ABSTRACT
This study determined the impact of broken home on academic performance and psychosocial adjustment of school students in Ihiala local government area, Anambra State. Four research questions were raised to guide the study. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consist of the entire students of Junior Secondary School in the fifty eight (58) public junior secondary schools in Ihiala Local Government Area with the total number of one thousand six hundred and seventy-five (1575) students. The sample consisted of one hundred and fifty (150) students in the five randomly selected schools in Ihiala Local Government Area. A simple random sampling technique (40%) was used to select the sample size of the study.
The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled: Impact of Broken Homes on Academic Performance and Psychosocial Adjustment Questionnaire (PREHIPQ).It was however subjected to face validity by the researcher’s supervisor and one other expert in the Department of Educational Foundation, Faculty of Education, University of Benin. The reliability was determined using the internal consistency method which was measured using Cronbach alpha statistic. The instrument was administered to 20 secondary school students who are not part of the sample to be used for this study but are part of the population of the study. However, the instrument yielded an alpha value of 0.81. The data collected were analyzed using mean (x), standard deviation (SD), and two sample independent t-test using Statistical Packages for the Social Science (SPSS).
The study found that homes have great influence on students’ emotional, psychological and educational development. Divorce, separation and poverty as a result of broken homes hindered academic performance of students as many of the students from un-ideal homes are prone to truancy, emotional disturbance and most time lacking essential educational materials for the academic work. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended amongst others: School should intensify efforts in helping students from emotionally and culturally deprived homes as well as students from warm, nurturing and stimulating homes by modifying programmes and methods to foster the educational development of students from all backgrounds, training and re-training of teachers, especially on techniques and effective handling of students from broken homes should be encouraged amongst others.
