PARENTAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS AND EDUCATION AS PREDICTORS OF BIOLOGY ACHIEVEMENT AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LAGOS STATE

<doi>10.24250/jpe/2/2025/ISR/</doi>

Abstract

Despite the centrality of Biology to science education and
its role in preparing students for careers in medicine,
agriculture, and environmental science, persistent
underachievement has been reported in external
examinations. This study investigated the influence of
parental background and parental education on the
academic achievement of senior secondary school Biology
students in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study adopted a
descriptive survey research design, drawing a stratified
random sample of 300 students across public and private
schools in Education District VI. Two instruments were
used for data collection: the Biology Achievement Test
(BAT) and the Parental Socio-Economic Influence
Questionnaire (PSEIQ). Data were analysed using
Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation and one-way
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Findings revealed that
parental socio-economic status significantly shaped
students’ Biology performance, with learners from higherstatus
families attaining better results. Similarly, parental
level of education was found to exert a marked influence,
as students whose parents had tertiary education
outperformed those from households where parents had
only primary or secondary schooling. These outcomes
affirm that disparities in Biology achievement extend
beyond classroom instruction, reflecting broader
socioeconomic and educational inequalities. The study
recommends that parental factors be systematically
considered when addressing underachievement in science,
and that multi-level strategies be designed to reduce
disparities linked to family background. In particular,
policies and interventions in Lagos State should not only
enhance school-level provision but also engage with
family-related inequalities, while lessons from this context can contribute to international debates on equity in science
education.