Project Abstract

<p> <em>This study investigated the parental influence and cultural beliefs as correlate of secondary school attitude and achievement in chemistry The study employed a Correlational research method. An instrument titled Parental Influence and Cultural Beliefs as Correlate of Secondary School Girls Attitude and Achievement in Chemistry &nbsp; (PICBCSSGATAC) was used to collect relevant data for the study. The ten secondary schools involved were selected based on stratified random sampling technique and the statistical package of social sciences (SPSS) &nbsp;using descriptive statistics &nbsp;were used to determine the rural community challenges as correlates of senior secondary school achievement and attitude towards chemistry. 100 sample sizes were used for the study. &nbsp;3 research questions were designed and formulated for the purpose of the study. The study revealed that there is a significant relationship between parental socio economic status and academic achievement of girls in secondary school. It also revealed Parental influence may not affects secondary school girls’ attitude towards chemistry, it also revealed that Cultural biases impede girls’ learning and pursuit of chemistry as well as other sciences, the study further revealed that science, particularly chemistry is seen as the domain of males and not for females; and girl’s choice to study science is seen as weakening her identity as a girl and as making her appear less feminine, it further revealed that girls do not see the relevance of studying chemistry as its impact on their life career pursuit and it finally revealed that girls tend to perceive science as difficult, uninteresting or unappealing in the future prospect it offers. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations and suggestions were made for students, parents, teachers and school administrators and relevant agencies for further research.</em> <br></p>

Project Overview

<p> </p><p><strong>INTRODUCTION</strong></p><p><strong>1.1 &nbsp; &nbsp; Background of Study</strong></p><p>Chemistry is a scientific study of structures, substances, how they react and &nbsp; behave &nbsp; under different conditions. (Advanced Learners Dictionary 2006). Chemistry is one of the &nbsp;core science &nbsp;subjects in secondary school curriculum.</p><p>It is a subject with wide knowledge area. This position &nbsp;makes &nbsp;aspiring students &nbsp;to &nbsp;embrace &nbsp;it &nbsp;early &nbsp;but often, &nbsp;parental &nbsp;perceptions &nbsp;as &nbsp;being difficult &nbsp;to learn, &nbsp;projects &nbsp;negative attitude in &nbsp;the &nbsp;minds &nbsp;of their &nbsp;children who have &nbsp;interest &nbsp;in &nbsp;the subject. As a result, males are more favoured than females. &nbsp; Girl’s &nbsp; low &nbsp; participation &nbsp; in &nbsp; chemistry &nbsp; and &nbsp;sciences &nbsp;in general &nbsp;has &nbsp;been an &nbsp;issue &nbsp;of &nbsp;great &nbsp;concern &nbsp;to &nbsp;science &nbsp;educators &nbsp;and researchers &nbsp; alike &nbsp; &nbsp; (Onyene, &nbsp; &nbsp;2004). &nbsp; &nbsp;Recognizing &nbsp;the &nbsp; role &nbsp; &nbsp;of &nbsp; science (chemistry) &nbsp;in &nbsp;contemporary &nbsp;society, &nbsp;with the &nbsp;potential &nbsp;to &nbsp;improve &nbsp;lives in &nbsp;a &nbsp;multitude &nbsp;of ways and &nbsp;advance &nbsp;national &nbsp;development &nbsp;the &nbsp; task of redressing &nbsp;the &nbsp;shortfall &nbsp; in &nbsp; human &nbsp;resources &nbsp;in &nbsp; the &nbsp;area &nbsp;of &nbsp;science (chemistry) &nbsp;and technology in &nbsp;order &nbsp;not &nbsp;to &nbsp;leave &nbsp;woman &nbsp;of the &nbsp;process