Influence of Family Background on Academic Achievement of Secondary School Biology Students in Anambra State

Abstract

The study sought to find out how family background of students in Anambra State, Nigeria influences their academic achievement in senior secondary school Biology. A survey design was adopted for the study. Five hundred and forty-six (546) Senior Secondary Two (SS2) biology students were drawn by simple random sampling from 14 schools within Awka, Nnewi and Onitsha Education Zones, in Anambra State. Three research questions and four hypotheses guided the study. Data were collected using a researcher constructed questionnaire and students’ SS1 and SS2 school results. The results revealed that family structure, parents’ occupation and educational level of parents, did not have significant influence on students’ achievement in biology. Based on the findings, the paper concludes that family background did not have much influence on students’ achievement in science (biology) as against what most previous studies portrayed. Researches should therefore focus on other possible factors that contribute to students’ poor performance in Biology and science generally in order to find lasting solution to the problem. Some recommendations were also made. Key words: Biology, polygamous, monogamous, occupation, educational level, academic achievement.