Exploring the Relationship Between Social Identity Factors and Academic Performance: Insights from Nigerian Colleges of Education

Authors

  • Stella Ochuko Akporuarho Delta State University
  • Edore Clifford Ogheneakoke Delta State University
  • Emman Osakwe Delta State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36312/e-saintika.v8i3.2151

Keywords:

Social Identity Group, Academic performance, Age, Gender, Socioeconomic status, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines the influence of social identity factors—age, gender, and socioeconomic status—on the academic performance of Social Studies students in Colleges of Education in Delta State, Nigeria. Using a correlational design, data were collected from a purposive sample of 80 students, drawn from a population of 253 across two institutions. The Social Identity Group and Academic Performance Test (SIGAPT) and an academic test were used as instruments. Data analysis was conducted using the coefficient of determination for research questions and linear regression for hypothesis testing at a 0.05 significance level, with SPSS software. The findings revealed that age significantly influences academic performance (R2=0.166), accounting for 16.6% of the variance. This underscores the importance of cognitive development and maturity associated with age in educational success. In contrast, gender and socioeconomic status showed no significant relationship with academic performance, suggesting that institutional equality measures may mitigate traditional disparities. This study contributes uniquely to the field by addressing the underexplored domain of higher education, particularly in Colleges of Education, which are critical for teacher preparation. The findings highlight the need for age-sensitive educational interventions and sustained equity-focused policies to optimize academic outcomes. These insights are valuable for educators and policymakers in fostering inclusive and effective learning environments.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ali, N., Daraz, U., Ibrahim, ., Hussain, M., Khan, Y., & Ali, S. (2024). Neighbourhood safety and academic performance: The role of student gender and family socioeconomic status. The Education and Science Journal, 26(5), 182–197. https://doi.org/10.17853/1994-5639-2024-5-182-197

Anicha, C., Bilen-Green, C., Burnette, A., Green, R., & McGeorge, C. (2020). Just UnDo It: Men Faculty Addressing Gender Inequities in Academia. ADVANCE Journal, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.5399/osu/ADVJRNL.1.2.4

Aregbesola, A., & van der Walt, T. (2024). Evidence-based strategies for effective deployment, and utilisation of new media for educational purposes by Nigerian university students. Education and Information Technologies, 29(3), 3301–3364. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11926-y

Atif, A. (2022). Relationship of age and family factors with academic performance outcome of students getting higher education. JMMC, 12(1), 64–69. https://doi.org/10.62118/jmmc.v12i1.204

Auberry, K. (2018). Increasing students’ ability to identify fake news through information literacy education and content management systems. The Reference Librarian, 59(4), 179–187. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763877.2018.1489935

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice Hall.

Bauer, G. R., Churchill, S. M., Mahendran, M., Walwyn, C., Lizotte, D., & Villa-Rueda, A. A. (2021). Intersectionality in quantitative research: A systematic review of its emergence and applications of theory and methods. SSM - Population Health, 14, 100798. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100798

Becker, J. C., & Tausch, N. (2014). When Group Memberships are Negative: The Concept, Measurement, and Behavioral Implications of Psychological Disidentification. Self and Identity, 13(3), 294–321. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2013.819991

Bhat, M. A., Joshi, J., & Wani, I. A. (2016). Effect of Socio Economic Status on Academic Performance of Secondary School Students. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 3(4), 32–37. https://doi.org/10.25215/0304.004

Brown, R. (2020). The social identity approach: Appraising the Tajfellian legacy. British Journal of Social Psychology, 59(1), 5–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12349

Brownell, S. E., Kloser, M. J., Fukami, T., & Shavelson, R. J. (2013). Context Matters: Volunteer Bias, Small Sample Size, and the Value of Comparison Groups in the Assessment of Research-Based Undergraduate Introductory Biology Lab Courses. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 14(2), 176–182. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v14i2.609

Cadenas, G. A., & Kiehne, E. (2021). The undocumented advantage: Intersectional predictors of critical consciousness and academic performance among U.S. Latinxs. Journal of Latinx Psychology, 9(4), 326–343. https://doi.org/10.1037/lat0000163

Campbell, S., Greenwood, M., Prior, S., Shearer, T., Walkem, K., Young, S., Bywaters, D., & Walker, K. (2020). Purposive sampling: Complex or simple? Research case examples. Journal of Research in Nursing, 25(8), 652–661. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987120927206

Castellanos, M., & Cole, D. (2015). Disentangling the Impact of Diversity Courses: Examining the Influence of Diversity Course Content on Students’ Civic Engagement. Journal of College Student Development, 56(8), 794–811. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2015.0089

Charness, G., & Chen, Y. (2020). Social Identity, Group Behavior, and Teams. Annual Review of Economics, 12(1), 691–713. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-economics-091619-032800

Chigbu, B. I., & Nekhwevha, F. H. (2021). High school training outcome and academic performance of first-year tertiary institution learners—Taking “Input-Environment-Outcomes model” into account. Heliyon, 7(7). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07700

