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Home environment, peer influence and the academic achievement of Malay students
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Type
Thesis
Author
Bibi Jan Mohammed Ayyub
Supervisor
Tan, Wee Kiat
Abstract
This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship of the home environment, (both 'status' and 'process' variables) teacher and peer press, students' variables and the academic achievement of Malay students in Singapore. The subjects in this study consist of 300 Secondary One Malay students only from three different academic streams : seventy-two students from the 'Special' stream, (the achievers - representing the top 10% of the cohort) 129 from the 'Express' stream, (the middle band - who will sit for their GCE 'O' level at the end of their four years of secondary education) and 99 from the 'Normal' stream, (the weaker stream students - those who will sit for their GCE 'O' level after the GCE 'N' level, provided that they have obtained an aggregate of ten points for 3 subjects at the 'N' level examination, including the first language). As such, the sample subjects were drawn from different categories of schools - the premier, the independent and the neighbourhood schools. There were 159 male and 141 female students.
A questionnaire was administered to the subjects. It comprised Parental Press, Activity and Intellectuality in the home, Teacher Press, Peer Press, Academic Self-Concept and Attitude towards school scales as measures of perceptions of parental press, educational climate of the home, teacher press, peer influence, students' academic self-concept and attitude towards school, respectively.
Students' PSLE 'T' scores were used to measure academic achievement. A pilot test involving students from the 'Express' and 'Normal' stream only was conducted earlier. Twenty-three hypotheses were tested and the level of significance for accepting and rejecting those hypotheses was set at the .05 level.
After analysing the data by means of Pearson product-moment Correlation, t-test, Chi-square, ANOVA and Stepwise Multiple Regression, the following results were obtained :
1. The sample scored high ratings in perception of teacher press, attitude towards school, and moderate ratings in perception of parental press, activity and intellectuality at home, perception of peer press and academic self-concept.
2. The 'status' characteristics of the home like parental education, structure of the family, socio-economic status (which is based on fathers' occupation), type of house, fathers' income level, were all positively and significantly correlated with academic achievement. Size of family was inversely correlated with academic achievement.
3. The use of English language at home, perception of parental press, academic self-concept, intellectuality at home and attitude towards school were all positively and significantly correlated with academic achievement. A notable exception was the perception of teacher and peer press factors, which were found to be not significantly correlated with the dependent variable.
4. When the effects of SES were controlled, the positive and significant correlation which existed between parental press and academic achievement was found to hold true only for students in the 'middle' SES category.
5. When the effects of maternal employment were controlled, the positive and significant relationship which existed between parental press and academic achievement was found to hold true only for the sub-samples, that is students with non-working mothers.
6. No significant difference was found in students' perception of parental press for both the working and non-working mothers and when the effects of gender were controlled, the positive and significant relationship which existed between parental press and academic achievement was found to hold true for both boys and girls.
7. No significant differences was found in students' perception of parental press among the boys and girls. However, mothers were perceived as having greater influence on students' academic achievement than fathers.
8. No significant difference was found in the press factor of different subject teachers on academic achievement of students.
9. It was also found that there was a relationship among the 'process' variables of the home (parental press and intellectuality at home) and student's attitude towards school and academic self-concept.
10. A significant difference was found in students' academic self-concept among the three academic streams. Students in the 'Special' and 'Express' stream have higher level of academic self-concept compared to their counterparts in the 'Normal' stream. It was also discovered that there was a significant difference between male and female students in their academic self-concept.
11. Variables pertaining to the home environment, namely fathers' occupation, (SES), spoken home language, family structure, mothers' education, parental press, including mother press and activity and intellectuality at home, collectively accounted for about 29% of the variance in academic achievement. The socio-economic status (SES) accounted for most of the variance, about 19%. Only one non-home variable, (attitude towards school) was included in the equation and it contributed another 5% to the variance.
The findings of the study also reveal that there is a strong relationship between the home environment of the students and their academic achievement. Interestingly, the 'status' variables of the home emerged as strong predictors of academic achievement. Though these 'status' variable provide minimal explanation about how homes are effective or ineffective in supporting the child as far as school outcome is concerned, yet they provide useful background information and some insight on the question of academic achievement.
Three process variables which have been identified as having strong relationship with students' academic achievement are the spoken language of the home, the parental press and the activity and intellectuality at home. These aspects of the home environments can be 'altered' or 'manipulated' to enhance the educational outcome of the child.
Additionally, it is interesting to note that there is also positive and significant relationship between students' attitude towards school and other home background variables, like parental press and intellectuality at home. Therefore, well-conceived intervention programmes to educate parents to focus on processes variables in the home could be introduced. In this way, parents could be equipped with relevant and effective parenting skills which would enable them to better help their children in their educational pursuits.
