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THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOLISM ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN CALABAR SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF CROSS RIVER STATE

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ABSTRACT

This research work seeks to understand the effects of alcoholism on students’ academic performance in secondary school in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State. The main objective of the study is to examine the effects of alcoholism on student’s academic performance among students in secondary school and to contribute towards a better comprehension of the significance and nature of the identified problem in order to bring possible solution to the problem. This research  suggests some  unique  relationships  between  college  student  alcohol  use  and  subsequent  academic  performance,  but  they  also  have  many  limitations. The instrument used in analyzing this work was questionnaire given to 210 students, thus, it was the remaining 202 properly completed questionnaires that are used for the analysis. The questionnaire was divided into three sections; section A revolves around the demographic data of respondents such as age, sex, etc. section B and C consist of questions which will answer the research questions. A chi-square (X2) was used to ascertain the result that extent the association between the dependent and independent variables. The chi-square (X2) is denoted by the formula: (X2) = ∑ (o-e)2. Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are made: teachers and Parents should try to give their children moral, spiritual, social, psychological, and financial support so as to guide them against peer and societal influences and government  should  provide  all  necessary  materials  and  equipment  to  make  teaching  and  learning interesting so as to reduce anti-social behaviours in schools.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE                                                                             i

CERTFICATION                                                                ii

DEDICATION                                                                   iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT                                                       iv

ABSTRACT                                                                      vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS                                                       vii

LIST OF TABLES                                                              x

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background to the study                                         1

1.2    Theoretical framework                                             11

1.3    Statement of the problem                                        17    

1.4    Purpose of the study                                               17    

1.5    Research questions                                                 18    

1.6    Research hypotheses                                               18

1.7    Significance of the study                                          19    

1.8    Limitations of the study                                            20

1.9    Scope of the study                                                  20

1.10 Basic assumptions of the study                                 21

1.11 Definition of significant terms                                   21

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

2.1    Alcoholism and students’ absenteeism from school     22

2.2    Alcoholism and time students spend on Academics     28

2.3    Alcoholism and students’ grade point average of each session 33

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

  • Research design                                                      41
    • Area of Study                                                         42
    • Population of the study                                            43
    • Instrument of data collection                                    43
    • Sample and Sampling technique                              44
    • Data Collection procedure                                        45
    • Data preparation                                                     46
    • Procedure for data analysis                                      46

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.1    Data presentation                                                   47

4.2    Test of hypotheses                                                  56

4.3    Discussion of findings                                              63

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CONCLUSION

5.1    Summary of the study                                             70

5.2    Recommendations                                                   71

5.3    Conclusion                                                              72

REFERENCES                                                                               73

APPENDIX                                                                             82

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

  1. Background of the study

In educational institutions, success is measured by academic performance.  As career competition grows ever fiercer in the working world, the importance of students doing well in school has caught the attention of parents, and employers. Education is not the only road to success in the working world, much effort is made to identify, evaluate, track and encourage the progress of students in schools. Parents care about their children’s’ academic performance because they believe that good academic results will provide more career choices and job security (Idoko Joseph Onyebuchukwu, Muyiwa Adeniyi Sholarin, Agoha, Benedict Chico Emerenwa, 2015).

Academic  achievement is commonly measured by examinations or continuous assessment but there is  no  general  agreement  on  how  it  is  best  tested  or  which  aspects are  most  important procedural  knowledge  such  as  skills  or  declarative  knowledge  such  as  facts.  Students’  academic  gain  and learning performance is  affected by  numerous factor  including gender,  age, teaching faculty, students schooling, father/guardian social economic status, what they  consume, residential area of students, medium of instructions in schools, tuition trend, daily  study hour and accommodation as hostelries or day scholar (Idoko Joseph Onyebuchukwu, Muyiwa Adeniyi Sholarin, Agoha, Benedict Chico Emerenwa, 2015).

