The influence of the family structure on the academic performance of secondary pupils in the Maseru region

[摘要] English: This study investigated the influence of the family structure on the academic performanceof secondary school pupils in the Maseru region. It should be realised that thisis a very controversial issue according to the researcher as some people in the communitystrongly believe that children from single-parent families do not perform wellacademically, while others object to it strongly. At the same time, it cannot be deniedthat the family structure can have a great influence on the academic performance ofpupils.The attitudes and opinions of pupils towards the effect of the family structureon academic performance were investigated on a theoretical and empirical basis.In this study the researcher defined various relevant concepts used in thestudy. The theoretical framework related to family structures and academic performance,is divided in four chapters. The first chapter is the general orientation ofthe study, that is, the problem is stated, the necessity of the study explained, the aimof the research, research questions, definition of terms, demarcation of the researcharea, method of investigation and the course of study have been elaborated in thefirst chapter.The second chapter deals with different family structures, with sub-topics suchas historical family structures, types of family structures, changes in family structuresand the results of a change in the family structure.The third chapter mainly deals with adolescence and family structures. Includedin this chapter are concepts such as the nature of adolescence, the adolescent'sfamily and family relationships and adolescent development.The fourth chapter, being the last theoretical chapter, deals with factors influencingthe adolescent's intellectual development and academic performance. Issuesdiscussed in this chapter are intelligence and intellectual growth, academic performanceand achievement, main factors affecting adolescents' intelligence and academicachievement and the changes in family structures and their effects on performance.For the empirical research, the researcher firstly outlaid the practical stepsand activities aimed at gathering information from pupils by means of questionnaires.Finally, the researcher tabulated the results from all respondents. The data was analysedand processed by means of the programme called the Statistical Package for SocialSciences (SPSS).Findings were discussed in relation to the tables according to various responsesfrom the respondents, and then analysed. On the basis of the theoreticalfindings, the researcher came to the conclusion that the family structure does nothave much influence, if any, on the academic performance of secondary pupils. In theempirical study on the other hand, the family structure clearly affects pupils' academicperformance.Recommendations made by the researcher are based chiefly on the findings ofthe empirical study.

[发布机构] University of the Free State