INFLUENCE OF FAMILY BACKGROUND ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICS STUDENTS IN SELECTED CO-EDUCATIONAL SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN IJEBU-ODE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Education is a basic tool used by society for the transmission of its societal values. It has become an area of prime importance not only for government or voluntary agencies but also for individuals, families, governments, and communities. Voluntary agencies and individuals are committing a lot of resources to achieve success in the educational enterprise (Orhungur, 2020). Awoniyo (2021) stated that the government believes that the greatest investment of a nation should be in its people. The greatness of any nation depends on the genius, qualities, attitudes, and aspirations of its people, and it cannot expect to be ignorant and free at the same time. Many factors and reasons have been given as being responsible for the continuous fall in the academic standard of our present educational system. These include the attitudes of teachers to work, lack of seriousness on the part of the students, the effect of the dwindling economy, and to some extent, the increasingly degenerating moral system. Despite all possible efforts put forward by various governments and voluntary agencies to curb these trends, the country is yet to witness the rise it desires to see in the educational system. Secondary school education in Nigeria is aimed at preparing the individual for useful living within society and for higher education (FRN, 2019). During this period, learners are expected to have learning experiences that are comprehensive in terms of being both pre-vocational and academic in nature. In senior secondary schools, students are expected to take subjects that would lead them to choose life careers. One of the science subjects learners can choose is physics. Such learners believe that physics, combined with other science subjects and mathematics, can help them pursue careers in engineering, medicine, veterinary medicine, science teaching, research, and other related fields. This may have contributed to the formulation of objectives for the teaching of physics at the senior secondary school level. A survey of the physics curriculum shows the following objectives: i) To facilitate a transition in the use of scientific concepts and techniques acquired in integrated science with physics. ii) To provide students with basic knowledge in physics concepts and principles and to show physics in its inter-relationship with other subjects and its link with industry, everyday life, benefit, and hazards (FRN, 2019). However, despite the significant role that science (physics) plays in our lives and its utility in many science-related professions, as well as its crucial role in the nation's scientific and technological advancement, students’ achievement in the subject over the years (especially from the 1980s to the present) has been deplorable (Edem, 2020; Nja & Kalu, 2021; Amini & Ntibi, 2021). The continuous poor performance of students in physics may be attributed to several factors, such as: • Vibration-Induced Stress from Equipment (Amasuomo & Ntibi, 2019). • Mathematical concepts in physics (Edoho et al., 2022). • The acoustical nature of the teaching hall (Amasuomo & Ntibi, 2020). • Lack of Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) in Nigeria (Ntibi & Orim, 2020). • Teacher teaching methods (Ntibi, 2019). The nature of the relationship between student background and academic performance has been debated for decades, with the most influential arguments appearing in equality of educational opportunities (Rothman, 2021). Background is any measure that attempts to classify individuals, households, or families in terms of indicators such as occupation, family size, income, and education, among others, based on their interaction in society. Students’ background variables are key factors in their academic life, both within and outside school. These variables include factors like two-parent versus single-parent households, divorce, parenting practices, maternal characteristics, family size, and neighborhood. The home environment plays a significant role in shaping students’ academic interest and aspirations for the future. Research shows that students’ background is most commonly determined by combining parents’ educational levels, occupational status, and income levels (Jeynes, 2020). It is believed that low socioeconomic background negatively affects academic achievement by limiting access to resources and causing additional stress at home. Economic hardships stemming from low socioeconomic backgrounds lead to disruptions in parenting, an increase in family conflicts, and a higher likelihood of depression in parents and single-parent households (Eamon, 2019). Families with high socioeconomic status often have more success in preparing their young children for school because they have access to a wide range of resources that promote and support their development.