is considered &nbsp;important &nbsp;and necessary. A country’s &nbsp;ability to &nbsp;create, apply and &nbsp; diffuse &nbsp;scientific &nbsp; and &nbsp; technological &nbsp;knowledge &nbsp;is &nbsp; now &nbsp; &nbsp;a &nbsp; major determinant of its &nbsp;socio-economic development and national competitive. This potential, &nbsp;however, &nbsp;cannot &nbsp;be &nbsp;fully &nbsp;realized without &nbsp;making &nbsp;the best use &nbsp;of the &nbsp;entire &nbsp;population &nbsp;of a &nbsp;nation-including girls and women. It is noted, &nbsp;however &nbsp;that most &nbsp;African &nbsp;countries &nbsp;lag behind in &nbsp;the generation of &nbsp; the &nbsp; &nbsp;human &nbsp; technological &nbsp;capacity &nbsp; on &nbsp; &nbsp;which &nbsp; further &nbsp; economic development &nbsp;is &nbsp;heavily dependent &nbsp;(Salome, &nbsp; 2013). &nbsp; Studies &nbsp;have &nbsp;shown that a student’s &nbsp;performance &nbsp;in &nbsp;science (chemistry) &nbsp;and mathematics is a strong indicator &nbsp;of later earnings &nbsp;(Ekine &nbsp;and Abey, &nbsp;2014). This &nbsp;is the &nbsp;case even &nbsp;within &nbsp; the &nbsp; education &nbsp; system &nbsp;where &nbsp; teachers &nbsp;and &nbsp; &nbsp;lecturers &nbsp; in science (chemistry) &nbsp;are often &nbsp;paid more &nbsp;or &nbsp;have &nbsp;a &nbsp;competitive &nbsp;advantage over &nbsp;their colleagues &nbsp;in &nbsp;other &nbsp;fields. It is &nbsp;also in &nbsp;science (chemistry] &nbsp;and mathematics subjects &nbsp;that many of the &nbsp;cognitive &nbsp;and non-cognitive skills necessary for &nbsp;individual &nbsp;and national &nbsp;development, &nbsp;such as &nbsp;higher order thinking &nbsp;and &nbsp; problem solving, &nbsp;are expected &nbsp;to &nbsp;be &nbsp;learned. For &nbsp;science to largely &nbsp;remain the domain of men &nbsp;is &nbsp;a sure means to &nbsp;perpetuate &nbsp;existing inequalities &nbsp;on &nbsp;the basis of gender in &nbsp;society.</p><p>However, &nbsp; the &nbsp; low &nbsp; participation of girls &nbsp;in &nbsp; chemistry &nbsp; as &nbsp; well &nbsp;as &nbsp; other science &nbsp;in &nbsp; school has &nbsp;led &nbsp; to &nbsp;many research &nbsp;efforts &nbsp; to &nbsp;identify &nbsp;factors responsible for &nbsp;such &nbsp;observation &nbsp;(Udeani; &nbsp;2004: &nbsp;Onyene, &nbsp;2004; Masanja, 2010; Ekine and Abey, &nbsp; 2014 just &nbsp;to mention but a &nbsp;few). Findings reveal that &nbsp;there &nbsp;are &nbsp;conventional &nbsp;interplay &nbsp;of &nbsp;factors &nbsp;like &nbsp;parents &nbsp;illiteracy, gender relation and &nbsp;cultural beliefs (Ekine &nbsp;and Abey, &nbsp;2014). Concerning these girls’ impediments to learning &nbsp;chemistry &nbsp;as &nbsp;well &nbsp;as &nbsp;other &nbsp;science subjects. Ekine and Abey &nbsp; (2014) &nbsp; identified &nbsp; socio-cultural beliefs and classroom &nbsp; practices &nbsp; as &nbsp; &nbsp;influential &nbsp; &nbsp;factors &nbsp; that &nbsp; favour &nbsp; males &nbsp; and &nbsp;discourage &nbsp;girls in &nbsp;their pursuit &nbsp;of science. They &nbsp;also &nbsp;noted &nbsp;that societal beliefs &nbsp;about &nbsp;females’ &nbsp; innate &nbsp; abilities &nbsp; and &nbsp; &nbsp;social &nbsp;role &nbsp;biases &nbsp; in &nbsp; the curriculum, &nbsp;teacher-student &nbsp;and &nbsp;peer interactions &nbsp;and the &nbsp; methods &nbsp;of pedagogy and &nbsp;assessment &nbsp; also &nbsp;conspire &nbsp;and &nbsp;militate &nbsp;against &nbsp;girls &nbsp;in participation &nbsp;in &nbsp;science. At this junction, let us examine how parental influence, gender and cultural beliefs impart greatly on girls attitude and achievement towards chemistry.