Curtis, C. J. (2020). Predictors of Cognitive Skills Development Among International Students: Background Characteristics, Precollege Experiences, and Current College Experiences. Journal of International Students, 10(2), 501–526. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v10i2.253

Fateel, M. J., Mukallid, S., & Arora, B. (2021). The Interaction Between Socioeconomic Status and Preschool Education on Academic Achievement of Elementary School Students. International Education Studies, 14(8), 60. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v14n8p60

Haslam, S. A., Haslam, C., Cruwys, T., Jetten, J., Bentley, S. V., Fong, P., & Steffens, N. K. (2022). Social identity makes group-based social connection possible: Implications for loneliness and mental health. Current Opinion in Psychology, 43, 161–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.07.013

Hassan, N. C., & Sen, H. M. (2018). Relationship between Parenting Styles, Academic Performance and Socio-demographic Factors among Undergraduates at Universiti Putra Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 7(14), Pages 403-417. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v7-i14/3677

Hoy, A. W. (2019). Educational psychology: Active learning edition (Fourteenth edition). Pearson.

Ikegami, T. (2010). Precursors and Consequences of In-Group Disidentification: Status System Beliefs and Social Identity. Identity, 10(4), 233–253. https://doi.org/10.1080/15283488.2010.523590

International Labour Organization. (2023). Achieving gender equality at work. International Labour Office. https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/wcmsp5/groups/public/

%40ed_norm/%40relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_870823.pdf

Jikamshi, H. M., Dahiru, B. M., Muntari, L., & Maikaita, A. I. (2021). Metacognitive Awareness and Knowledge Acquisition Approaches among Colleges of Education Students in Nigeria. International Journal of Innovative Research and Development, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.24940/ijird/2021/v10/i1/JAN21055

Jin, R. L., Shah, C. P., & Svoboda, T. J. (1997). The Impact of Unemployment on Health: A Review of the Evidence. Journal of Public Health Policy, 18(3), 275. https://doi.org/10.2307/3343311

Jurado de los Santos, P., Moreno-Guerrero, A.-J., Marín-Marín, J.-A., & Soler Costa, R. (2020). The Term Equity in Education: A Literature Review with Scientific Mapping in Web of Science. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(10), Article 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103526

Kahando, D. M., & Mungai, E. N. (2018). Influence of Cognitive Factors on Self-Employment Intention Among Students in Technical, Vocational Education and Training in Kenya. International Journal of Business Administration, 9(5), 21. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijba.v9n5p21

Khan, A., Fazal, S., & Nazir, F. (2024). Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on Academic Performance A Gender-Based Study among University Students. Academy of Education and Social Sciences Review, 4(1), 71–81. https://doi.org/10.48112/aessr.v4i1.699

Masud, S., Mufarrih, S. H., Qureshi, N. Q., Khan, F., Khan, S., & Khan, M. N. (2019). Academic Performance in Adolescent Students: The Role of Parenting Styles and Socio-Demographic Factors – A Cross Sectional Study From Peshawar, Pakistan. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2497. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02497

Matschke, C., De Vreeze, J., & Cress, U. (2023). Social identities and the achievement gap: Incompatibility between social class background and student identity increases student disidentification, which decreases performance and leads to higher dropout rates. British Journal of Social Psychology, 62(1), 161–180. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12563

Menev?e, A., & ?eker, A. F. (2020). Investigation of unemployment anxiety levels of students in different disciplines. International Journal of Contemporary Education Studies, 6(2), Article 2.

Mustofa, M., Karya, D. F., & Halim, A. (2021). Indonesian students’ perception of gender equity in education. Pegem Journal of Education and Instruction, 11(4), 185–196. https://doi.org/10.47750/pegegog.11.04.18

Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council. (2014). National Policy on Education. Federal Ministry of Education.

Niromand, E., Salehi, A. R., Khazaei, M., & Khazaei, M. R. (2020). The Influential Factors in the Academic Achievement and Failure of Medical Students in Iran: A Review Study. Educational Research in Medical Sciences, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.5812/erms.105860

O’Donnell, S. C., & Oyserman, D. (2023). Apt and actionable possible identities matter: The case of academic outcomes. Journal of Adolescence, 95(2), 354–371. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12118

Olalekan, A. B. (2016). Influence of Peer Group Relationship on the Academic Performance of Students in Secondary Schools (A Case Study of Selected Secondary Schools in Atiba Local Government Area of Oyo State). Global Journal of Human-Social Science, 16(A4), 37–40.

