Project Abstract

Abstract
This study investigated the influence of parental background on the academic achievement of primary school pupils in English language in Enugu North Educational Zone. The research was guided by the social cognitive theory and the ecological systems theory. A mixed-methods research design was employed, involving both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The quantitative data was gathered through a questionnaire survey administered to 300 primary school pupils, while the qualitative data was collected through interviews with 20 parents and 10 teachers. The findings revealed that parental background factors such as parental education level, socio-economic status, parental involvement in education, and parental aspirations for their children significantly influenced the academic achievement of primary school pupils in English language. Specifically, pupils with highly educated parents tended to perform better in English language than those with less educated parents. Similarly, pupils from higher socio-economic backgrounds exhibited higher levels of achievement in English language compared to their peers from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Furthermore, the study found that parental involvement in their children's education played a crucial role in enhancing academic achievement in English language. Parents who actively participated in their children's learning process by providing academic support, monitoring homework completion, and engaging in school activities positively impacted their children's performance in English language. Additionally, parents who had high aspirations for their children's educational attainment were more likely to motivate and support their children to excel in English language. The qualitative data provided deeper insights into the ways in which parental background factors influenced pupils' academic achievement in English language. Parents expressed the importance of creating a conducive home environment for learning, setting high expectations for their children, and providing necessary resources and support to help them succeed in school. Teachers highlighted the positive effects of parental involvement on pupils' motivation, engagement, and overall academic performance in English language. In conclusion, the study underscored the significant influence of parental background on the academic achievement of primary school pupils in English language. The findings emphasized the importance of fostering collaboration between parents, teachers, and schools to create a supportive educational environment that enhances pupils' learning outcomes in English language.

Project Overview

The research study examined the influence of parental background on academic achievement of primary school pupils in English Language in Enugu-North Educational Zone. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. An ex-post-facto research design was adopted for the study. The sample consisted of three hundred and eighty eight primary school pupils from eight schools from the study area. An instrument tagged ‘Parental Background and English Language Achievement Test was used to collect data. Expert judgements were used to ensure face and content validity. The Cronbach Alpha, method was used in determining the internal consistency reliability co-efficient of the Parental Background and English Language Achievement Test. The reliability of the instrument was 0.81 and this went to show that the instrument was reliable. The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research question. The t-test statistics was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that the academic achievement of primary school pupils in English Language was influenced by parents’ level of education, parents’ occupation and parents’ residential areas. Among others, it was recommended that parents should endeavour to make out time and resources for their children’s academic pursuits.