Home / Current Issue / Paper 1718252
A Multilevel Regression Analysis of Socioeconomic Factors Affecting Secondary School Students’ Academic Achievement
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Multilevel Regression Analysis
DOI: 10.64388/IREV7I12-1718252
Abstract
This study examined the influence of socioeconomic factors on secondary school students’ academic achievement using a multilevel regression framework. Academic achievement among secondary school students has remained a major concern in many developing countries, particularly Nigeria, where disparities in parental income, educational background, and school resources continue to widen achievement gaps. Traditional regression models often ignore the hierarchical structure of educational data, where students are nested within schools. This study employed multilevel regression analysis to account for both student-level and school-level variations in academic performance. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Data were collected from 1,200 students drawn from 30 secondary schools through stratified random sampling. Students’ academic achievement was measured using standardized examination scores, while socioeconomic variables included parental income, parental education, occupation, family size, access to learning materials, and school infrastructure indicators. Descriptive statistics, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and two-level hierarchical linear models were employed for analysis. Results showed that parental education, household income, availability of textbooks, internet access, and school infrastructure significantly influenced students’ academic achievement. Approximately 21% of the variation in academic performance occurred between schools, while 79% occurred within schools. The findings emphasize the importance of targeted educational policies aimed at reducing socioeconomic inequalities and improving school learning environments. The study recommends increased government intervention in educational funding, scholarship schemes for low-income families, and improved infrastructure in public secondary schools.
Keywords
Academic Achievement, Socioeconomic Status, Multilevel Regression, Hierarchical Linear Model, Secondary Education, Nigeria.
References
[1] Adetola, M.A. & Adesina, R.I. (2023). Socio-Economic Status and Academic Achievement of Undergraduates in Southwestern Nigeria. Canadian Journal of Educational and Social Studies, 6(1). DOI: 10.53103/cjess.v6i1.408[12].
[2] Akay, E. & Karadağ, E. (2019). Multilevel Analyses of Student, Parent, and School Indicators of Achievement in High School Transition in Turkey. School Community Journal, 29(2), 31–50[8].
[3] Azubuike, O.B., Browne, W.J. & Leckie, G.B. (2024). State and wealth inequalities in foundational literacy and numeracy skills of secondary school-aged children in Nigeria: A multilevel analysis. International Journal of Educational Development, 110, 1–13[6].
[4] Coleman, J. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital.
[5] Enelamah, N.V., Lombe, M., Betancourt, T.S., Williams, D.R., & Shen, C. (2023). Variations in risk, resilience, and protective factors for cognitive and socioemotional development among 3- to 4-year-old children in Nigeria: A multilevel modeling. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 64, 162–173[5].
[6] Hanushek, E. (2016). School resources and student achievement.
[7] UNESCO (2024). Nigeria: Education Country Brief. International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA)[1][3]. (UNESCO KIX Hub brief on Nigerian education indicators.)
[8] UNESCO GEM (2022). Out-of-school numbers are growing in sub-Saharan Africa. Global Education Monitoring Report (news alert, December 2022)[2].
[9] National Population Commission (NPC) & Federal Ministry of Education (FME), Nigeria (2015). 2015 Nigeria Education Data Survey (NEDS). Abuja, Nigeria[11]. (Household survey report providing education data.)
[10] EDOREN Nigeria (2014). Inequalities in access to schooling – Evidence from Nigeria. Education Data Research and Evaluation in Nigeria (EDOREN) report[7].
[11] Anderson, C.J. (2021). Introduction to Hierarchical Linear Models/Multilevel Analysis. University of Illinois lecture notes[10]. (Defines multilevel modeling for nested data.)
How to cite this paper
@article{1718252,
author = {Kayode, Olarewaju Joseph, Omotoso Saliu Adewole},
title = {A Multilevel Regression Analysis of Socioeconomic Factors Affecting Secondary School Students’ Academic Achievement},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2024},
volume = {7},
number = {12},
pages = {817-819},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1718252.pdf},
abstract = {This study examined the influence of socioeconomic factors on secondary school students’ academic achievement using a multilevel regression framework. Academic achievement among secondary school students has remained a major concern in many developing countries, particularly Nigeria, where disparities in parental income, educational background, and school resources continue to widen achievement gaps. Traditional regression models often ignore the hierarchical structure of educational data, where students are nested within schools. This study employed multilevel regression analysis to account for both student-level and school-level variations in academic performance. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Data were collected from 1,200 students drawn from 30 secondary schools through stratified random sampling. Students’ academic achievement was measured using standardized examination scores, while socioeconomic variables included parental income, parental education, occupation, family size, access to learning materials, and school infrastructure indicators. Descriptive statistics, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and two-level hierarchical linear models were employed for analysis. Results showed that parental education, household income, availability of textbooks, internet access, and school infrastructure significantly influenced students’ academic achievement. Approximately 21% of the variation in academic performance occurred between schools, while 79% occurred within schools. The findings emphasize the importance of targeted educational policies aimed at reducing socioeconomic inequalities and improving school learning environments. The study recommends increased government intervention in educational funding, scholarship schemes for low-income families, and improved infrastructure in public secondary schools.},
keywords = {Academic Achievement, Socioeconomic Status, Multilevel Regression, Hierarchical Linear Model, Secondary Education, Nigeria.},
month = {June},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV7I12-1718252}
}