BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NASARAWA WEST SENATORIAL DISTRICT, NASARAWA STATE

Abstract

This study investigated behavioural problems and academic performance of secondary school students in Nasarawa West Senatorial District, Nasarawa State. The researchers adopted correlational research design. The Study was guided by two research questions and two hypotheses that were tested at 0.05 level of significance.  Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to sample 377 secondary school students from a population of 6,730 secondary school students in Nasarawa West Senatorial Zone. The instruments were Students' Behavioural Problem Questionnaire (SBPQ) and Academic Performance Questionnaire (APQ). The Instruments were validated by three experts and then subjected to trial testing. Cronbach Alpha was used to establish the radiality coefficients of the instruments. While SBPQ yielded a gross coefficient of  0.88, APQ yielded 0.89. The two research questions were answered using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMC). The null hypotheses were tested using Pearson's correlation (r). It was found that bullying and truancy have significant relationship with secondary school students’ academic performance in Nasarawa West Senatorial District of Nasarawa State. It was recommended that due to the negative impact of bullying on students and the relationship that exists between the act and academic performance, parents should encourage their children to desist from exhibiting such behaviour. Also, teachers should make learning interesting for students in order to drastically reduce the preponderance of truancy