Pages: (96-113 )
Abstract
One of the basic things to consider in human life setting or national development where education is germane to life is academic performance among secondary schools students. The efficacy of academic performance among secondary school students ultimately determines its effects on gender, family size, peer victimization, and influence on education. However, these effects are highly dependent on the concept, quality of education and learning outcome. The study investigated the correlates of academic performance among secondary schools at Ikenne Local Government, Ogun State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the impact of gender, peer victimization and family size on academic performance.
To achieve the aim of the research, a simple random sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 319 students from four secondary schools in Ikenne Local Government, for the distribution of questionnaires. Adolescent Peer Relation Instrument (APRI) adopted from Parado (2000) was used to assess peer victimization behaviour while adapted instrument developed by Hana, Eman, Fatiman and Ragha (2017) was used for measuring academic performance. The study targeted a sample population of 319 respondents out of which 296 questionnaire were retrieved.
Findings from the study indicated that there is a significant relationship between gender and academic performance. Also, there exist relative contributions of gender: peer victimization lastly by family size on academic performance with only peer victimization not being significant. Also, there exist a significant difference between family size and academic performance. The gender, peer victimization and family size contributed 72.5%, and revealed a F ratio F (2.306) = 7.699, p < 0.05) on academic performance.
Based on the findings, relevant recommendations were made for further research also parents should be sensitive on the need to rare smaller families that they can cater for especially academically. Finally teachers and administrators should address peer victimization through programs and frameworks such as positive behaviour intervention supports and social-emotional learning approaches. These programs decrease aggression and victimization, increase peer acceptance and social competence, and improve academic engagement and test scores.
Keywords: Academic, Performance, Gender, family, Peer Victimization,