Psycho-Social Variables as Correlates of Academic Resilience among Underachieving Senior Secondary School Students in South-West, Nigeria

In recent times, it has been observed that many of the rated intelligent students have lost their intelligence to academic rigours and challenges associated with education. This has culminated in the decline of students’ academic performance even among intelligent students. The eventful situation created interest in the examination of psycho-social variables (academic locus of control, academic self-efficacy and parental influence) as correlates of academic resilience of under-achieving Senior Secondary School (SSS) students in Southwest, Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design of the correlational type. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used in selecting twelve Local Government Areas (LGA) out of one hundred and thirty seven LGAs that made up the six states in Southwest, while sixty public secondary schools were selected from the twelve LGAs. Students’ Cumulative Academic Performance Record (JSS3 and SSI) scores were employed in identifying and recruiting three thousand, two hundred and ninety students (males = 1726, i = 14.72, SD = 5.33; females: 1564, F =14.95, SD = 2.37). Four outcome measures were used for data collection: Academic Resilience Scale (a = 0.80); Locus of Control Scale (a = 0.75); Self-efficacy Scale (a = 0.69); Parental Influence Scale (a = 0.86). Pearson product moment correlation was used for data analysis. Self-efficacy, locus of control and parental influence were potent correlates of academic resilience among under-achieving senior secondary students. Therefore, these variables should be taken into cognizance by counselling psychologists, teachers, school administrators and parents in improving students’ academic achievement.