Omona, J. (2013). Sampling in Qualitative Research: Improving the Quality of Research Outcomes in Higher Education. Makerere Journal of Higher Education, 4(2), 169–185. https://doi.org/10.4314/majohe.v4i2.4

Oyserman, D., & Destin, M. (2010). Identity-Based Motivation: Implications for Intervention. The Counseling Psychologist, 38(7), 1001–1043. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000010374775

Rahman, S., Munam, A. M., Hossain, A., Hossain, A. S. M. D., & Bhuiya, R. A. (2023). Socio-economic factors affecting the academic performance of private university students in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional bivariate and multivariate analysis. SN Social Sciences, 3(2), 26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-023-00614-w

Razak, F. A., Baharun, N., Deraman, N. A., & Ismail, N. R. P. (2018). Assessing students’ abilities in interpreting the correlation and regression analysis. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, 9(5S), 644. https://doi.org/10.4314/jfas.v9i5s.45

Ross, S. N. (2013). Examining the Role of Facilitated Conflict on Student Learning Outcomes in a Diversity Education Course. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2013.070109

Rumjaun, A., & Narod, F. (2020). Social Learning Theory—Albert Bandura. In B. Akpan & T. J. Kennedy (Eds.), Science Education in Theory and Practice (pp. 85–99). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43620-9_7

Spears, R. (2021). Social Influence and Group Identity. Annual Review of Psychology, 72(1), 367–390. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-070620-111818

Stewart, T. J. (2019). “Where We Are, Resistance Lives”: Black Women, Social Media, and Everyday Resistance in Higher Education. JCSCORE, 5(2), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2642-2387.2019.5.2.1-31

Suryathi, N. W., Gorda, A. A. N. O. S., Sunariani, N. N., Sumantri, I. G. A. N. A., Aditya, G. N. I. A., Indraswari, I. G. A. A. P., & Putra, I. G. A. C. S. (2022). Factors affecting the performance of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Denpasar. International Research Journal of Management, IT and Social Sciences, 9(5), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.21744/irjmis.v9n5.2173

Sykes, B. L., Verma, A., & Hancock, B. H. (2018). Aligning sampling and case selection in quantitative-qualitative research designs: Establishing generalizability limits in mixed-method studies. Ethnography, 19(2), 227–253. https://doi.org/10.1177/1466138117725341

Tabit, M., Legault, L., Ma, W., & Wan, K. P. (2015). In search of best practices for multicultural education: Empirical evidence from the Forum BEVI project. In C. N. Shealy (Ed.), Making Sense of Beliefs and Values: Theory, Research, and Practice. Springer Publishing Company.

Tajfel, H. (1974). Social identity and intergroup behaviour. Social Science Information, 13(2), 65–93. https://doi.org/10.1177/053901847401300204

Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (2004). The Social Identity Theory of Intergroup Behavior. In J. T. Jost & J. Sidanius (Eds.), Political Psychology (0 ed., pp. 276–293). Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203505984-16

Taylor, K. B. (2016). Diverse and Critical Perspectives on Cognitive Development Theory. New Directions for Student Services, 2016(154), 29–41. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20173

Trisatya, A. A., & Absah, Y. (2022). The Effect of Consumer Ethnocentrism on Purchase Intention of Indonesian Local Fashion Brands. 887–895. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-008-4_111

Veldman, J., Meeussen, L., & Van Laar, C. (2019). A social identity perspective on the social-class achievement gap: Academic and social adjustment in the transition to university. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 22(3), 403–418. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430218813442

Verkuyten, M., Thijs, J., & Gharaei, N. (2019). Discrimination and academic (dis)engagement of ethnic-racial minority students: A social identity threat perspective. Social Psychology of Education, 22(2), 267–290. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-018-09476-0

Vuletich, H. A., Kurtz-Costes, B., Bollen, K. A., & Rowley, S. J. (2019). A longitudinal study of the domain-generality of African American students’ causal attributions for academic success. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(3), 459–474. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000299

Vuong, Q. H., La, V.-P., Ho, M.-T., & Hoang Phuong, H. (2019). Social Disparities and Gender Gap in STEM Learning: Insights From a Cultural Landscape. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3461854

Wehlburg, C. (2011). A Scholarly Approach to Assessing Learning. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2011.050202

Williams, Q., Williams, B. M., & Brown, L. C. (2022). Exploring Black girl magic: Identity development of Black first-gen college women. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 15(4), 466–479. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000294

Zacher, H., Esser, L., Bohlmann, C., & Rudolph, C. W. (2019). Age, Social Identity and Identification, and Work Outcomes: A Conceptual Model, Literature Review, and Future Research Directions. Work, Aging and Retirement, 5(1), 24–43. https://doi.org/10.1093/workar/way005

Zamiri, M., & Esmaeili, A. (2024). Methods and Technologies for Supporting Knowledge Sharing within Learning Communities: A Systematic Literature Review. Administrative Sciences, 14(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14010017

Downloads

Published

2024-11-20

How to Cite

Akporuarho, S. O., Ogheneakoke, E. C., & Osakwe, E. (2024). Exploring the Relationship Between Social Identity Factors and Academic Performance: Insights from Nigerian Colleges of Education. Jurnal Penelitian Dan Pengkajian Ilmu Pendidikan: E-Saintika, 8(3), 373–394. https://doi.org/10.36312/e-saintika.v8i3.2151

Issue

Section

Original Research Article

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 5 6 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.