</p><p><strong>1.1.1 Parental Influence on Girls Participation in Chemistry</strong></p><p>Early exposure of girls to chemistry as &nbsp; well &nbsp; as other science subjects when &nbsp; their interests &nbsp; &nbsp;and &nbsp; attitudes &nbsp; &nbsp;about &nbsp; learning &nbsp; &nbsp;are &nbsp; &nbsp;formed &nbsp; is necessary. But this seems not to be the case with the girl child in Nigeria where socio-cultural &nbsp;belief system inhibits &nbsp;parents from &nbsp; any &nbsp; investment on &nbsp;girl-child education &nbsp;(Udeani, &nbsp;2004). In rural &nbsp;communities, late &nbsp;school entry &nbsp;is &nbsp;a particular &nbsp;problem among poor children and girls. It has been noted that less than 50 percent of the &nbsp;poorest girls are enrolled &nbsp;in &nbsp;school at &nbsp;age &nbsp; six &nbsp; (Ekine, &nbsp; 2014). &nbsp; In &nbsp; essence, &nbsp;girls &nbsp;face &nbsp; greater &nbsp;constraints &nbsp; in pursuing &nbsp;their &nbsp;studies &nbsp;due &nbsp;to &nbsp; household &nbsp;demands &nbsp;on &nbsp; their &nbsp;labour, threats &nbsp;to &nbsp; their &nbsp;physical &nbsp;safety &nbsp; and &nbsp;a &nbsp; lack &nbsp; of &nbsp;necessary &nbsp;sanitation facilities at school and societal &nbsp;beliefs that &nbsp;privilege investments &nbsp;in &nbsp;boys education, &nbsp; Thus, &nbsp;girls &nbsp;lack &nbsp; access &nbsp;to &nbsp; school &nbsp;remains &nbsp;a &nbsp; fundamental barrier &nbsp;to &nbsp;their &nbsp;participation &nbsp;in &nbsp; science, &nbsp;both &nbsp;as &nbsp; children &nbsp; and &nbsp;adults (Salome, &nbsp; 2013). &nbsp; All &nbsp;illiterate &nbsp; parents &nbsp;may directly dissuade &nbsp;girls &nbsp; from pursuing &nbsp;science &nbsp;or &nbsp; indirectly &nbsp; convey &nbsp;their &nbsp;differing &nbsp; expectations &nbsp; by insisting &nbsp;that boys &nbsp;take science subjects &nbsp;and leaving &nbsp;girls to choose what they want to &nbsp;study &nbsp;(Salome, &nbsp;2013). Such &nbsp;family questions &nbsp;the &nbsp;relevance of science to girl’s &nbsp;own &nbsp;lives.</p><p><strong>1.1.2 &nbsp; &nbsp;Gender Relation and its Influence on Girl Child Learning of Chemistry</strong></p><p>Gender relations are accordingly defined as the specific mechanisms whereby different cultures determine the functions and responsibilities of each sex. They also determine access to material resources such as &nbsp;land, credit &nbsp;and &nbsp;training, &nbsp; &nbsp;and &nbsp;more &nbsp;ephemeral &nbsp; resources &nbsp;such &nbsp;as &nbsp; power (Wikipedia &nbsp; Contributors, &nbsp; 2015), &nbsp; Esiobu &nbsp;(2004) &nbsp; asserts &nbsp;that &nbsp;girls &nbsp; are affected &nbsp;by sex &nbsp;role, &nbsp;stereotyping, &nbsp;attitude and financial &nbsp;strength.</p><p>In &nbsp;many &nbsp;countries, &nbsp;studies have &nbsp;shown &nbsp;that &nbsp;girls, &nbsp;on &nbsp;average, &nbsp;tend &nbsp;to perceive &nbsp;science &nbsp;(chemistry) &nbsp;as &nbsp;difficult, &nbsp;uninteresting &nbsp;or &nbsp;unappealing &nbsp;in the &nbsp;future prospect it offers &nbsp;(Salome, &nbsp;2013). There is a &nbsp;prevalent view &nbsp;in Nigeria &nbsp;that women’s &nbsp;and men’s &nbsp;traditional &nbsp;roles &nbsp;in &nbsp; society should &nbsp;be preserved, &nbsp;and &nbsp;therefore &nbsp;girls &nbsp;should &nbsp;not &nbsp;compete &nbsp;with &nbsp;boys &nbsp; in &nbsp;class (Salome, &nbsp; 2013). Those who do &nbsp; pursue science can be stigmatized as aberrant or, at best, deemed “exceptional.” whereas boys &nbsp; are presumed to have a “natural ability.” Views &nbsp;about the proper conduct for girls – &nbsp;as submissive, &nbsp;reserved &nbsp;and unquestioning &nbsp;– &nbsp;shape student &nbsp;– &nbsp;teacher and peer interactions &nbsp;in &nbsp;schools and thus &nbsp;have implications &nbsp;for girls learning.