EFFECT OF MARRIED LIFE ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF MARRIED FEMALE STUDENTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTION

1.1 Introduction

The term marriage is an integral part of human necessities for fulfilling the biological, social, sexual and psychological needs of couples (Eskridge, 2014). Married Female students in Nigeria have to follow their Tertiary Institution's lectures, attend classes, give seminars, take part in class projects, prepare for the exams, cook at home, take care of their children and the family, do the chores and work to support their life. They are expected to achieve the same grade as unmarried students at Afghan universities and there is no special consideration for them as mothers (Burridge et al., 2016). In most cases, they bear babies during their university time and maintain their responsibilities at home, which affect their achievement at the university. Students who pursue their higher education face many problems (Zusman, 2005).

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

In Nigeria, some of the students are already married before they are admitted to the universities, which creates problems for them and their families because married female students have to have several responsibilities. Amos and Manieson (2015) studied issues and challenges of married female students in tertiary education. Through qualitative research, they interviewed 30 married students at the Education University of Winneba and found that the students faced different problems combining home responsibilities with their education.

Ali (2011) studied the problems of women in career development and found that most of the women were not satisfied in their workplace because family responsibilities hindered them from achieving their working targets. Cherlin (2004) stated that married female students have faced challenges to manage several tasks at a time and they felt that education was stressful for them.

Ngonyani (2020) studied the causing factors of low achieving married female students and found that the female students faced several problems during their study at the university such as limited access to electricity, early marriage, instructors’ negative perceptions about female students and handling both home and university activities. As a result, these problems have negatively affected their achievement at the university.

For many young girls in developing countries, marriage is perceived as a means of securing and protecting their future. Girls are forced into marriage while still schooling by their families while they are still children in the hope that marriage will yield them returns financially and socially without considering the negative effect it will bring to the students’ academic (Shobba, 2009). On the contrary, marriage while schooling violates the rights of the female students with negative implications. It compromises their overall development, leaving them socially isolated with little or no education, skills and opportunities for employment and self-realization. These conditions ultimately make married female students susceptible to poor academic performance. These married female students are required to do a disproportionate amount of chores, which includes new roles and responsibilities as wives and mothers. The young bride’s status in the family is frequently dependent on her, demonstrating their fertility often within the first year of her marriage. At this time, she is not psychologically, emotionally and physiologically prepared for these roles. Additionally, this married female students are made responsible for the care and well-being of future generations while still children themselves. Young mothers with no decision-making powers, restricted mobility and no economic resources are likely to transmit this vulnerability to their kids. Therefore, marriage of female students while still schooling directly compounds to feminization of poor academic performance and intergenerational poverty.

Marriage of female student still in school leads to early pregnancy and motherhood, which adversely affects the education of girls in schools. Inspite of the recognition of women education, there are many barriers in the way of women to get higher education and contribute their maximum impact to the betterment of the society. The mindset of the society does not allow girls for higher education in that, it promotes gender inequality and ensures prioritization of economic resources for boy-child (ren). They get fewer opportunities not only in education, but also in all facets of life (Daraz, 2012). Studies conducted by Goldien (2007) revealed that many young married female students face many problems and leave their education uncompleted due to different social and cultural factors. Even if they are fortunate to complete their education, their performance is abysmally poor. This termination of education and abysmal poor performance in their studies is the outcome of the challenges encountered when combining education with their responsibilities as home-keepers in their families.

Therefore, in Sokoto State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Effect of Married Life on the Academic Performance of Married Female Students in Tertiary Institution.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that the financial constraint was the major challenge to female’s education and most of conservative families invested on the education of their male children. Unprepared female students getting married are a symbol of poor orientation. Throughout the world, marriage is regarded as a moment of celebration and milestone in one’s life. Sadly, the practice of female students getting married involves the deprivation of educational success.

Married female students faced different problems in Nigeria such as being late to the classes, lack of encouragement, social pressure and poor academic achievement (Khazaei et al., 2011). Young married females are robbed of their youthfulness and required to take on roles, they are not emotionally prepared for. Majority of the young female students have no choice about the timing of marriage or about their partner. Some are coerced into marriage, while others are too tender to make an informed decision. Premature marriage deprives them of the opportunity for personal development as well as their rights to full reproductive health, wellbeing, education and participation in civil life.

There has been consensus in literature that marriage of girls still in school disrupts, disturbs and distorts the academic performance and well-being of female students, but these does not imply that all married female students perform poorly in education. Marriage while still in school poses great threat to the academic performance and well-being of students coerced into it. Poor attendance to class, limited time to read and study, digressed focus from academics to families’ welfare, withdrawal at times and poor time management. All these challenges have been identified in existing literature as the Effect of Married Life on the Academic Performance of Married Female Students in Tertiary Institution.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the Effect of Married Life on the Academic Performance of Married Female Students in Tertiary Institution using Biga College of Education, Sokoto as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To examine the educational effects of marriage on the academic performance of female students in the area under study;
2. To identify the possible reasons why female students get married while still schooling in the area under study; and
3. To investigate the non-educational effects of marriage on the academic performance of female students in the area under study.

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1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• What are the educational effects of marriage on the academic performance of female students in the area under study?
• What is the possible reasons why female students get married while still schooling in the area under study?
• What are the non-educational effects of marriage on the academic performance of female students in the area under study?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: There is no significant difference between the effects of marriage on academic performance and well-being of female students in the area under study
• H1: There is significant difference between the effects of marriage on academic performance and well-being of female students in the area under study

Hypothesis Two

• H0: There is no educational effect of marriage on the academic performance of female students in the area under study
• H1: There is educational effect of marriage on the academic performance of female students in the area under study

Hypothesis Three

• H0: There is no significant reason why female students get married while still schooling in the area under study
• H1: There is significant reason why female students get married while still schooling in the area under study

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1.7 Significance of Study

Firstly, female students will gain from this study by learning that education is the only way to achieving greater goals in life, and this will help them in correcting the instability that had existed in girl’s education.

Secondly, government, both the Federal, State and Local levels will gain from this study by realizing from this study that funds, higher access education, poverty easing programs should be made available for education at all levels.

Thirdly, educators, educational planners, the general public will gain from this study by learning that girls are in no way inferior to men, they also gain by learning how to educate, guide and counsel girls in career choices of educational courses.

Finally, this study will also be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Effect of Married Life on the Academic Performance of Married Female Students in Tertiary Institution using Biga College of Education, Sokoto as a case study.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends 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).

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1.10 Definition of Terms

Education: Education is defined as the process of easing learning, or the learning of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. It is the gradual process of acquiring knowledge and it is a preparation for life.

Marriage: This is legally or formally recognized as the union of two people as partner in a personal relationship (historically and in some jurisdiction specifically a union between a man and a woman)