Effects of Parental Socioeconomic Status on the Academic Achievement of Secondary School Students in District Karak (Pakistan)

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the effects of parental socioeconomic status on the academic achievement of secondary school students in District Karak (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Pakistan. The objectives of the study were: (a) to find out the effect of parental socioeconomic status on the academic achievement of secondary school students (b) to determine the effect of parental educational level on the academic achievement of secondary school students (c) to find out the effect of parental occupational level on the academic achievement of secondary school students and (d) to suggest workable recommendations for the enhancement of the students’ academic achievement. All the students studying at secondary school level in District Karak constituted the population of the study. The study was delimited to only sixty government boys’ high schools in District Karak. The study was further delimited to the students of 10^th Class. In order to represent adequate representation of population, only 1500 secondary school students were selected randomly at the rate of 25 students from each school. The study was survey type and therefore the researchers decided to develop self-developed questionnaire for the collection of data. Pilot testing was conducted to explore the weakness, misconceptions and ambiguities of the questionnaire. After the conduction of pilot testing, final version of the questionnaire was developed and prepared. The researchers personally visited to the respective sample and distributed questionnaires among the participants. In this way data was collected. After collection of data, the data was organized, tabulated and analyzed. Chi-square and percentage were used for the statistical analysis of the data. After statistical analysis of data, the researchers concluded that parental socio-economic status; parent’s educational level, parental occupational level; and parental income level affect the academic achievement of students at secondary level. Therefore it is strongly recommended that unemployment should be controlled. Poor students should be provided scholarships, free books and other stationary. In addition, it is also recommended that government should take steps to raise socioeconomic status of people.

KEY WORDS: Parental Socioeconomic status, academic achievement, secondary school students