Past research has shown the prevalence of alcohol use among high school students, it has been found that a majority of students partake in drinking alcohol (Aertgeerts, Bert and Frank Buntinx, 2002). It has also been found that some students are able to successfully manage their academic work in spite of drinking alcohol. Despite this finding, not all students are successfully able to partake in both activities. Alcohol use is negatively affecting some students and families by causing potential dropouts and failing classes. On the other hand, some students know how to balance their academic work with their social life and not let it affect their academic performance (Butler, Adam B., Desiree Spencer and Kama Dodge, 2011). 

Alcohol  is  a  colorless,  volatile,  flammable  liquid  which  is  the  intoxicating  constituent  of  wine, beer, spirits and other drinks (Idoko et al, 2015).  Alcohol is no ordinary commodity but a drug that can be depended upon (Adelaka, 1993).  Production  and  consumption  of  alcohol in the modern Nigeria is on the increase and the volume is highly unrecorded due to  illegal  and  local  productions  and  the  paucity  of  data  on  the  legality  of  production  (Ali,  20003). World health organization in 2004 ranked Nigeria among the thirty nations with the highest per capita consumption of alcohol worldwide. The new drinking norms that have evolved are drinking competitions among youths. Bar owners, brewery’s representatives set out prizes for the fastest drinkers and the winner is judged based on the quantity consumed (Odejide et al, 1994). There can be lingering cognitive deficits up to 48 hours after a night of drinking. Heavy drinking by students can lead to positive blood alcohol levels the next day,  affecting  whether  or  not  they  even  get  up  for  class  and,  if  they  do,  the  quality  of  how  information  is  processed  and  ultimately  stored.  Sleeping  off  after  a  buzz  is  a  common  practice, it can interfere with the sleep cycle, resulting in an increase in anxiety, jumpiness,  and irritability the next day, and fatigue the day after that. Although most people take for  granted  that  alcohol  impairs  memory  of  events  that  occur  during  intoxication,  alcohol  consumption has further reaching effects on memory and learning ability. In some cases the  linkage  between  problem  drinking  and  academic  performance  is  profound.  Drinking can affect the biological development of young people as well as their school-related achievement and behaviuor. Serious alcohol use among youth has significant neurological consequences.  Alcohol damages areas of the brain responsible for learning and memory, verbal skills and visual-spatial cognition.  According  to  Perkins  (2002)  youths  (undergraduates)  engage  in  alcohol use to help them cope with academic stress, negative emotions and make them look  mature. Students that use alcohol as a coping mechanism tend to indulge more always in the use of alcohol and most of the time applies defense mechanism by engaging in denial and rationalization.  Almost one third of high school students admit to having missed a class and failing a test/project because of alcohol (Idoko et al, 2015).

Many  researchers  conducted  detailed  studies  about  the  factors  contributing to  student‘s  performance  at  different  study  levels.  Ali, Shoukat, Frank Joseph (2013) suggested that a student‘s educational success is contingent heavily on social status of student‘s parents/ guardians in the society. Brown et al (2000) noticed the same that parent’s income or social status positively affects the student test score in examination. Lot of studies have been conducted in the area of student‘s achievement and these studies identified and analyzed the number of factors that affect the academic performance of the student at school, high school and even at university level (Brown, S., Tapert, S., Granholm, E. Delis, D., 2000). Their findings identified student‘s effort, previous schooling, parent‘s  educational background, family income, self-motivation of students, age of student, learning  preferences  and  entry  qualification  of  students  as  important  factors  that  have  effect  on  student‘s academic performance in different setting. The utility of these studies lies in the need to undertake corrective measures that improve the academic performance of secondary students.