School authorities, especially the head of the schools and teachers, should work in tandem with parents to ensure that there is maximum congruency between the educative environment of the school and the home. Teachers can help to inculcate positive attitudes towards school and at the same time help to develop and enhance the self-concept of the students. The development and the implementation of Counselling and Pastoral Care Programme that is currently being implemented in many schools is a move in the right direction as this would definitely help in the overall development of the students.
A questionnaire was administered to the subjects. It comprised Parental Press, Activity and Intellectuality in the home, Teacher Press, Peer Press, Academic Self-Concept and Attitude towards school scales as measures of perceptions of parental press, educational climate of the home, teacher press, peer influence, students' academic self-concept and attitude towards school, respectively.
Students' PSLE 'T' scores were used to measure academic achievement. A pilot test involving students from the 'Express' and 'Normal' stream only was conducted earlier. Twenty-three hypotheses were tested and the level of significance for accepting and rejecting those hypotheses was set at the .05 level.
After analysing the data by means of Pearson product-moment Correlation, t-test, Chi-square, ANOVA and Stepwise Multiple Regression, the following results were obtained :
1. The sample scored high ratings in perception of teacher press, attitude towards school, and moderate ratings in perception of parental press, activity and intellectuality at home, perception of peer press and academic self-concept.
2. The 'status' characteristics of the home like parental education, structure of the family, socio-economic status (which is based on fathers' occupation), type of house, fathers' income level, were all positively and significantly correlated with academic achievement. Size of family was inversely correlated with academic achievement.
3. The use of English language at home, perception of parental press, academic self-concept, intellectuality at home and attitude towards school were all positively and significantly correlated with academic achievement. A notable exception was the perception of teacher and peer press factors, which were found to be not significantly correlated with the dependent variable.
4. When the effects of SES were controlled, the positive and significant correlation which existed between parental press and academic achievement was found to hold true only for students in the 'middle' SES category.
5. When the effects of maternal employment were controlled, the positive and significant relationship which existed between parental press and academic achievement was found to hold true only for the sub-samples, that is students with non-working mothers.
6. No significant difference was found in students' perception of parental press for both the working and non-working mothers and when the effects of gender were controlled, the positive and significant relationship which existed between parental press and academic achievement was found to hold true for both boys and girls.
7. No significant differences was found in students' perception of parental press among the boys and girls. However, mothers were perceived as having greater influence on students' academic achievement than fathers.
8. No significant difference was found in the press factor of different subject teachers on academic achievement of students.
9. It was also found that there was a relationship among the 'process' variables of the home (parental press and intellectuality at home) and student's attitude towards school and academic self-concept.
10. A significant difference was found in students' academic self-concept among the three academic streams. Students in the 'Special' and 'Express' stream have higher level of academic self-concept compared to their counterparts in the 'Normal' stream. It was also discovered that there was a significant difference between male and female students in their academic self-concept.
11. Variables pertaining to the home environment, namely fathers' occupation, (SES), spoken home language, family structure, mothers' education, parental press, including mother press and activity and intellectuality at home, collectively accounted for about 29% of the variance in academic achievement. The socio-economic status (SES) accounted for most of the variance, about 19%. Only one non-home variable, (attitude towards school) was included in the equation and it contributed another 5% to the variance.
The findings of the study also reveal that there is a strong relationship between the home environment of the students and their academic achievement. Interestingly, the 'status' variables of the home emerged as strong predictors of academic achievement. Though these 'status' variable provide minimal explanation about how homes are effective or ineffective in supporting the child as far as school outcome is concerned, yet they provide useful background information and some insight on the question of academic achievement.
Three process variables which have been identified as having strong relationship with students' academic achievement are the spoken language of the home, the parental press and the activity and intellectuality at home. These aspects of the home environments can be 'altered' or 'manipulated' to enhance the educational outcome of the child.
Additionally, it is interesting to note that there is also positive and significant relationship between students' attitude towards school and other home background variables, like parental press and intellectuality at home. Therefore, well-conceived intervention programmes to educate parents to focus on processes variables in the home could be introduced. In this way, parents could be equipped with relevant and effective parenting skills which would enable them to better help their children in their educational pursuits.
School authorities, especially the head of the schools and teachers, should work in tandem with parents to ensure that there is maximum congruency between the educative environment of the school and the home. Teachers can help to inculcate positive attitudes towards school and at the same time help to develop and enhance the self-concept of the students. The development and the implementation of Counselling and Pastoral Care Programme that is currently being implemented in many schools is a move in the right direction as this would definitely help in the overall development of the students.
Date Issued
1992
Call Number
LB1065 Bib
Date Submitted
1992