Thesis Abstract

Parental achievement orientation plays a crucial role in shaping the self-concept and academic self-efficacy of in-school adolescents. This research project aims to investigate the relationship between parental achievement orientation and the self-concept as well as academic self-efficacy of adolescents in Enugu State, Nigeria. The study will be conducted using a quantitative research design, employing survey questionnaires to collect data from a sample of in-school adolescents in Enugu State. The participants will be selected using a stratified random sampling technique to ensure a representative sample from different schools in the state. The research will focus on exploring how parental achievement orientation, including parental expectations, aspirations, and involvement in their children's academic pursuits, influences the self-concept and academic self-efficacy of adolescents. It is hypothesized that adolescents with parents who have high achievement orientation are likely to have a positive self-concept and higher academic self-efficacy compared to those with parents who have low achievement orientation. The data collected will be analyzed using statistical methods such as correlation analysis and regression analysis to examine the relationships between parental achievement orientation, self-concept, and academic self-efficacy. The findings of this research will provide valuable insights into the role of parental influence on the psychological and academic development of adolescents in Enugu State. The implications of this study are significant for parents, educators, and policymakers in understanding the importance of parental involvement and support in enhancing the self-concept and academic self-efficacy of adolescents. By identifying the predictors of self-concept and academic self-efficacy, interventions can be developed to empower parents to provide the necessary support and guidance to help their children succeed academically and build a positive self-concept. In conclusion, this research project seeks to contribute to the existing literature on parental influence on adolescent development by focusing on the specific context of Enugu State, Nigeria. The findings will have practical implications for enhancing the educational outcomes and well-being of in-school adolescents by highlighting the role of parental achievement orientation in shaping their self-concept and academic self-efficacy.

Thesis Overview

This study sought to determine whether parental achievement orientation predicts self-concept and academic self-efficacy of in-school adolescents in Enugu State. This desire was also motivated by the need to determine whether gender has any relationship with self-concept and academic self-efficacy of in-school adolescents. Four research questions and four null hypotheses guided the study. The design of the study was correlational research design. A total of 1160 senior secondary school students proportionately drawn from public senior secondary schools in Enugu State were used for the study. Three instruments namely: – Parental Achievement Orientation Scale (PAOS), Adolescents Self-Concept Scale (ASS), and Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) were developed, validated and used for the study. The internal consistency reliability of the instruments were calculated using Cronbach Alpha procedure and reliability estimates of .81, .86 and .92 were gotten for the PAOS, ASS and ASES, respectively. Data obtained through the administration of the three   were analyzed using Pearson’s r, R2 (coefficient of determination) to answer the four research questions while ANOVA and multiple regression were used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 levels of significance which revealed the following findings: Parental achievement orientation significantly predicts academic self-concept of in-school adolescents. Achievement orientation of parents had 29 percent contribution in predicrting the in-school adolescents’ self-concept; parental achievement orientation significantly predicts academic self-efficacy of in-school adolescents. Achievement orientation of parents had 45 percent contribution in predicting the in-school adolescents’ self-efficacy; gender significantly predicts self-concept of in-school adolescents. Gender of in-school adolescents had 11 percent contribution in predicting the in-school adolescents’ self-concept and gender does not significantly predict self-efficacy of in-school adolescents. Gender of in-school adolescents had zero percent contribution in predicting the in-school adolescents’ self-efficacy. A major educational implication of the findings was that the in-school adolescents could be educated on the importance of parental achievement orientation as the predictor of self-concept and academic self-efficacy. It was thus recommended that emphasis should be given to educating adolescents on the importance of parental achievement orientation as the predictor of self-concept and academic self-efficacy and that the conflicting signals from the societal system that are causing confusion of interpretation for young persons should be checked.