Parent‘s  socioeconomic  condition, which includes parent‘s  academic  and  professional  qualification,  revenue  and  occupational  affiliation,  is  also  associated  with  academic gain of students. The results of many studies confirmed that academic achievement of students is contingent upon parent‘s socio-economic condition.  Among  many  research  studies  conducted  on  academic  achievement,  Singleton and  Wolfston  (2009)  examined  alcohol  consumption,  amount  of  sleep,  and  academic performance. The study revealed the relationship between alcohol use and sleep, alcohol use and academic performance, and sleep and academic performance.  The participants from Northeastern were 89% white, 98% ranged between the ages of 18-22 years, and 82% lived on campus. In short, they hypothesized and concluded that students who drink more alcohol maintain poor sleep patterns, which negatively affects academic performance. Gillespie, Wayne, Jessica L. Holt and Roger L. Blackwell (2007) examined alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine use amonghigh school students. The authors found that two out of five high school students in the United States are binge drinkers. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there were more than 1.25 million arrests foralcohol and drug abuse violations in 2004 (Gillespie et al., 2007). Alcohol  and  drug  use  can  lead  to  poor  decision  making,  like  breaking  the  law,  sexual  abuse,  getting  in  fights,  etc.  Of the respondents, 92.4% were white and the average age was 22.3 years. This study found that a little more than 68% reported using alcohol and/or drugs during the past year. Gillespie etal.  (2007) looked at how many times a student drank alcohol in a week which then determined how many alcoholic drinks they consume on average.

In 2008, according to a survey by NPC and ORC Macro, 20% of adolescent in Calabar South are alcoholic by age 15, and the median age for first alcohol stood at 17.7 years for girls and 20.6 years for boys. The study further reveals that 34.4% of in-school adolescents in Calabar South have had contact with alcohol. Of these, 68.3% of them had taken alcohol between the age of 13 and 16 years. (Duru,et al., 2010). Subsequent alcoholic intake of students after debut shows a great risk of exposure to drugs and other dangerous acts. It was further reported that 34.3% of students who are alcoholic have at least a bottle daily. (Duru,et al.,2010).  It was recorded in a study by Etuk,et al., (2004) that the major factor that influences adolescents behavior to take alcohol include socioeconomic factors, peer pressure and influence, gender norms and values. Slap,et al., (2003) found that in Calabar South, secondary school students from polygamous family structure are more likely to engage in activity that has to do with alcohol consumption than students from monogamous family structure. Students’ sense of connectedness to their parents, regardless of family structure decreases the likelihood of such behavior.

The high rate of early absent from class, number of time students spend to study, and students Gross Point Average (GPA) of each session in this area as a result of alcoholism and other factors uncontrolled natural urge, as well as drug dependence has had a positive relation to the poor academic performance of students in secondary schools. This issue has led to so many school dropouts, gangsters, crime; rape etc. Information, health services and support needed for students to make informed decisions are lacking in Calabar South. The short and long-term consequences of students dependent on alcohol and other substance use are grave to adolescents and the community. These can be minimized by implementing well planned counseling and guidance for students, especially in Government Schools.

Butler et al. (2011) examined the relationship between drinking and academic demands.National surveys indicate that 40% of high school students binge drink regularly, and the rate of binge drinking appears to be increasing(2011: 359-360). The results of this study suggest that students drank 38% less when they had an exam or paper due the next day. Results also indicated that a student‘s current day academic demands are related to a 30% decrease in their current day alcohol consumption. This research demonstrates that some students are not reducing their alcohol intake even when they have academic demands to meet the next day. 

Aertgeerts and Buntinx (2002) examined the relationship of alcohol abuse among students and their academic performance.  Irresponsible drinking patterns among high schoolstudents in the United States range between 7% and 17%. This study was conducted using a questionnaire given to 3518 first-year students who attended this specific high school. Aertgeerts and Buntinx (2002) found that 14.2% of the students were identified as having alcohol abuse or dependence, and nearly one-third of the students passed their exams on the first attempt.  Results  suggest  that  49.7%  of  male  students  and  48.9%  of  female  students  went  on  to  continue their second year of school. It is potentially concerning that only about half of the students succeeded and moved on to their sophomore year.  This may indicate that alcohol consumption is a major social issue among high school students.

This study seeks to understand the effects of alcoholism on student academic performance in secondary school.

