TOPIC IS SUITABLE FOR:

1- Education

2- Educational Psychology Department

3- Guidance and Counselling Department

4- Sociology Department

TOPIC: EFFECT OF BROKEN HOME ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN SOME SELECTED JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL IN AMAC, FCT ABUJA

TABLE OF CONTENT

Abstract

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

1.2 Statement of the Problem

1.3 Research Questions

1.4 Objective of the Study

1.5 Research Hypothesis

1.6 Significance of the Study

1.7 Scope of the Study

1.8 Definition of Terms

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 Conceptual Framework

2.2 Theoretical Framework

2.3 Empirical Review

2.4 Summary of Literature Review

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

3.1 Research Design

3.2 Population of the Study

3.3 Sample Size

3.4 Sampling Technique

3.5  Instrument for Data Collection

3.6 Validity of the Instrument

3.7 Reliability of the Instrument

3.8 Method Of Data Collection 

3.9 Method of Data Analysis

3.10 Ethical Consideration

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.0 Introduction

4.1 Demographic Analysis 

4.2 Analysis of Research Questions

4.3 Test of Hypotheses

4.4 Discussion of Finding

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary of Findings

5.2 Conclusion

5.3 Limitations of the Study

5.4 Recommendations

5.5 Suggestions for Further Studies

APPENDIX

REFERENCES

ABSTRACT

This study examined the “Effect of Broken Home on the Academic Performance of Students in Some Selected Junior Secondary Schools in AMAC FCT Abuja”. The objectives included were to evaluate the perceived causes of broken homes in the society, the effects on motivation and interest to education; their effects on the quality of learning and the effects on the performance in the study. The study adopted a descriptive research design, where a sample consisting of 1,450 students was used in the study sample in some junior secondary schools in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). A sample of 314 students was found out using the  Taro Yamane. In selecting respondents, there was a multi-stage sampling method such as stratified sampling and random sampling. The data were gathered through a structured questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations) and inferential statistics such as Pearson correlation, and Chi-square test with a level of significance being 0.05.The findings showed that broken homes have a strong positive correlation with lack of motivation and interest education (r= 0.68, t= 16.2, p < 0.001), poor learning proficiency (r = 0.65, t= 14.9, p < 0.001) and unsatisfactory school output (r = 0.70, t = 15.8, p < 0.001). This caused rejection of all null hypotheses as it established that broken homes have significant influence on the various academic aspects of the junior secondary school students in AMAC.Through their findings, the study recommends that schools must integrate the concept of counseling and mentorship of those who have broken homes in terms of curbing the issue among the students, and the communities must have sensitization campaigns on the issue of family stability. In addition, parental participation programs are to be promoted, activities to enhance resilience are to be incorporated into school curriculum and after-school academic support services are to be increased in order to support the affected children.

Keywords: Broken Homes, Academic Performance, Motivation, Learning Quality, Junior Secondary School, Student Achievement.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION (Preview)

1.1 Background of the Study

The human development is a complex process influenced by various social, cultural, and psychological factors which as a complex define the perceptions, values, abilities of an individual to develop. In the course of time, researchers have highlighted the influence of family, education, and community, in the development of cognitive and emotional skills that are necessary to operate in the society (Maharani et al., 2023). This cross-over brings the basis of lifelong learning and the ability to adapt because early interactions of children create the pattern on how subsequent relationships will be and how they will learn (Ilhamuddin, 2023). The social constructs which form the basis of this foundation tend to give desirable returns in terms of development when they are well balanced and on the other hand when there are turbulences of these key social frameworks there may be a slight adjustment of young people in context of dealing with education and their own identity.

Specifically, the family can be considered the most significant agent of socialization, and the foundation of moral, intellectual, and emotional orientation of a child (Chiegboka & Nwekwe, 2021). In its structure, attitudes, values and coping mechanisms are passed on as part of the psychosocial template on which formal education is constructed. The quality of such a family setting, which is characterized by cohesion, support, and stability of relationships, can affect which attitude a student adopts toward an academic task (Anyamene et al., 2022). Studies indicate that children who feel well supported by their family will demonstrate better self-control, the ability to bounce back, and inquisitiveness about learning which significantly defines their academic path.

