Effect Of Gender And Families Socio-economic Status On Academic Performance Of Secondary School Students
[IN IDEMILI - SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ANAMBRA STATE]

McCall (1981) presented the argument that the association between socio-economic status and cognitive performance begins in infancy. Numerous studies have documented that poverty and low parental education are associated with lower levels of school achievement and IQ later in childhood. For instance, Kennedy (1963) reported results from random sample of sixth-grade African American children selected to represent African Americans living in the south-eastern United States. The mean IQ of the highest SES group was 25 points higher than the mean of the lowest SES group. The goes a long way to prove that there is an association between the families socio-economic status and cognitive performance of students.
Morris and Jackson (2005) conducted another study that investigated the relationship between peer popularity and academic achievement in low- socioeconomic status urban black children, a population in which this relationship had not previously been examined. Two hundred ninety-six children in grades 4, 6, and 8 completed three sociometric rating scales, indicating the popularity of each of their same-sex classmates as a workmate, playmate, and best friend. These ratings were subjected to a multivariate analysis of variance in which gender and academic achievement (high vs. low achievement test scores) were factors. The result indicated that, high achievement was associated with greater popularity as a workmate for an academic task at all three grade levels examined. These findings also suggest that, although high achievement may be recognized for its adaptive value in a work-related context, it may actually be something of a social liability among younger children choosing partners for social and athletic activities.
Finally, Eweniyi (2002) got involved in another study that examined the impact of family structure on the academic performance of university students. The population for this study consists of all university students in Nigeria. However, the sample for the study was drawn from the student population of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye. The sample was actually drawn using the students' record at the University Counseling Centre. Six faculties were randomly selected from the total number of faculties within the university. From each of the six faculties - Law, Sciences, Education, Arts, Basic Medical Sciences, Social Sciences - 40 students were purposefully selected. The selection from each faculty was based on equal number of students (20) from single-parent family and (20) from two parent family. This made a total of 240 students that participated in the study. They were 120 students from single-parent family and 120 from two-parent family. The instrument used to obtain relevant data was an adapted form of the "Guidance and Counseling Achievement Grade Form". This instrument was basically used to collect data on the subjects' academic performance as measured by their scores in the compulsory courses taken in the previous semester in their various faculties. The instrument was validated and finally the results showed that significant differences existed between the academic performance of students from single-parent family and those from two-parent family structures.
HYPOTHESES
The following hypotheses were raised and tested:
1.    There will be no significant difference between male and female students on academic performance.
2.    There will be no significant difference among students from high, middle and low socio-economic families on academic performance.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
Family
Family is defined as a group of people who are related to each other, especially a father, mother and their children.
Social Status
Social Status refers to the relative rank that an individual holds; this includes attendant rights, duties, and lifestyle, in a social hierarchy based upon honor or prestige. It is the honor or prestige attached to one's position in society (one's social position).
Socio-economic status
Socio-economic status (SES) is an economic and sociological combined total measure of a person's work experience and of an individual's or family’s economic and social position relative to others, based on income, education, and occupation.
Academic performance
Academic performance means how well or badly one does in education, that usually takes place in the primary schools, colleges and universities.