EFFECTS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS, ACADEMIC ABILITY AND MOTIVATION ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN BASIC TECHNOLOGY

The issue of sustainable educational development in the case of Nigeria borders much on many factors which to a proportionate extent influence or mar students learning in diverse subject discipline. This study therefore examined the effects of social – economic status, academic ability and motivation on students’ academic performance in basic technology along with the challenges for stakeholders and classroom instruction, all for sustainable education and national development. A sample of 96 junior secondary school three students drawn through simple random sampling technique from secondary schools purposively selected in Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State of Nigeria was used for the study. Seven hypotheses were generated and tested in the study. The instruments used for data collection included socio – Economic Background Data Inventory (SEBDI), Students’ Motivation Scale for the Learning of Basic Technology (SMSLBT and Students’ Academic Performance Test in Basic Technology (SAPTBT.) The data collected were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Multiple Classifications Analysis (MCA). The result indicated that academic ability has a significant main effect on students’ academic performance while socio – economic status has no significant contributions to students’ academic performance. The study further discovered that the students with high academic ability as well as those from high socio – economic status homes have greater potency to do well in basic technology than their counterparts from low socio –economic status families and those with low academic ability. Based on the findings, the concerned stakeholders are called upon to give prompt attention to the factors which have much link with students’ classroom instruction and performance since the attainment of high academic performance of students rests heavily on them.