Effects of family background on students’ academic performance a comparative study of students from broken and intact homes in the Nkoranza South Municipality, Brong East Region, Ghana

Abstract

The study explored the academic performance of students from broken and intact home in senior high schools in the Nkoranza South Municipality of the Bono-East Region of Ghana. The study was guided by the Family Deficit Model, Social Exchange Theory and the Theory of Social Network Paradigm. The study was a mixed method which was guided by the Sequential Explanatory Mixed Method design. It was underpinned by the pragmatic paradigm. Multi-phase sampling and Census techniques were used to select participants for the study. Specifically, census was used to select participants for broken homes while multi-phase sampling technique was used for participants in the intact homes. Questionnaire and interview guides were used to collect data from the participants. The sample size for the study was 646 participants. Each interview was audiotaped and transcribed verbatim and data was analysed. The study made use of primary data obtained from students from broken homes and intact homes. The result from the quantitative survey was analysed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analysis. All data collected through the interview schedule were analysed manually through the constant comparative thematic approach (Creswell, 2009). The findings of the study indicated that the academic performance of students from intact homes when compared to those from broken homes (the performance of the students from the two parent family) was higher than students from broken homes. The study unravelled that there was statistically significant difference between parent type (father or mother absence) and achievement of academic dreams in a broken homes. The study also found that students from broken homes who stayed with their fathers had high academic performance as compared to their counterpart from same home who stayed with their mothers. Also, on whether the students‘ academic performance was affected by home (family type) background, it was deduced that students from broken home were affected negatively in their academic performance due to their family background. It is recommended that the school management should encourage single-parents to involve themselves in their children‘s academic work. This can be done through regular meeting arranged between parents and teachers and the community members including teachers, neighbours and all individuals who have children at the heart should make it their responsibility to assist the children.