CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Academic performance is one of the significant predictor in the lives of students.  It’s the outcome of education and it foretells the  extent  to  which  the  students,  teachers  and  educational institutions  have  attained  their  educational  goals.  Academic performance is important because it promotes success later (Areepattamannil & Freeman, 2008) and in current life. Among the  various  influencing factors  of academic  achievement  like socio-economic  factors,  parent  factors,  peer  factors,  school factors,  for  obtaining  an  optimal  academic  performance,  student’s academic or learning behavior is an equally important factor in ascertaining the academic achievement of students. It includes student’s outlook, choice, his/her persistence, his/her efforts in learning and how he/she relates to the people that make up the school community. Study  skills  are  often  determined  by  the  student’s learning behavior which affects their learning pattern. (Rogel, I.R, 2012).

Learning Behavior is the mental readiness of the students to learn which  indicates their resourcefulness,   creative  thinking  and  imaginative activities, love  for  their learning, high interest for reading  and writing and also having better psychological adjustment in class and school.It depends upon the emotional and social climate of the home and school.  Good schools contribute to develop such climate of learning. Thompson, V (2014) in his article titled “How can behavior affect academics of students” speaks about how a student’s behavior can  affect  his/her  ability  to  learn  as  well  as  other  students’ learning  environment.  Among  a  variety  of  factors,  such  as teacher  involvement,  parental  investment, school  quality and student motivation affecting the academic life of students, it is student’s  academic  behavior  which  plays  a  major  role  in academic  achievement.  It  is  highlighted that  students  having disruptive  behavior  such  as  bullying  other  students,  talking during lectures or by requiring the teacher to interrupt lessons to discipline them can have a negative effect on entire classroom.  There are also other similar studies by Ning, H.K and Downing, K (2010), Ralph A.T et al., (2010) which investigates how academic behavior, learning styles influences the academic achievement. Owing to the repercussion of academic/learning behavior on the academic achievement of students, the researcher was keen to understand  the  relationship  of  learning  behavior  with  the academic  achievement  of  students  belonging  to  different localities -rural, urban and semi-urban areas. (Saxena, 2002).

An attitude is “a relatively enduring organization of beliefs, feelings, and behavioral tendencies towards socially significant objects, groups, events or symbols” (Hogg & Vaughan, 2005). Attitudes structure can be described in terms of three components: affective component (involves a person’s feelings / emotions about an attitude object), behavioral (or conative) component (the way the attitude we have influences how we act or behave) and cognitive component (involves a person’s belief/knowledge about an attitude object). This model is known as the ABC model or three-component model of attitudes. The attitude towards school and learning, reflecting the ABC model of attitudes, is understood as beliefs, thoughts and opinions about school and learning in it, emotions and a relationship towards school and learning built upon feelings, and a tendency to behave in accordance with favorable and unfavorable experiences with school and learning. Certainly, this structure is strictly linked with further constructs that could be classified as cognitive and non-cognitive foundations of learning and academic achievement. Attitudes towards school and learning are associated with academic achievement. Students with poor academic performance have a more negative attitude towards learning and believe that school and learning will not help them being successful in the future ( Rosenberg & Hovland, 1989, Hogg & Vaughan, 2005).

Marks (1998) conducted a wide-ranging research, where he studied attitudes of students, teachers, parents and school administration towards the school environment, changes in attitudes over 10 years and the impact of attitudes on the sense of success. The vast majority of respondents agreed that school should provide a stimulating environment, where students feel comfortable and safe, are satisfied with their teachers and derive joy and pleasure from learning. School environment should, therefore, facilitate academic achievement. When examining the quality of school environment students expressed a positive attitude, felt successful as students and agreed that school will prepare them for the future. A study on attitudes over time indicates a moderate decline of attitudes towards school and teachers. This decline is presumably affected by decreased satisfaction young people feel towards institutions in general, media communications about issues in the educational system, different profiles of teachers and their teaching techniques. The main factors influencing attitudes of students towards school include the subjects learnt, policy and requirements of an individual school.(Candeias, Rebelo& Oliveira, 2010).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Academic performance being consider as one of the significant predictors in the lives of students. However, it has also being realized that they are some hindrance to these achievements such as behavioral factors like peer pressure, students motivation, attitude and puberty. How can a student overcome all these challenges to come out with an excellent academic performance?

Peer pressure in youth from a bad company can lead a person to a nasty situation. Furthermore, it can also hamper a student’s career and studies if not averted. Youth these days are much influenced by the glamorous life of celebrities. In addition, since they follow them so much, these people become their peers. Thus they do such things that they should not. Drugs and smoking are major examples of this. Moreover, most shocking is that the minors are even doing these things. This can have adverse effects on their growth and career. It is necessary to judge the outcome of a deed before being influenced by peers. Furthermore, peer pressure should always be secondary. Your own thoughts and wants should always have the first priority.

Most students do not enjoy studying or is not interested in any source of learning such as; books that is a symbol of enhancing knowledge and learning. Students most of the time are willing to stay on the safe side of getting the minimum grade to pass successfully. Efforts by students are limited to what is provided by the school or teachers as a strong tool to enhance their progress. Motivation is one of the dominant reason that encourage people to be constantly interested to put effort in a specific given task to attain a goal successfully. As the article, Educational Administration and Supervision says motivation has been explicated, as the level of exploiting an individual is willing to disburse toward the attainment of a certain ambition (Brennen, 1989, 1998). In addition, Motivation briefly is incentive and encouragement for people to work and perform effectively. In addition, Motivation is the internal and external factors that stimulate people to take actions that lead to achieving a goal. Therefore, I believe that motivating students boosts their performance in school because it will enhance student’s self-confidence in their abilities and will help to meet student’s hierarchy of needs. Firstly, motivation will aid to reach a high level of confidence the student will feel towards himself or herself. Most students these days are lacking confidence towards their abilities and

Puberty is a time that every individual must endure to progress into physical and mental adulthood. This time consists of many awkward moments, struggles with identity, and a desire to test the boundaries. Technically, all puberty is, is the period in which the body has become capable of sexual reproduction. That is a very general fact about puberty. Many other elements come into play during this time that have been consistent for quite some time. Puberty is also happening during most individual’s secondary education years and can sneak into the classroom through the students’ habits and behaviors.

1.3 Research Question

1.3.1 Main Research Question

What is the effects of behavioral factors on students’ Academic performance in GB.TH.S Bamenda?

1.3.2 Specific Research Questions

1. What is the effects of peer pressure on the academic performance of students in GBTHS B’DA?
2. How attitude and puberty does affects the academic performance of students in GBTHS B’DA?

• To what extend does motivation affects the academic performance of students in GBTHS B’DA?

1.4 Objectives of the Study

1.4.1 Main Objectives

To assess the effects of behavioral factors on students’ Academic performance in G.B.T.H.S.Bamenda.

1.4.2 Specific Research Objectives

1. To investigate the effects of peer pressure on the students’ academic performance in GBTHS B’da.
2. To determine the effects of attitude and puberty on students’ academic performance in GBTH B’da.

• To examine the effect of motivation on the students’ academic performance in GBTHS B’da.