The success of a child in educational settings is not determined by an individual cognitive ability or the resources available in schools only, but also by the nature of interactions in the family and the emotional safety child experiences at home (Dimosthenous et al., 2025). The mental health and academic success relationship have been touted severally and healthy environments enhance confidence and achievement orientation (Ikhsani & Putranto, 2024). This relationship is especially strong in early adolescence (when both school-based independence and scaffolding by families becomes a part of the identity), when students seek to have their own image of academic themselves, but families remain a source of support and stability.

Moreover, the global discourse on education is gradually acknowledging the fact that social and familial systems, both healthy and broken, influence the fine aspects of student development along the educational itineraries (Duco et al., 2025). In situations of family stability, learning can be understood as a continuance of harmonious intentions and parental interest. Meanwhile, the changes in the structure of a family, parental presence, parent-child relationships might inconspicuously shift the direction of how students structure their views on academic work and the future of their success (Gubbels et al., 2025). The impact does not happen by chance but functions as a long-term undertone in academic motivation and scholastic interest.

In the case of the Nigerian situation, especially the junior secondary schools of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), these became locally rooted. The Federal Capital Territory and its different cultural and socioeconomic realities form a meeting place of realities that impact family life uniquely (Ilhamuddin, 2023). In such a context, the academic performance of students gives an interwoven image of family factors, school systems, and social ethics in the community. The impact of broken homes on academic performance in AMAC schools, therefore, can serve as the critical prism through which the general interrelation between the structure of familial units and performance in academic institutions can be rightsized on.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

It is a well-established fact that education is a cornerstone on both the personal and national growth in fast-changing cultures (Maharani et al., 2023). It does not just provide an avenue through which knowledge may be acquired but also a place through which social, moral, and emotional reinforcement can be done (Dimosthenous et al., 2025). In it, the family is the primary institution, which offers the major context of intellectual development and psychosocial solidity (Chiegboka & Nwekwe, 2021). As the students advance to junior secondary school, which is one of the most important phases of their formative years, there is inevitably some degree of interaction between their academic experiences and diverse familial events, which requires the academic opinion on how these dynamics affect their performance (Ilhamuddin, 2023).

Although there exists a popular opinion that good results in learning are heavily dependent on family structure, the current realities in most societies manifest a different type of activities that may not be appropriately captured (Anyamene et al., 2022). Although there are studies like that conducted by Gubbels et al. (2025) that have touched on topics regarding family stability and educational success, there is not much knowledge about the specific ways in which the mentioned variants like broken homes can be manifested in the academic behaviors of students and their academic performance. Ideally, a stable home environment where learners get emotional support should be ideal and enable them to have the best learning dispositions (Ikhsani & Putranto, 2024). In real life however, most students face academic pressure within the context of effects of broken family systems and this forms the basis in which a student may fail to perform to desired academic standards (Duco et al., 2025).

This state of affairs is representative of an increasing worry in the educational discourse in Nigeria whereby anecdotal evidence and disjointed literature point to occasional academic performance in support of junior secondary school students (Ilhamuddin, 2023). Still, there is not enough evidence to show the empirical relationship between broken home conditions and quantifiable academic results, especially in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). The available research is subject to generalisation of family factors without dedifferentiating the specific factors of household imposition, as most studies tend to assume (Chiegboka & Nwekwe, 2021). That absence of local, data intuitive knowledge puts teachers, policymakers, and parents at a disadvantage in terms of their knowledge on the gravity of the problem and its ramifications (Anyamene et al., 2022). Therefore this study seeks to address that gap by systematically investigating the relationship between broken home conditions and academic performance among junior secondary school students in AMAC.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study is to examine effect of broken home of academy performance of students in some selected junior secondary school in AMAC, FCT Abuja. Other objectives of this study are:

1.Assess the perceived causes of broken home among  junior secondary school students in AMAC.