</p><p>In &nbsp; most &nbsp;societies, &nbsp;a &nbsp; girl’s &nbsp; choice &nbsp; to &nbsp; study &nbsp; science &nbsp;is &nbsp; also &nbsp; seen &nbsp;as weakening her identity &nbsp;as &nbsp;a girl &nbsp;and as &nbsp;making her appears less &nbsp;feminine (Esiobu, 2004). &nbsp; &nbsp; In &nbsp; &nbsp; contexts &nbsp; &nbsp;where &nbsp; &nbsp;a &nbsp; &nbsp;girl’s &nbsp; &nbsp;worth &nbsp; and &nbsp; material circumstances, &nbsp;as &nbsp;well &nbsp;as &nbsp;those &nbsp;of her family, &nbsp;are &nbsp;intimately &nbsp;tied &nbsp;to &nbsp;her marriage &nbsp; prospers, &nbsp; the &nbsp;implications &nbsp; of &nbsp; challenging &nbsp; &nbsp;the &nbsp; &nbsp;dominant construction &nbsp;of female &nbsp;identity &nbsp;are not easily &nbsp;dismissed. In many African countries, &nbsp;girl’s &nbsp; exclusion &nbsp; from &nbsp; science &nbsp;(chemistry) &nbsp; can &nbsp; be &nbsp; attributed largely &nbsp;to the construction &nbsp;of feminine &nbsp;identities, &nbsp;ideologies &nbsp;of domesticity and &nbsp;gender &nbsp; stereotypes &nbsp; (Esiobu, &nbsp; 2014). &nbsp; Formal and informal &nbsp; socio- cultural norms and expectations about the role of females in society have tremendous effects on girl’s educational opportunities, learning outcomes and decisions about study and work &nbsp;(Ekine &nbsp;and Abey, &nbsp;2014). At the most basic level, obstacles to school access and retention remain fundamental barriers to girls’ participation in science (chemistry) both as children and adults.</p><p><strong>1.1.3 &nbsp; &nbsp;Influence of Cultural Beliefs on Girls Achievement and Attitude towards science Chemistry</strong></p><p>Gender discrimination in sciences particularly physical science, engineering and &nbsp; mathematics will continue to be seen as males preserved. Educations, in general, &nbsp;and &nbsp;science education, &nbsp;in &nbsp;particular, are &nbsp; often &nbsp; viewed &nbsp; &nbsp;as &nbsp; being &nbsp; of &nbsp;less &nbsp; value &nbsp;to &nbsp; girls, &nbsp; given &nbsp;the &nbsp; cultural expectations &nbsp;about &nbsp;their &nbsp;primary roles as &nbsp;wives and &nbsp;mothers. Nigerian women lack of recognition in the sciences (chemistry) &nbsp;play a part in &nbsp;their &nbsp;low &nbsp; &nbsp; self-esteem. &nbsp;These &nbsp; &nbsp;different &nbsp; &nbsp; forms &nbsp; &nbsp;of &nbsp; &nbsp;cultural &nbsp; &nbsp; belief &nbsp; &nbsp; and discrimination &nbsp;against &nbsp;girls &nbsp;in &nbsp;relation &nbsp;to &nbsp;their participation in &nbsp;science (chemistry) greatly affect their aspiration which leads them to drop out of science (chemistry) &nbsp;classes (Udeani, &nbsp;2004). As girls &nbsp;get &nbsp;older, &nbsp;they &nbsp;aspire less &nbsp;even if &nbsp;they are performing at the &nbsp;same levels &nbsp;as &nbsp;their male &nbsp;peers, and &nbsp; thus &nbsp;they often &nbsp;show science &nbsp;(chemistry) &nbsp;and mathematics &nbsp;related anxieties and &nbsp;come &nbsp; to &nbsp;believe that &nbsp;science &nbsp;( chemistry) &nbsp; is not for &nbsp;them (Masanja, &nbsp;2010).