CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
The outcome of a particular student will be determined by some numerous factors because success is not inherited but achieved this in turn requires the individual to know and come to realize the task and responsibilities ahead and the need to achieve all these inorder to ensure a blossom future art the end of his/her academic session career in life.
Every child has potential to become what he/she aspires to irrespective of the sex or his birth order in the family. But what is of much importance is the child’s mindset. Some students even in the country today believe that you can always have your way using some shortcut methods which may not pay in all aspect of life so such students co1uld later become under achieved in life.
This resource work is however on the influence of birth order and gender on academic performance of secondary school students. Thus literature will be reviewed under the following sub-headings:
- Concept of Academic Achievement
- Concept of Birth Order
- Concept of Gender
- Factors Affecting Academic Performance of Students
- Influence of Birth Order and Gender on Academic Performance.
- Summary of the Review of Related Literature
Concept of Academic Achievement
Ogundele (2004) refers to academic achievement as a measure of how much an individual has accomplished after he/she might have undergone a course of instruction or training. To him it may be measured in the school setting, by the total score of the students in relation to the class test or examination.
Tunaka (2003) stated that academic achievement is better understood when described as a kin to attainment of level of proficiency after an instruction from a specific curriculum. Thus, a person can be said to have performed or achieved high or low after an examination based on the received instruction during course of study.
Blair, Jones and Sampson (2002) and Obe (2002) have stated that there exist, a link between parental attitude to education and academic achievement. It is seen therefore that one of the factors that may` influence academic achievement is parental. This includes parents positive or negative attitude towards their children’s educations and sometime the genetic endowment of the parents.
Ebegbulen (2005) sees academic test as what is designed to measure how much an individual has accomplished in a course of instruction or training. He goes further to state that test given by teachers to measures achievement of a child is academic test. Other examples of academic tests are the West African Senior Certificate Examination (WASSCE) the National Examination Council (NECO) end of year and terminal Examinations. All these measure to a great extent the academic achievement of students exposed to training or course of instruction.
A vital factor influencing academic achievement is one’s orientation that is one’s model of upbringing or training.
Alibi (2004) stressed strong and sound interpersonal relationship between the children and their parents. This is simply because the procedure and process lay good education for future academic excellence of the children or learners. A child that is rejected by parents develops coldness hostility derogation and ridicule and have some explicit and overt effects on the child. On the other hand, the loving and accepting parents give the child warmth and affection thereby enhancing good attitude to towards whatever they wish to do or undertake.
She summarized her view by indicating the importance of parental warmth either as accepting or rejecting the child, as having great impact on the child’s academic performance. She therefore challenged the mothers to realize their important roles on their children as these can affect homes, children.
Academic achievement is defined as knowledge acquired and skills developed in school subjects, generally indicated by marks obtained in tests in an annual examination. Achievement is the glittering crown which reflects a sense of sincerity, candidness and perseverance on the part of achievers and also parents teachers and all those helping to achieve it, and thus a result of dedirectional results (Chaydharry 2004).
According to Rajamanickan (1993), stated that scholastic achievement means achievement a student makes in school namely his marks in the examination, which is the criterion for the achievement of a students. Academic performance is an objective score of attainment after a specified instructional programme. It can be influenced by many factors, but the impact family relationships play on a child’s scholastic achievement alongside the development of the child cannot be over emphasized (Yara 2010).
Concept of Birth Order
Aldred Adler (2001) defined birth order as a person’s rank by age among his/her siblings. Birth order is often believed to have to profound and lasting effect on psychological development. Birth order continues to have a strong presence in psychology and popular culture. The order and nature of birth order differences in Africa. Findings are similar to those in the Western World, including the preponderance of birth order differences for males and not females. This replication of findings across generations, countries speaks strongly to the importance of the within family variables birth order.
Birth order is the chronological order of sibling birth in a family.
Alfred Adler (1870 – 1937) was a pioneer in the study of birth order. His research suggested that the position a child had by the order of birth significantly affected the child’s growth and personality. Research in the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century shows even greater influence, contributing to intelligence. Career choice and to a certain degree, success in adulthood.
Being born first, last or somewhere in the middle of itself is not of significance. What matter is how that birth order affects how a child’s is treated by parents and other siblings and how that child feels about it. Other factors also influence the child’s socialization and the parents’ expectations.
