std. Coefficient

Beta

T

Sig.

B

Std. B

Constant

52.92

5.12

 

 

 

Family Back.

School

Value System

0.11

0.22

0.07

0.13

0.13

0.13

0.05

0.10

0.03

0.84

1.68

0.53

0.39

0.09

0.59

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Result from table 3 shows was used to answer the research question 3 and to test the corresponding null hypotheses. The standardized regression coefficient (Beta) was used to test the significance of individual predictors or psychological variables on the criterion variable (students’ academic underachievement). The beta value for family background was 0.05with a t-value of 0.84. The beta value shows that family background has a relationship of about 0.05 with student’s academic underachievement. This value was statistically insignificant as P=0.39 > 0.05. For study school, the beta value also reveals that there is a relationship of about of 0.10 with student’s underachievement. This better value had a t-value of 1.68 which is statistically insignificant as P=0.09>0.05. Finally, for value system, the beta value also reveals that there is a relationship of about of 0.03 with student’s underachievement. This better value had a t-value of 0.53 which is statistically insignificant as P=0.59>0.05. In all, it is seen that hypothesis is all accepted independently as all sig. values were above the alpha meaning that social variables (family background, the school and value system of society) do not have significant independent relationship with students’ academic under achievement in the University of Port Harcourt.

Research Question 4: To what extent do social variables (family background, the school and value system of society) jointly relate with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt?

Hypothesis 4: Social variables (family background, the school and value system of society) do not have significant joint relationship with students’ academic under achievement in the University of Port Harcourt.

Table 4: Regression summary for joint relationship between of social variables on students’ academic underachievement

 

R

R2

Adj R2

Std Error

0.12

0.01

0.001

11.13

 

 

 

Sum ofSq

Df

Mean Sq

F

µ

Sig.

Result

Regression

Residual

Total

416.34

34457.67

34874.00

3

278

281

138.78

123.95

 

1.12

 

0.05

 

0.341

 

Insignificant

Accept Ho

Table 4 shows a simple regression (R) of 0.24 and a R2 0.06. The R2 value indicates that family background, school as well as value system of the society jointly accounts for 10% of the variance in the dependent variable being students’ academic underachievement. In testing the null hypothesis, the R of 0.01 produced a resultant F of 1.12 which is statistically insignificant as sig. (P=0.341 < 0.05) is less than alpha. Hence, since sig is less than alpha, the null hypothesis is retained. This implies that social variables (family background, the school and value system of society) do not have any significant joint relationship with students’ academic under achievement in the University of Port Harcourt.

Discussion of findings

From research finding one, it is seen that psychological variables of motivation and study habit independently have significant relationship with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt. This finding means that the level of motivation students receives independently from their parents, teachers or other significant others on internal or external; basis can influence their academic underachievement. It means that students underperform depending on the level of motivation that they receive from their immediate environment. From this premise, it could be that if students receive good level of motivation, they may tend to move from the level of underperformance to perform better. The finding is in line with the findings of Krouse and Krouse, as cited in Chere and Hlalele, 2014 who noted that lack of motivation brings about weakness in the academic and ‘school survival’ skills of the individual which also contribute to the problems of underachievement.

The study have also shown that both variables (study habit and motivation) jointly taken relates significantly with students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt. This means that most times students may underperform because of the absence of both variables. It means that if students are to achieve maximally, both their study habit as well as their motivational level should be considered. It suggest that students may not achieve greatly if they are their study habit is not accompanied by adequate internal as well as external motivation. On the other hand, one cannot say that they will study properly or achieve much if their motivational level is not in line with adequate study.

Based on social influence, the study has revealed that social variables (family background, the school and value system of society) do not have significant independent relationship with students’ academic under achievement in the University of Port Harcourt. The study first and foremost means that irrespective of the family one comes from, it cannot determine if they are underachievers or not. The finding of the study is a little bit surprising to the researcher because the family being the primary ground of adaptation could be seen to play a vital role in the overall development of the students. If students come from a home that are educationally backwards, the researcher had reasoned that parents from such home may not be able to give the children the needed support educationally in terms of helping them out with their assignments etc. This could be the reason why they should underperform but surprisingly, the study has proved otherwise.

Also, the school has been revealed to play a significant role in the academic underachievement of the students. This finding mans that the type of school a students attend does not determine their academic achievement. It means that irrespective of the type of school whether it is a rural, urban, public, private, big or small school, it cannot make the student to underperform.

It is also revealed that the value system of the society independently does not relate with the student’s academic underachievement. This means that irrespective of the values of the society, it does not determine if students will be successful or not. The finding is also very surprising to the researcher because societal values could actually play a role in the extent students achieve in their academics. Students who come from a society where academic excellence is values like the western part of Nigeria, it could relay be that students from such regions may pursue higher academic achievement compared to the colleagues from other parts of the country.

From the finding four, it has gone a long way as well to confirm the fact that when these variables are taken jointly, they do not as well have any significant relationship with student’s academic underachievement. The result of the study also means that even when these variables are combined in a situation where a student’s academic performance faces interplay from this variable; it cannot also determine their level of academic underachievement. The study is however, against the report of Okonkwo and Osuafor (2013) and Adesehinwa (2003) who all reported finding showing that social and family background has significant relationship with student’s academic underachievement. Their finding noted that educationist believe that family background has a great influence on students’ performance in school, as education starts from the home.

 

Conclusion

In view of the findings of this study, motivation and study habit significantly relate with undergraduates academic underachievement. Although it is also revealed that the school, family and societal value system does not relate significantly with underachievement, it was concluded that they are capable of maximizing their insignificant influence to be significant if not properly managed especially among undergraduate in the University of Port Harcourt.

Recommendation

In view of these, recommendations were made as follows;

  1. Parents, counselors and significant others should encourage the children to imbibe effective study habit in their academic work. They can assist them in drawing up an effective study plan. For those in the university, friends, colleagues and classmates can as well form study group that meet from time to time to study.
  2. Parents, teachers and others should also do all it takes to encourage the students by providing adequate extrinsic motivation. Furthermore, the students themselves should develop achievement motivated virtues. This is the inner or intrinsic motivation that can assist them in moving forward even when the external motivation is not there. Students should endeavour to be motivated towards academic excellence.
  3. Though the school has been seen to relate in an insignificant manner, educational managers and administrators should strive to see that the school in its entirety promotes students’ academic endeavours.
  4. Parents/guardians should prioritize their children and wards education by ensuring that their educational needs are duly provided.
  5. Government and significant others in the society should applaud educational endeavours through the awarding of scholarship and granting of loans to students.

Contribution to knowledge

This study has contributed to knowledge in many ways. It has brought to the knowledge of the public that motivation and study habit play vital role in students’ academic underachievement in the University of Port Harcourt. It has also made society to know that the school in its entirety is crucial to students’ academic success. The study has also enlightened the public about the place of the family in students’ academic endeavours.

References

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