Truancy and Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Southwestern Nigeria: Implications for Counselling

Abstract

This study identified the relationship between truancy and academic performance of secondary school students in Southwestern Nigeria. It also examined the relationship between school physical environment and truancy behavior among students. It also investigated the deference between male and female manifestation of truancy behavior. Stratified sampling technique was used to select 360 sample size from four secondary schools in four out of six states in Southwestern Nigeria. Three research instruments were used for this study namely, Academic Records of Students, Attendance Registers and "School Environment Questionnaire" (SEQ), Four hypotheses were raised and tested using chi-square and t-test analysis. The study revealed that there was a significant relationship between truancy and academic performances of students; there was not a significant relationship between the school physical environment and truancy behavior among students; there was not a significant difference between the academic performance of male and female truants. However, there was a significant difference between male and female manifestation of truancy behavior. The study concluded that truancy hindered effective learning and could lead to poor academic performance.