The influence of parental background on students’ academic performance in physics in WASSCE 2000 - 2005

The study investigated parental background on student’s academic performance in secondary schools in Abak local government, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A survey design was adopted for the study. One thousand four hundred and forty (1440) senior secondary three (SS3) Physics students were drawn by simple random sampling from 12 Schools, six (6) each from both Day and Boarding Schools within Abak local government area of Akwa Ibom State. Also, whether their performance is influence by the examination body or examiners, gender, teachers or parents. Three hypotheses and three research question where stated to guide the study. Pearson correlation coefficient (r), t-test (independent and dependent), analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Chi-square (χ2) test were used to analyzed the data obtained .The study revealed that the performance of students in Physics examination does not depend on examination body or examiners, gender or parents. The result also, revealed that family structure, parent occupation and educational level of parent did not have significance influence on student’s performances in physics examination. Based on the findings, which indicate that the teachers have much influence on student performance in science (Physics) as against what most previous studies portrayed. Research should therefore focus on the other possible factors that contribute to student poor performance in Physics and Science generally in order to find lasting solution to the problem.