SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS AS CORRELATES WITH ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ANAMBRA STATE

This study examined socioeconomic status as correlate with academic engagement among secondary school students in Anambra State. The study was guided by two research objectives, and two hypotheses were tested at the 0.05 level of significance. A correlational research design was adopted for this study. The study area was public senior secondary schools in Anambra State. The study population comprised 11,195 students, while the sample of this study comprised 527 teachers as respondents. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire structured by the researcher after an extensive literature review. The questionnaire was distributed to the respondents, and 507 copies were completed and returned for analysis. The mean, standard deviation, paired sample, and independent t-test were used for data analysis. The following findings were revealed: parental academic achievement correlates with academic engagement among secondary school students in Anambra State; parental income level correlates with academic engagement among secondary school students in Anambra State; and there is an urgent need for government intervention to address the systemic inequities that limit the academic engagement of students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. The equitable allocation of resources must be prioritized to ensure that all students, irrespective of their socioeconomic status, have access to a quality education. Initiatives such as after-school tutoring, mentorship programs, nutritional support schemes, and parent engagement workshops can help mitigate the effects of SED.