INFLUENCE OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN BUSINESS EDUCATION IN RAMAT POLYTECHNIC MAIDUGURI BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the influence of socio-economic factors on students’ academic performance. Two specific
purposes guided the study. All of the Ramat Polytechnic final-year business education students for the (2022/2023)
academic year made up the study’s population. The study adopted a descriptive survey design using a questionnaire
titled Influence of Socio-economic Factors on Students Performance Questionnaire (ISFSPQ) and students’
academic performance pro-forma was used to collect cumulative grade point calculation. The population of the
study consisted of all 63 final year business education students in Ramat polytechnic 2022/2023 academic session.
Considering the number of students, there was no sampling. In this study, the instruments were validated by experts
and the Cronbach reliability coefficient was 0.71. Research questions were answered using mean and standard
deviation, findings of the study revealed that respondents agreed that interest in their choose field of study
influences their academic performance. The study also revealed that respondents agreed that parents’ financial
support influences academic performance. In the analysis of the research hypotheses. Student interest was found to
be a significant contributor to academic performance, while there was no significant influence of parents' financial
support on students' academic performance. The study concluded that lack of interest in a study is barrier to
academic success. Parents' financial support influences academic performance. When students' needs are
adequately funded, it will afford them high concentration that is needed for high academic performance. The
following recommendation were made, there should be the creation of an environment that will stimulate the interest
of learners in their studies, parents should reconsider giving financial support because it is considered a major
contribution to students’ academic performance.