Description

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background to the Study

There is no marriage without its challenges. When the challenges get to a particular level, the spouses may be frustrated to the extent that they may prefer living separately. On this, many cultures and religions see divorce as last option in settling marital conflicts, though some still believed that marital relationship should be maintained, no matter the frustration because it is for better for worse. This reason makes it importance to look into the meaning of divorce. Dada (2016) defines divorce as a legal termination of valid marriage. If a marriage is not valid when contracted, there cannot be a divorce because there cannot be a divorce because there was no marriage at the initial stage. Marital unhappiness is as a result of the various factors that predispose martial instability. Raheem (2018) states that marital conflict is inevitable in any society as long as husband and wife are different individuals and their actions are important to each other. With such view divorce is a mechanism for dealing with the pressure and problem inevitably caused by marriage because without marriage there would be no divorce.

The negative effects of parental divorce upon children depend upon factors, including the age and sex of the child at the time, it occurs, the amount of conflict within the family unity, and the degree of co-operation between the divorced or separated parents. Each of these factors, alone or interaction with each other influences the psychological health of the child and the ability of the child to do well at school. Babalis, Tsoli, Nikolopoulos, & Maniatis (2014) submit that the manner by which parents interact with each other, at the time of and after the divorce often have a far reaching negative impact on their children psychologically and academically. Indeed, it is often difficult to separate the effects of divorce from the effects of a conflictual family relationship in this manner, the negative effects of divorce may stem from per-existing differences in the family unit, prior to the divorce itself, and these negative effects may be more related to the emotional separation that precedes the legal divorce.

In general, children who have recently experienced a family dissolution have a more difficult time with education and academic expectations at school than children from a stable family or happy family (Dada, 2016). This is visible in the children’s ability to adjust to the reality of their parents’ divorce, most circumstances, children of divorce homes, are only disposed to the negative effect of their current family situation such children show resilience in adjusting to the effects of parental divorce. Indeed, children who thrive of their current family situation such children show resilience in adjusting to the effects of parental divorce. Indeed, children who thrive well in family dissolution are more likely to live in homes characterized by other family members support (Dada, 2016).

Therefore, children do better when parents provide consistent coordinated and understanding qualities in which they monitor their children and provide them with love, kindness and guidance such situation requires a problem-solving approach in which the separated parents deny their children, as a result of parental disagreement. Anderson & Bloom (2018) state that divorce affects everyone involved, but it is often the most difficult for children. If the children have disabilities and need special education services, the situation can be even more complex. If the disability of the child involve has relationship with learning, the child may not only suffer the immediate negative effects of the divorce, such life can have an endless sufferness. This is because such child, despite his learning disability will also develop a psychological challenge which the two parents are expected to calm for him.  Divorce does not affect most education rights. However, the divorce decree, the legal document that describes parents’ responsibilities after divorce, should clearly describe relationships among the parents, child, and education system. Despite such resilience, many children of divorced parentage experience intense, long term effects that the impact show negative upon their academic performance, and a few children carry this long lasting effects into their own adulthood, this in turn seriously impair their ability to develop and maintain a long-lasting social and mutual relationship (Dada, 2016). On this, the research dim it fit to carry out a research on the perceived influence of divorce parents on students academic performance among the learning disability students.

 

1.2      Statement of the Problem

Parental care is the bed rock of children success. A child who is denied this, is tend to have a set-back in his life pursuit. Also, children with learning disability has already have a certain disability in his life. This disability has a lot to do with his psychological perspective. If such a child now become a victim of divorced parent, the psychological effects will be too much and this is liable to affect his academic success. Also, it is obvious that no matter what educational provision the government may provide, children from separated homes are more likely to exhibit signs of early disengagement from school, and also associated with it, is the truancy and more negative attitudes towards school. Children from separated homes are also liable to lower academic performance, as a result of less monitoring of school work by both parents. On this, the researcher intends to carry out a study on the perceived influence of divorce parents on students academic performance among the learning disability students.

1.3      Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceived influence of divorce parents on students academic performance among the learning disability students. Also, this study tends to find out the level of academic performance of the affected children before and after their parents divorced. In nutshell, this study intends to:

1. Investigate the effect of divorced parents on the academic performance of children with learning disabilities
2. Determine identifiable problems that has to do with the academic performance of children from divorced home

• Proffer probable solution to the challenges facing the academic performance of children from divorced home

1.4      Significance of the Study

The study on the perceived influence of divorced parents on the academic performance of children with learning disabilities is significant on:

1. Children: The findings of this study will help to educate the children of the divorced parents about the need for them to report their problem to other family members and social welfare officers for assistance instead of indulging in anti-social behaviour.
2. Government: The findings of this study will help the government to know the impact of divorce on children, especially children with learning disabilities and service that should be provided to help these children in solving their problems.

iii. Public and Private Individuals: The study will be of immense benefit to both the public and private individuals who are greatly convinced about the rate of increase in divorce in Nigeria as a whole.

1. School Authorities: The findings also would be of great help to the school authorities to know how they can render assistance to the affected children of divorce homes.

 

1.5      Research Hypotheses

The following research hypotheses were formulated to guide the study.

H₀1 There will be no significance influence of negligence on academic performance of learning disable children

H₀2 There will be no significance influence of socially acceptability on learning disable children

H₀3 There will be no significance influence of inferiority complex on learning disable children

H₀4 There will be no significance influence of emotional instability on learning disable children

1.6      Scope of the study.

This research focuses on the perceived influence of divorce parents on students academic performance among the learning disability students. The scope of this study is selected schools in Oyo metropolis. The study will be limited to four schools in Oyo metropolis. The name of the schools are:

1. Al-Waseelah group of school, I.D.S, Oyo
2. Salamat Olaniyan memorial high school, Sawmill, Oyo

• Olivet Grammar school, Tobacco Area, Oyo

1. God Mercy Group of School, Alaafin area, Oyo.

 

1.7      Definition of Terms

Marriage: In this study, marriage refers to a legal valid, traditional or the normal procedure of relationship which binds the husband and wife.

Social welfare service: A system that is organized by the government to help people who have financial problem by given advice or assistance.

Psychological: in this study, it means issues having to do with the mind and emotions of the individual.

Family: This is a group that consists mainly of the father, mother and children.

Academic Performance: This means the success or failure of a child in his or her academic pursuit

Learning Disabilities: In this study, it refers to disabilities that has to do with neurologically-based processing problems. These processing problems can interfere with learning basic skills such as reading, writing and/or math.

School: This is a building dedicated for teaching-learning process. The school contains different classes for different level of students.