1.2    Theoretical framework

         The use of theory is important for guidance and direction to scientific research. They are also used as a fundamental basis to understanding problems and consequently provide efficient and sustainable solutions. Theory is a set of interrelated propositions aimed at explaining and predicting phenomena.

1.2.1 Behavioural theory

The behavioural theory was initially developed to address risky alcohol use and addiction being learned as a specific behaviour by the individual (Collins et al., 2011; Horvath et al., 2014). Students who engage in heavy drinking practices are at potential risk for negative and behavioural consequences (Maggs et al., 2011). The most common factors implicated in causing student drinking are motivational factors, attitudes towards drinking, self-efficacy, and the belief that other students engage in these types of behaviours. These reasons relate to the aspect of modeling within the social learning theory (Collinset al., 2011).

Students drink because it enhances social situations, relieving them of boredom and social awkwardness (Sling, 2013). University provides the potential for students to explore, study, join clubs and participate in sober activities, although many seem to prefer involving alcohol in their activities. Students drink to develop courage in order to improve their social status. Some students feel as though they do not possess a satisfactory “social capacity,” using alcohol to enhance their behaviour during social activities (Sling, 2013).

Students are still under developed in regards to interaction and they use drinking to compensate for lacking social development and to overcome social anxiety. Drinking, then, replaces the emotional and communicative aspect of interaction and friendship building.

Theory Application

The behavioural theory states that addiction is a learned behaviour and is claimed to enhance social situations, relieving boredom and awkwardness and ultimately improving social status. This theory also reveals the social consequences of drinking and corresponding treatments, which are determined after assessing the specific individual. The most common treatment option focuses on positive thinking and goal setting, ultimately promoting positive behavioural change before the drinking becomes a problem in the future.

1.2.2 Personality Theory

The theory regarding personality defines alcohol use as influenced by specific personalities. A student’s personality may relate to their drinking habits, and according to research, substance abuse treatment has proven more effective by addressing personality factors (Polimeni et al., 2010). “Concerning the findings on personality, they argue for tailored interventions in adolescence focusing on two risk groups:

  1. Extravert, sensation-seeking boys who drink for enhancement motives and
    1. Neurotic, anxious girls who drink for coping motives” (Kuntsche, Knibbe, Gmel, & Engels, 2006, p. 11).

Student who drink excessively usually have personalities similar to that of excitement and sensation seeking, impulsiveness, extraversion and immoderation, where the sensation seekers and immoderation personalities were noted to be most at risk for future alcohol dependent lifestyles (McAdams  Donnellan, 2009; Shin et al., 2012).

These students also have low inhibitory control, low levels of responsibility, and a weak will to achieve (Kuntsche et al., 2006). Students with these personalities drink more than others because of their need for excitement and to be engaged in a busy environment. In terms of personality, students’ reasons for drinking were associated with social motives and enjoyment of feelings because of their sensation-seeking and high-risk personality types (Kuntsche et al., 2006).

When students drink to cope, more frequent alcohol consumption is predicted and neurotic personality types are revealed. These individuals displayed low levels of agreeableness and a negative view of themselves; they also had difficulty talking about their emotions and feared high-anxiety situations.

Students may acquire personal problems because of their neurotic personality, using alcohol to cope with these problems, potentially causing future issues. Kuntsche et al. (2006) have stated the following:

Our suspicion is that personality traits strongly associated with sociability are likely to predict drinking in a high school or university context, which often has a strong social component. Once individuals leave these social settings, these sorts of traits may not continue to be as predicative of drinking. On the other hand, we suspect that traits like immoderation and even excitement seeking may remain fairly sturdy predictors of drinking-related variables across the life span.(McAdams & Donnellan, 2009,p. 6)

Alcohol allows for an individual to not only experiment with a new behaviour, but also a new personality and social identity. Many young drinkers hide behind various alcohol-induced personalities deliberately as a means of becoming more comfortable in a social setting (Sling, 2013).

