IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

RESEARCH JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND CULTURAL STUDIES (RJHCS )

E-ISSN 2579-0528
P-ISSN 2695-2467
VOL. 11 NO. 3 2025
DOI: 10.56201/rjhcs.v11.no3.2025.pg1.22

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Family Background and Educational Attainment of Students in Lafia Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Dorothy Akpovye BAGEJOHN, PhD, Reuben Joseph ANJUGU and Arishi Mercy, YOHANNA

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Abstract

Issues surrounding family has been a major focus of researchers in recent time. Parenting is a serious and tasking responsibility and the socio-economic status of a family to a large extent affects children’s aspirations. This study focused on students enrolled in secondary schools and tertiary institutions of learning. It assessed the relationship between family background and educational attainment of students in Lafia Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria, with specific emphasis on how parents’ level of education, socio-economic status, and family size, affects the educational attainment of their children. The study is anchored on the social development theory and theory of human motivation. The study employed descriptive survey design and multi-stage sampling technique to reach the respondents. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to reach the respondents and primary data was collected through survey method, with questionnaires as instrument. Data collected was processed and analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 27). The study found that there is both positive and negative relationship between family background and educational attainment of students. Parents’ educational level plays an important role in motivating children to learn, assisting them with school assignments, and guiding them in meeting academic requirements. The study recommends improvement in parental educational level, increase in access to quality education for low-income families and encouragement of family planning education as ways of improving family background and educational attainment of students in the society.

keywords:

Family Background, Educational Attainment, Students, Responsibility

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