2.Ascertain the impact of broken home on students’ motivation and interest in education in junior secondary school students in AMAC.

3.Ascertain the impact of broken home on students’ learning quality in junior secondary school students in AMAC.

4.Ascertain the impact of broken home on students’ academic performance in junior secondary school students in AMAC.

OTHER PARTS OF CHAPTER ONE INCLUDE:

1.4 Research Questions

1.5 Research Hypotheses

1.6 Significance of the Study

1.7 Scope Of The Study

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW  (Preview)

This chapter critically examines relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and, furthermore, recognizes the contributions of scholars who had previously conducted studies on similar research topics. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and address the perceived gaps in existing literature. This chapter, therefore, focuses on the concept of broken homes, the concept of students’ academic performance, the relationship between broken homes and students’ academic performance, and the effect of broken homes on the academic performance of students etc. The chapter covers the following subheadings:

2.1 Conceptual Framework

2.2 Theoretical Framework

2.3 Empirical Review

2.4 Summary of Literature Review

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY  (Preview)

Research Design: The study adopted a descriptive research design.

Population of the Study: The population of the study comprises approximately students in some selected junior secondary schools within Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Sample Size Determination: The study adopted the Taro Yamane formula to determine the sample size.

Sampling Technique: The study employed a multi-stage sampling technique to select the individual respondents.

Research Instrument: The study utilized a structured questionnaire as the instrument for data collection.

Methods of Data Analysis: The collected data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations to summarize and present the demographic characteristics of the respondents and their responses. Inferential statistics, such as Chi-square and Pearson Chi-square, were used to test the hypotheses.

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

MAJOR FINDINGS (Preview)

The analysis results were presented in tables. Based on the results obtained from the analysis, the following findings are made:

i. The study found that the perceived causes of broken homes among junior secondary school students in AMAC include infidelity between parents, domestic violence, constant parental quarrels, poverty, substance abuse, and early or unplanned marriages, as evidenced by mean scores ranging from 2.91 to 3.10, all above the acceptance benchmark of 2.50. Infidelity between parents recorded the highest mean score of 3.10, followed by domestic violence with a mean of 3.07, while early or unplanned marriages recorded the lowest mean score of 2.91. This indicates that the respondents perceived marital conflict, infidelity, and domestic violence as major contributing factors to broken homes.

ii. The study found that broken homes have a significant impact on students’ motivation and interest in education in junior secondary schools in AMAC, as evidenced by mean scores ranging from 2.92 to 3.05, all above the acceptance benchmark of 2.50. The corresponding hypothesis test further showed a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.68, t-value of 16.2, and p-value of less than 0.001 (p < 0.05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. This indicates that broken homes are significantly associated with students’ motivation and interest in education, particularly through reduced parental support, irregular attendance, and declining interest in school activities.

iii. The study found that broken homes have a significant impact on students’ learning quality in junior secondary schools in AMAC, as evidenced by mean scores ranging from 2.94 to 3.07, all above the acceptance benchmark of 2.50. The corresponding hypothesis test further showed a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.65, t-value of 14.9, and p-value of less than 0.001 (p < 0.05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. This indicates that broken homes are significantly associated with students’ learning quality, particularly in relation to concentration, comprehension, completion of classwork, study habits, and homework completion.

iv. The study found that broken homes have a significant impact on students’ academic performance in junior secondary schools in AMAC, as evidenced by mean scores ranging from 2.95 to 3.08, all above the acceptance benchmark of 2.50. The corresponding hypothesis test further showed a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.70, t-value of 15.8, and p-value of less than 0.001 (p < 0.05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. This indicates that broken homes are significantly associated with students’ academic performance, particularly in terms of lower grades, declining performance in core subjects, poor academic achievement, and an increased risk of repeating a class.

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter covers the following outline:

5.1 Summary of the Study  

5.2 Conclusion

5.4 Recommendation

5.5 Limitation of the Study

5.6 Suggestions for Further Studies