This new personality allows for a student to excel socially both in school and after hours:

“Students use the absence of alcohol to define a daytime self who is hard-working and aspirational just as they use alcohol to construct a night-time/leisure self who is social, popular and fun” (Sling, 2013, p. 140).

Theory application

The personality theory suggests that certain personalities may influence alcohol consumption and proposes that personalities such as sensation seeking, impulsiveness and extraversion are among the most popular personalities found among students that engage in excessive alcohol consumption. When drinking serves as a coping mechanism, personalities including neuroticism are most common, with low levels of agreeableness and a low self-esteem.

  1. Statement of the Problem

Alcohol consumption appears very rampant in schools and in the society at large. It seems to be one of the sources of the country’s major health challenge as well as social problems. The impact of alcoholism on youth has remained a source of worry to parents, schools, society and even the governments because of the attendant misbehaviours that usually follows and its negative effects on the society and educational advancement of the students. It is in the view of the foregoing that this study intends to empirically investigate the effect of alcoholism on student’s academic performance in Secondary School in Nigeria.

  1. Purpose of the study

The main purpose of the study is to examine the effects of alcoholism on student’s academicperformance among students in secondary school in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. The specific objectives include:

  1. To examine the relationship between alcoholism and students’ absenteeism from school.
  2. To determine the relationship between alcoholism and the time students’ spend on academics.
  3. To investigate the correlation between alcoholism and student’s GPA in a session.
    1. Research questions

         For the purpose of this research work, the following research questions were formulated;

  1. Is there any relationship between alcoholism and students’ absenteeism from school?
  2. To what extent does alcoholism affect the time students spend on their academics?
  3. Does alcoholism influence students’ GPA in a session?
    1. Research hypotheses

         In relation to answering the above questions, the following hypotheses were formulated to guide the study;

  1. There is no significant relationshipbetween alcoholism and students’absenteeism from school.
  2. There is no significant relationship between alcoholism and the time students’ spend on their academics.
  3. There is no significant relationshipbetween alcoholism and students’ GPA in a session.
  1. Significance of the study

The findings from this work will be useful to families, students, researchers, cooperate bodies and the government in the following ways; 

  1. Unfold the effect of alcohol consumption on academic performance of students.
  2. Form bases for further research involving alcohol consumption and other variables other than academic performance.  
  3. Enlighten the students on the health implications of alcohol consumption. 
  4. Enable the parents to guide their children on the effect of alcohol consumption and its adverse effect. 
  5. Enable government enact laws against alcohol consumption while in school. 

Thestudy will also serve as a contribution to academic literature. Furthermore, it will serve as a reference material for further researchers and will enrich future researchers with relevant literature and arguments on which further research can be conducted.

1.8 Limitations of the study

         The following are the limitation of the study;

  1. Inadequate fund and proximity
  2. Uncontrolled factors such as stress on the part of the researcher
  3. Unwillingness of the schools, teachers and students to cooperate during the research due to personal and academic activities.
    1. Scope of the study

         This study will be limited to the effect of alcohol among students academic performance in secondary school. The study will focus on Laurel College, Calabar SouthLocal Government Area of Cross-River State, Nigeria. The findings from this study will be generalized to include all secondary school students on the basis that they have similar characteristics.

1.10  Basic Assumptions

  1. Sample is a true representation of the population.
  2. The variables are measurable.
    1. Definition of terms

The following key terms and concepts used in this research work are defined to aid comprehension.

  1. Student: someone who is studying at a school. Someone who is very interested in a particular subject.
  2. Alcohol: According to Encanta Dictionary (2009), defines alcohol asa colorless liquid, produced by the fermentation of sugar or starch, that is the intoxicating agent in fermented drinks
  3. Grade Point Average: is the average of all the grades you’ve gotten in school.
  4.  Absenteeism: the practice of regularly staying away from work or school without good reason.
  5. Academic: is used to describe things that relate to the work done in schools, high schools.
  6. Performance: The action or process of performing a task or function

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