AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECT OF PARENTS TRANSFER ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF THE LEARNER'S IN RIVERS STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1Background of the Study

Education is the most valuable gift that parents can provide to their children all over the globe, regardless of where they live. A parent striving to maximize their children's potential while not investing in their education is equivalent to a virgin wanting to give birth while not being deflowered and this is not an exaggeration in any way. Everything is an illusion, a futile journey. This is due to the fact that education is essential to the development of any child, as well as the development of a nation or community. Numerous elements, such as family dynamics, school settings, socioeconomic situations, and mobility, have an impact on learners' academic success. The impact of parental work transfers, which force families to relocate, on children's educational outcomes is one topic of significant attention. Parental transfer describes circumstances in which one or both parents move to a different place for job or other personal reasons. This frequently upsets the stability of the family and has an effect on the education of their children. Parental relocation can affect a child's academic path in both positive and bad ways. On the one hand, it provides chances for learners to be exposed to diverse learning settings, cultures, and educational systems, which may enhance their knowledge and experience (Smith, 2020). On the other hand, these changes typically bring about major disruptions. Studies show that moving around a lot is associated with worse academic performance, emotional instability, and trouble adjusting to new school environments (Hayden, 2018). Regularly moving parents might make it difficult for their kids to build strong peer relationships, which are crucial for emotional support and learning continuity.The psychological and emotional strain of relocation is one of the key elements affecting students' academic achievement in situations when parents move. Children must frequently leave familiar surroundings, such as friends, instructors, and routines, when they relocate. Feelings of loneliness, unease, and annoyance might result from this sudden transition. McCarthy and Jones (2019) discovered that kids with high mobility are more likely to experience anxiety and despair, which has a detrimental effect on their ability to think and feel in school. Additionally, students may fall behind academically due to the stress of adjusting to a new school environment, particularly if the curriculum are different from what they are used to. Furthermore, Parental transfer also has a significant impact on social adjustment. Peer interactions provide a great deal of emotional stability and support for children, especially teenagers. The capacity of the students to concentrate and perform well in class may suffer when these relationships are broken up by moving. It takes time to socially integrate into a new peer group, and during that time academic performance may suffer. Many students may find it difficult to adjust to a new school setting due to a lack of established support structures, which might hinder their overall academic success (Williams, 2021). In addition, transfers of parents have an impact on the continuation of schooling. Learning gaps are sometimes caused by switching schools, either because of curricular inconsistencies or disparities in academic calendars. When transferring across educational systems, a student may come across unfamiliar courses, grading schemes, and educational philosophies, which might be confusing and take some getting used to (Khan, 2020). These differences might have a negative impact on academic performance, especially if the new school does not provide enough assistance to close the learning gap. Academic achievement is greatly influenced by parental participation in a child's schooling. However, parents' ability to consistently fund their children's education may be limited by repeated relocations brought about by transfers. Stress from job changes and relocation can also affect parents, making it harder for them to be fully involved in their kids' education. According to a 2019 study by Green, students whose parents move around a lot report believing that their parents are less involved in their education, which has an impact on their performance and engagement in the classroom.  Therefore the researcher seeks to investigate the effect of parents transfer on academic performance of the learner's in Rivers State.

1.2Statement of the Problem

Frequent parent moves, frequently as a result of job relocations, have been found to be a possible factor that has a detrimental impact on children' academic achievement. Students who move around a lot have a variety of emotional, social, and intellectual difficulties that make it difficult for them to continue making steady academic progress. Even though schooling is vital to a child's entire development, students who are forced to adjust to new schools after being uprooted from familiar surroundings may experience difficulties that jeopardise their academic performance. Among the main problems are emotional strain brought on by being cut off from long-established social networks, challenges in acclimating to new academic programs, and possible institutional support deficiencies that leave kids struggling to adjust to the change. In addition, kids in these circumstances could feel socially isolated, which might result in a drop in classroom engagement, a decrease in self-worth, and a decrease in academic motivation. Schools may make an effort to help, but the problem is made more difficult by the disparities in institutional reaction to student transfers. The topic of parental transfer and its impacts on students' academic performance has not gotten enough attention in educational policy, which is surprising considering how important stability is for academic achievement.Hence, this study investigate the effect of parents transfer on academic performance of the learner's in Rivers State.

1.3Objective of the Study

The broad objective of the study is to investigate the effect of parents transfer on academic performance of the learner's in Rivers State. The specific objectives is as follows:

To examine the extent to which parent job type influence the academic performances of learners.

To investigate the factors responsible for parents getting a transfer

To analyze the effect of parents transfer on the academic performance of learners.

To find out the challenges learners face after moving to a new school due to their parent been transferred.

1.4Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

What is the extent to which parent job type influence the academic performances of learners?

What are the factors responsible for parents getting a transfer?

What is  the effect of parents transfer on the academic performance of learners?

What are the challenges learners face after moving to a new school due to their parent been transferred?

1.5Significance of the Study

Parents and Guardians: The study will reveal the emotional and academic challenges their children face when subjected to frequent relocations. This understanding will help parents and guardians make more informed decisions regarding their careers and relocations, considering the potential academic implications for their children. It will also encourage them to provide additional emotional and academic support to help their children cope.

The study will be significant to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature, add to library resources and serve as a guide to future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study focus on the effect of parents transfer on academic performance of the learner's in Rivers State. Empirically, the study will examine the extent to which parent job type influence the academic performances of learners, investigate the factors responsible for parents getting a transfer, analyze the effect of parents transfer on the academic performance of learners and find out the challenges learners face after moving to a new school due to their parent been transferred.

Geographically, the study  will be delimited to Rivers state.

1.7Limitation of the Study

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, and interview), which is why the researcher resorted to a moderate choice of sample size. More so, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.

1.8Definition of Terms

Parent: a person's father or mother.

Transfer: move from one place to another.

Academic performance: the measurement of student achievement across various academic subjects

Learner: a person who is learning a subject or skill.

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