CHAPTER ONE

1.0  Introduction

1.1  Background of Study

Adolescent problems in academic performance in mathematics secondary schools in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State had been the concern of specialists from among different disciplines for a number of years. Educational psychological and medical services for the mentally slow learners, emotionally disturbed and students with general problem have been offered through the various school Local and state government. Education boards assistants including private organisation and agencies.

The term adolescent is derived from a Latin word adolescence meaning “to grow up” or to grow to maturity. Today in common usage, the term adolescence is used to refer to the period of transition in the life cycle of man from childhood to adulthood. It is the period that gives the child the time and the opportunity to learn to behave as to become an adult Landies (1914) sees adolescence as the period when the individual is in the process of transfer from the independent, irresponsible age of childhood to self reliant responsible age of adulthood. It is a period from puberty to maturity and begins roughly from about eleven and last up to eighteen years. This period of adolescence is usually ushered in by puberty, a term derived from the Latin word “pubertal” meaning “age of manhood” puberty can thus be referred to the time in life cycle when the reproductive organs have developed sufficiently for the individual to become capable of reproduction.

The period of adolescence is essentially marked by rapid and equal profound changes in the physical, psychological cognitive, perceptual and psychosocial development of human beings. This sufficient changes tremendously affect the behaviour and emotional pattern to the extent that the ado becomes rebellious, easily upset, confused and sometimes even turbulent. Stanley hall, the onetime chairman of the American Psychological association describe this turbulent, approximately as the age of “storm and stress” or the age of great ideas. This is the on which this project research was carried out.

Ado is also a very important period in the human cycle. Ado constitute more than fifty percent of the population of most countries in the world.

There are four aspects which appear to be important in the personality and social development of the adolescent. We have sex-role adjustment, the growth of attachment (the attachment and maintenance of peer relationship) the establishment (i.e. the display of detachment) and the determination of a vocational. The peer group is very important during adolescent than any stage of development most probably because the adolescent is seeking during this period to be independent from his parents, this may explain the increase attachment to or peer group influence over the period facet of the adolescent’s development.

Hurlock (1980) points out hat adolescent spent most of his time outside the home with member of the peer group and they have greater influence on his attitudes, interest, value and behaviour than his family has. If his friend experiment with alcohol or drugs for example, he is likely to do same.

Homocks and Bermimoff (2007) also pointed out that the peer group is the adolescent real world, providing him a stage upon which to try out himself and others. It is in the peer group that he contrives to formulate and reserve and reverse the concepts of self.

It is here that he is evaluated by others are presumably his equal and who are unable to impose upon him the adult world sanctions from which he is typically struggling to free himself. Thus, it is the society of peer group is the major recreational output of the teenager (ppi).

Many developmental psychologists have made valuable contributions to unveil the uniqueness of this adolescent period. Some theories of adolescent development have been programmed among these we have: “Gessels” theory, this theory emphasizes different things that appear in the adolescent from year to year. He states them thus:

10 years old: the child is stable, well adjusted to his family and all together fond on company. He is super sensible to the fairness of adult authority. He prefers with his sex.

Eleven years old: he is moody, quarrelsome, rebellious, and argumentative.

12 years old: more sensible and tolerant than he was at eleven years. He is concern with social recognition and more interested in opposite sex.

Thirteen years old: he is critical of himself and his family in line with rapidly changing body, and structure and body chemistry, he is more tense and aware of himself.

14 years old: he shows introversion and frequently enthusiastic. He is self confident and more at ease with himself, develops ego, ideas identify closely with his heroes from literatures and politics

15 years old: he shows increased tension, hostility and rebellious against authority, he is self conscious perfectionist. He is now eager to move away from home and disassociate himself with family and authority.

16 years old: there is evidence of emotional integration and stability. He is well socially adjusted in doing a lot of things.

Sigmund Freud states that the adolescent period which begins at puberty is a period of the infertile reawakening. The child now pays more attention to sexual organs, there is pleasure in relationship with the opposite sex. That this is the major source of anxiety, the adolescent problems stems from sexuality. The storm and stress as characteristics of this period area caused by the attention on sexuality and heterosexual relationship. In summary therefore, Freud theory emphasis that tension and stress experienced by the adolescent as a result to attention towards sexuality.

1.2  Statement of Problem

It is a concern to teachers that their students performance well at school after they have been taught the academic performance among adolescent in secondary school in Warri South Local Government Area has been however the years.

1.3  Research Questions

The study aims at the adolescent problem in academic performance in mathematics in secondary school students in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State so specifically the research question should be the following:

1. What is the extent of the relationship between the adolescent problem and the academic performance in mathematics?
2. What is the relationship between sex of adolescent problem and the academic performance in mathematics?  
3. What is the relationship between location of adolescent problem and academic performance in mathematics

1.4  Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested:

Ho1: there is no significant relationship between adolescent problem and academic performance in mathematics

Ho2: there is no significant relationship between sex of adolescent problem and academic performance of students in mathematics

Ho3: there is no significant relationship between the location of adolescent problem and academic performance in mathematics

1.5  Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to investigate into adolescent problem as they relate into academic performance in mathematics. Specifically the study will be:

1. Identifying the relationship between sex of adolescent problem and academic performance in mathematics
2. Determine the relationship between location of adolescent problem and academic performance in mathematics

1.6  Operational Definition of Terms

Performance: a particular response at a particular time in a particular task

Academic: teaching, studying in a school, college, etc. and all necessary process involve in learning is academic.

Emotions: a strong feeling of any kind

Slow learner: not quick or fast in learning or not acting and responding immediately

Heterosexual: normally sexually attracted to by the opposite sex

Marijuana: drug, leave and flower of Indian hemp smoked in cigar to reduce and induce euphoria

Adolescent: passing from childhood to adulthood

Pare-marital sex: sex before marriage.

Drug abuse: taking drug without doctors’ prescription not considering the injury to health

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