Household Socio-Economic Status, Alcoholism, Parental Involvement, and Parental Marital Status as Predictors of Academic Attainment in Public Secondary Schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the predictive influence of household socio-economic status, alcoholism, parental involvement in schooling, and parental marital status/household composition on academic attainment among students in public secondary schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. A quantitative research design employing a descriptive survey approach was adopted. The population comprised all senior secondary school students in selected public schools, from which a sample of 300 students was drawn using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected using standardized instruments, including the Socio-Economic Status Scale (Olayinka & Omoegun, 2017), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; Saunders et al., 1993), and Parental Involvement Scale (Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 2005), while academic attainment was measured using students’ cumulative school records. Data were analysed using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and Multiple Regression Analysis at the 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that household socio-economic status (r = .47, p < .01), parental involvement (r = .56, p < .01), and parental marital status/household composition (r = .35, p < .01) were positively related to academic attainment. Collectively, these variables jointly predicted 50% of the variance in students’ academic performance (R = .71, R² = .50, F(3,296) = 37.94, p < .05). Relative contribution analysis showed that parental involvement was the strongest predictor (β = .45), followed by household socio-economic status (β = .32), and parental marital status/household composition (β = .18). The findings highlight that students’ academic success is shaped by family economic resources, parental engagement, and household stability. The study recommends strategies to enhance parental involvement, support socio-economically disadvantaged families, and promote stable family environments to improve academic outcomes.