INFLUENCE OF DRUG ABUSE ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

The misuse of drugs is referred to as drug abuse. It has long been hypothesized that this conduct explains why pupils’ academic performance has suffered. The study’s goals were to “critically analyze” if drug addiction affects academic performance and “explore” whether students do better while using drugs. And to educate students about available local resources, policies, and tactics for dealing with drug usage. Recently, it has been noted that a substantial proportion of pupils develop drug dependencies. In an effort to comprehend how drug exposure affects student performance, a research of the effects of drug usage on academic performance was started. Utilizing a survey trend approach, the study was quantitatively designed. It entailed doing one-on-one interviews and using questionnaires. Quantitative findings demonstrated that, in contrast to what might seem to be the general expectation, students who abuse drugs do not perform well in their academic pursuits.

Chapter one

Introduction

1.1Background of the study

Drug abuse refers to the use of illegal substances as well as the abuse of legally obtained medications. We will define “drug misuse as the use of a drug for a non-therapeutic effect” for the sake of this study. Alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, methaqualone, opium alkaloids, synthetic opiates, and heroin are a few of the substances that are most frequently misused. In addition to potential physical, social, and psychological harm, use of these drugs may result in criminal penalties, which strongly vary on local law.

Drug abuse can result in physical dependence or psychological addiction, as well as health issues, social issues, morbidity, injuries, unprotected sex, violence, deaths, car accidents, homicides, and suicides. In addition, it causes social isolation and physiological changes in brain chemistry.

The majority of people in our modern culture, notably teenagers and secondary school students, utilize drugs for a variety of reasons. World Health Organization (WHO) lists five fundamental reasons why young people might be lured to drugs in Awake! April (2003). They want to be accepted, feel like adults and be able to make their own decisions, unwind and feel good, take risks and rebel, and finally, they want to pique their curiosity. According to Okoh (1978), Oduaran (1979), and Johnson (1979), other factors that contribute to young individuals abusing drugs include boldness, friend or peer pressure, enjoyment of social interactions, sound sleep, sexual prowess, and athletic proficiency.

Additionally, the problem with academic achievement is not an exception to the aforementioned causes. Some people believe that using drugs is a stimulant that energizes or improves academic performance (Ebele, 2005). According to Njama (2004), drug usage continues to claim lives despite the consequences that are well acknowledged. This is because according to them, substances like Indian hemp, cocaine, cigarettes, alcohol, etc., are memory enhancers.

There are many different effects of drug usage. Drug misuse poses a risk to the entire society as well as to people who use drugs directly. It causes physiological brain chemistry distortion, poor academic performance, memory loss, and the majority of deviant behavior and failure among today’s pupils and the general population. They not only disrupt the social atmosphere, but they also deprive society of the contributions they would have made to social life. In light of this, the purpose of this study is to determine how drug misuse affects students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Ibadan.

Scarpatti and Anderson (1989) are of the view that drugs, affects the entire system of the abusers and addicts, especially the Central Nervous System (CNS) thereby altering their behaviour, emotional states, physical responses and reaction some of which may constitute a threat to both the abusers or addicts and the environment in which they live.

1.2   Statement of Problem

Knowing the detrimental consequences drug misuse has on their academic performance, such as physiological changes in brain chemistry, memory loss, subpar academic performance, and disobedience to parents and teachers, kids are generally not supposed to participate in drug abuse. Students are therefore urged to establish positive habits and behaviors and to study without using drugs with this concept in mind.

Therefore, it is shown that students who consume drugs have poor academic performance due to absences from class, late homework, absenteeism from school and extracurricular activities, memory loss, and involvement in vices.

1.3   Purpose of the Study

Specifically, the study is designed to:

1. Ibadan.

1.5   Research Hypothesis

The following null hypotheses are articulated to guide this research:

1. .
2. Drug abuse does not significantly influence the academic performance of secondary school students in Ibadan.

1.6   Research Assumptions

The following assumptions are articulated in the pursuit of this study:

1. Drug abuse has a connection of link with poor academic performance, memory loss and missed classes.
2. At secondary school level, students abuse drugs due to certain reasons they may want to fulfill at all costs.
3. The test instruments are correctly used to assess the degree of drug abuse by students and it influence on their academic performance.
4. There will be adequate result obtained from students where the research was carried-out.

1.7   Significance of the Study

1. The study will be significant for the school administrators to provide drug education in the schools.
2. It will also be significant to both students and their teachers who will see the need to avoid drug abuse.

iii.     The study could also contribute meaningfully to the knowledge bank in the field of education. That is to say, academic standard and performance will be energized, realized and possible improvement being made.

1. Also, deviant behaviour, which should have been a by-product of this phenomenon, will be curtailed. This research will also help parents, on effect of drug abuse on learning and thereby enabling them to guide children against such behaviour.
2. It will also be useful to the ministry of education in the policy-making against drug abuse in the educational sector especially secondary school level.

1.8   Limitation of the Study

Results and findings in this research were valid only to the extent that:

1. Students’ failure to respond to all the items in the questionnaire as required by the researcher.
2. The researcher observed that most students do not respond to the questionnaire independently.
3. The non-encouraging attitude of the students tends to hinder the finding of this study. Thus, the questionnaires were not turn-in in the exact number it was released.
4. Influenced by the thought that the researcher could be a security agent, the respondents could not sincerely respond to the items on the questionnaire as it concern their drug related habit.

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