CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Background of study

Historically, adultery and physical cruelty were only basis for divorce, but later, a number of other transgressions were added such as abandonment, habitual drunkenness and mental cruelty, divorce is considered as unmitigated evil. The experience of the human race, however, seems to prove that there may be right or wrong use of it. Divorcee has become not only a legal action, but also a range of economic, psychological and social actions Abisola (2010).

Most broken marriages end in divorce. Divorce, according to Havemann (1990) is a legal process through which a marriage is dissolved. Traditionally, divorce implied that one off the partners was guilty of some transgression in the marriage and that one was at fault. Historically, adultery and physical cruelty were the only basis for divorce, but later, a number of other transgressions were added such as drunkenness and mental cruelty. Divorce is considered as unmitigated evil. The experience of the human race, however, seems to prove that there may be a right or wrong use of it. Divorce has become not only a legal action, but also a range of economic psychological and social actions.

Conceptually, the concept f broken home is defined by Hurlock (a s cited by Frank, 2012), AS A home were one of the parent is dead, separated divorced or a vacation that necessitated long absenceof one or both parents.

Broken homes are defined as one in which one of the partners  loses his or her spouse by death, separation, divorce, desertion or single parenting (conkline,2006).  Deborah cited by Ogbeide, Odiase and Omofuma, 92002), see broken homes as a situation where two spouses separated leaving the chilildren to the hazard of the society, Momoh (2011) sees broken home as a torn apart by separation of parents.. Amremu (2011), described broken home as the integral part of the setting that is father and mother, the integral part is not available either by dead, separation or divorce. Broken home occur when husband and wife separate from each other through either natural causes (death) or by human cause 9div orce0, leaving the care responsibility of the children to one parent. Broken home could b e temporal or permanent. It is temporal when there is still hope of coming together after the relevant laws must have been put in place.

According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2010) defined broken home as a family in which parents are divorced or separated. Broken home has to do with either one of the partners quitting or saying..bye bye’’ to his or her spouse as a result of infidelity, pride, superstition, religion, disagreement, IN-LAWS INTERFERENCES, ALCHOLISM, AND disrespect for one another or bulling (violence). Death is natural cause of why homes stir apart. It is unpredicted phenomenon that has gone beyond any bodies’ control. It can occur as a result of war, illness, accident and through natural disaster such as flooding, earthquake, plane scratch and boom.

The concept of academic performance is defined as a successful completion, through efforts of the acqsition of academic content and skills mostly determined by grades or scores students get in a test. Academic performance is a variable in people’s learning has been a matter in the present day research.  Busari (in as cited Ogudungo, and Ademeyoh 2010) defined academic performance as a displace of knowledge attained or skills developed by people in the school subject. It is the level of performance in the subject as exhibited by people.

Acewdemic performance is the exhibition of knowledge attained or skills developed by learners in the school subject usually designed by test scores or by marks assigned by teachers which can be low or high. Academic performance means how well one does in school. Poor grades are considers as poor performance. According to Cambridge university report (2003), academic performance is frequently defined in terms in examination performance.

Academic performance refers to what skills the student has learned as is usually measured through assignments like standardize test, performance assessment and portfolio assessment. Santrock2006, academic performance which is measured by the examination result is one of the measure goals of the school. Hoyle,( 1986) argued that schools are established with the aim of impacting knowledge and skills to those who go through them and behind all this is the idea of enhancing good academic performance.

Academic performance really means three thing; the ability to study and remember facts, being able to study to study effectively and see how facts fit together and form larger patterns of knowledge and  being able to think for yourself in relation of facts and thirdly, to be able  to communicate (Coulson.2008). According to Pruett (20100 is the level of performance attain via the combination of inputs from pupils motivation and conduct.

Adediwura and Tayo (2007 p-40) asserted that academic performance is generally referred to how well a pupil is accomplishing his or her tasks and studies, but there are quite a number of factors that determine the level and quality of pupil’s academic performance. This is no doubt supports the  of Nicholas (2004) that the most current information on improving academic performance shows that there are  three conditional influences linked to levels of academic performance among school pupils.

Contextually, academic performance has always been influenced by the learner’s previous education performance (stanffolani and Bratti, 2002), parents income and social status (Considine and Zappala, 2002; Graetz, 1995), students’ social and emotional status or wellbeing (Erdogan et.al.2008), the school environment ( Sparrkles, 1999; Sentamu, 2003) learner’s attitude ( Erdogan et.al, 2008), among other factors. The emotional and social stress of broken homes may cause hardship, such as inability to resume classes as at when due, inability to purchase necessary learning materials, nonpayment of dues and levies, lack guidance and counselling, monitoring and supervision, insecurity, lack of freedom from oppression, denial of early education.

The presence of a broken home condition may adversely affect pupil’s concentration on their studies and regular attendance in school, it may also lead to exams failures and also impede academic performance as the pupil is unable to take advantage of learning opportunities at school with various psychological home conditions will no doubt be in disequilibrium state of mind.

In case of the Buea Municipality, the researcher found that most children from broken homes face a lot of psychological disorder resulting them to engage in criminal activities like cybercrime, drug consumption, and prostitution which affects their study time and also their academic performance resulting to school dropout.

Theoretically, the following theories were used to inform the study; Abraham Maslow Hierarchy of Needs, Social Learning Theory by Albert  Bandura, learned Helplessness Theory by  Martin Seligman (1970).

Statement of the Problem

Broken homes are an important aspect in the society as it brings about a lot of destruction in the life of children especially those who study in secondary schools. From the observation, students whose homes have been broken, or whose father and mother are not together, they face a lot of difficulties include inadequate provision of school needs which results to poor performance, psychologically difficulties which results to poor concentration in class, no follow up of child because the father and mother are not together and the both parents may be trying to meet up with their family demands.

From my observation, it has been seen that the is a high level of school dropouts, drug addicts, increase in cybercrime and prostitution in Buea Municipality And from my observation, the people involve are mostly students are from homes where both parents don’t live together and as such they find themselves involved in such activities in other to provide their basic need. It is from this background that the author seek to investigate the effects of broken homes on the academic performance of the students in some selected secondary school in the Buea Municipality.

Objectives of the Study

Main Research Objectives.

To investigate the effects of broken homes on academic performance of students in the Buea Municipality, southwest region.

Specific research objectives.

1. To investigate the extent to which parental death can influence academic performance of students in the Buea Municipality.
2. To find out the influence of parental separation and its effects on academic performance of students in the Buea Municipality.
3. To investigate the influence of parental care on academic performance of students in the Buea Municipality.

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