Winifred Antiabong OGBONNA, Veronica Jumeyi OJOGBANE and Martina GOSHWE
Department of Guidance and Counselling, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Nigeria
Abstract
This study investigated the perceived influence of parental background on the psychological adjustment of secondary school students in Zone C Senatorial District of Benue State, Nigeria. The study specifically examined the influence on students’ self-esteem and self-concept. The research adopted an analytical survey design. A sample of 370 students was selected from a target population of 30,010 using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Data were collected using a self-designed instrument titled “Parental Background and Psychological Adjustment Questionnaire (PBAPAQ),” which demonstrated good validity and a high reliability coefficient of 0.889. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) to answer the research questions and inferential statistics (Chi-square) to test the two null hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. The findings revealed that parental background has a significant positive influence on both the self-esteem and self-concept of students. The Chi-square results further confirmed a significant perceived influence for both self-esteem (p-value = 0.00) and self-concept (p-value = 0.00), leading to the rejection of both null hypotheses. The study concludes that factors such as parental education, socioeconomic status, and involvement are crucial determinants of students’ psychological well-being. It is recommended that schools implement parental education programmes and strengthen school-parent collaboration to foster a more supportive environment for students’ holistic development.
Keywords: Parental Background, Psychological Adjustment, Self-Esteem, Self-Concept, Secondary School Students, Guidance and Counseling
How to Cite this Article: Ogbonna, W. A., Ojogbane, V. J. & Goshwe, M. (2025). Perceived Influence of Parental Background on the Psychological Adjustment of Secondary School Students in Zone C Senatorial District of Benue State, Nigeria. VillageMath Educational Review (VER), 7(1), 170-179. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17268489
