American International Journal of Social Science

The Impact of Students’ Socio-economic Background on Academic Performance in Universities, a Case of Students in Kisii University College
Dr. Charles Kombo Okioga

Abstract
This study is about the impact of students’ socio-economic background on academic performance in universities, a case study of students in Kisii University College. The objectives of the study were to Evaluate the factors that influenced the student academic performance and the relationship between the student socio-economic background and academic performance. To achieve this, a sample of 186 respondents in Kisii University College was chosen in all the six faculties using simple random sampling. Questionnaires were administered to the respondents. Research Assistants presented copies of the questionnaires to students to complete and supplementary information was obtained from the university academic staff. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Regression analysis was used to establish the relationship between the student socio-economic background and academic performance The likert analysis were used to analyse the data, the weighted mean, standard deviation and ANOVA to measure the level of dispersion from conformity, the results revealed that the student social economic background influenced student academic performance since Education plays a major role in skill sets for acquiring jobs, as well as specific qualities that stratify people with higher and lower social economic status. The middle class parents take an active role in their children’s education and development by using controlled organized activities and fostering a sense of entitlement through encouraged discussion. Families with lower income do not participate in this movement, causing their children to have a sense of constraint. A division in education attainment is thus born out of these two differences in child rearing. Lower incomes families can have children who do not succeed to the levels of the middle income children have a greater sense of entitlement, more argumentative, or better prepared for adult life.

Full Text: PDF