PARENTS’ OCCUPATION AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SOCIAL STUDIES IN OGOJA EDUCATION ZONE OF CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined parents’ occupation and students’ academic performance in Social Studies in secondary schools in Ogoja Education Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria. To achieve the purpose of this study, one research question and one null hypothesis was formulated to guide the study. Literature review was carried out based on the research variable. Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. A sample of four hundred and seventy-three (473) students was used for the study. The selection was done through a multistage approach. The questionnaire titled Parents’ Occupation Questionnaire (POQ) and Social Studies Performance Test (SSPT) were used for data collection. The reliability estimate of the instruments were established through Cronbach Alpha reliability method. One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was the statistical technique employed to test the hypothesis under study. The hypothesis was tested at .05 level of significance. The result of the analysis revealed that parents’ occupation significantly influenced students’ academic performance in Social Studies. Based on the findings of the study it was recommended that children should not be forced to take on their parents’ occupation if it’s not the dream job.