Abstract

This study determined family background as correlates of students’ academic achievement in business education programme in tertiary institutions in South East, Nigeria. The study employed four specific objectives, four research questions guided the study and four hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a correlational survey design. The population of the study comprised 1191 year two (2) and three (3) Business Education Students from public tertiary institutions offering business education in South East, Nigeria. A sample size of four hundred and eighty (480) business education students were selected using stratified random sampling technique. Instruments for data collection were structured questionnaire titled “family Background Questionnaire” and Achievement Test in Business Education developed by the researcher. The instruments were validated by three experts in Business Education and Measurement and Evaluation from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam Campus. The reliability of the family background questionnaire was determined using Cronbach Coefficient Alpha to measure the internal consistency of the instrument, yielded correlation coefficient value of 0.83 while the reliability of Business education achievement test was established using Kuder Richardson 20 and coefficient value of 0.80 was obtained. Data collected were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient to answer the research questions while Linear Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The strength of the relationship was established using Cresswell correlation coefficient. Findings of this study revealed that there is moderate positive and significant relationship between family size and parental incomeand strong positive and significant relationship between parents’ occupation and parent’s educational status and students’academic achievement in business education. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that family background correlates with students’ academic achievement in business education programme in tertiary institutions in South East, Nigeria. It was therefore, recommended among others that government should sensitize parents on the effect of large family size on academic achievement of students.