</p><p><strong>1.1.4 Girls Achievement and Attitude towards Chemistry</strong></p><p>However, &nbsp;girls themselves &nbsp;(as well &nbsp;as &nbsp;their families, teachers &nbsp;and school peers) &nbsp;question &nbsp;the &nbsp;relevance &nbsp;of science &nbsp;(chemistry) &nbsp;to &nbsp;their &nbsp;own &nbsp;lives. People &nbsp; may even doubt that a &nbsp;woman can be &nbsp;trusted &nbsp;to &nbsp;fly &nbsp;a &nbsp;plane &nbsp;or supervise &nbsp;a &nbsp;road’s &nbsp;construction, &nbsp;which &nbsp;are &nbsp;viewed as &nbsp; entirely &nbsp;a &nbsp;man’s domain &nbsp;(Salome, &nbsp;2013). &nbsp; Such &nbsp;beliefs &nbsp;have &nbsp;a &nbsp;negative &nbsp;impact &nbsp;on &nbsp;girls’ practical &nbsp; and &nbsp;academic &nbsp;interest &nbsp; and &nbsp;learning &nbsp; in &nbsp; science &nbsp;(chemistry) (Ekine &nbsp; and &nbsp;Abey, &nbsp; 2014). &nbsp; In &nbsp; many &nbsp;countries, &nbsp; studies &nbsp;have &nbsp;shown &nbsp;that girls, &nbsp; on &nbsp; average, &nbsp; &nbsp;tend &nbsp; to &nbsp;perceive &nbsp; &nbsp;science &nbsp; (chemistry) &nbsp; &nbsp;as &nbsp; &nbsp;difficult, uninteresting &nbsp;or &nbsp;unappealing in &nbsp;the &nbsp; future &nbsp;prospects it &nbsp;offers &nbsp;(Salome, 2013). Girls may be &nbsp;further discouraged by &nbsp;the &nbsp;prevalent perception that they lack &nbsp;the ability &nbsp;and, &nbsp;in &nbsp;some contexts, the &nbsp;“toughness” &nbsp;to succeed in the &nbsp;science &nbsp;(chemistry). This is &nbsp;of great &nbsp;consequence &nbsp;to &nbsp;learning, &nbsp;given that there is &nbsp;a &nbsp;strong &nbsp;correlation &nbsp;in &nbsp;science (chemistry) &nbsp;between positive attitudes &nbsp; &nbsp; and &nbsp; high &nbsp; performance &nbsp; &nbsp; (U deani, &nbsp; &nbsp; 2004). &nbsp; &nbsp; Such &nbsp; &nbsp;gendered stereotypes are often ingrained early in life and are difficult to overcome. This area pertaining &nbsp;to &nbsp;the attitudes &nbsp;towards sciences ( chemistry) &nbsp;needs more research because &nbsp;the performance in &nbsp;chemistry and other &nbsp;sciences is &nbsp;still &nbsp;low.</p><p>Furthermore, &nbsp; chemistry &nbsp;as &nbsp; a &nbsp;science &nbsp;subject &nbsp;is &nbsp;a &nbsp;pivot &nbsp;in &nbsp;the &nbsp; Nigerian secondary &nbsp;school &nbsp;curriculum &nbsp; since &nbsp;other &nbsp; subjects, &nbsp; e.g. &nbsp; Physics and Biology, &nbsp; depend &nbsp;on &nbsp;it. &nbsp; Despite &nbsp;the &nbsp;prime position &nbsp;chemistry &nbsp;occupy &nbsp;in Nigeria, &nbsp; women &nbsp;in &nbsp; some &nbsp;parts &nbsp;of &nbsp;Nigeria &nbsp; and &nbsp;rural &nbsp; communities &nbsp; are affected &nbsp; by &nbsp; socio-cultural &nbsp; factors. &nbsp; It &nbsp; is &nbsp; important &nbsp; to &nbsp;note &nbsp; that &nbsp;at &nbsp;the primary school level, &nbsp;participation is &nbsp;not an issue, &nbsp;it &nbsp;is &nbsp;at this level &nbsp;that gender &nbsp; disparities &nbsp; interest &nbsp; and &nbsp;in &nbsp; some &nbsp; &nbsp;cases &nbsp; performance &nbsp;begin &nbsp;to emerge &nbsp;in &nbsp;Nigeria &nbsp;and &nbsp;in &nbsp; other &nbsp;countries. At this earliest ages (below seven years), &nbsp; few differences &nbsp; in &nbsp; children’s &nbsp; engagement in &nbsp; science are documented. &nbsp; A &nbsp;review &nbsp;of &nbsp;existing &nbsp; literature &nbsp; on &nbsp; science &nbsp;teaching &nbsp;and learning &nbsp;in &nbsp;Nigeria &nbsp;has &nbsp;proved that &nbsp;disparities &nbsp;in &nbsp;interest &nbsp;in &nbsp;favour &nbsp;of boys &nbsp;and could be &nbsp;tied to performance &nbsp;right from upper &nbsp;primary school level. &nbsp; The &nbsp; available &nbsp;literature &nbsp; also &nbsp; traced &nbsp;the &nbsp; constant &nbsp;decline &nbsp;of &nbsp;girls’ interest, &nbsp; &nbsp;and &nbsp;in &nbsp; some &nbsp;cases &nbsp; performance, &nbsp; in &nbsp; higher &nbsp;education &nbsp; and secondary school science (chemistry) &nbsp;to &nbsp;the experiences &nbsp;that &nbsp;girls had in their primary science classrooms. In &nbsp;essence, a &nbsp;gender &nbsp;equity approach, which goes beyond trying to &nbsp;treat girls and boys &nbsp;the same, recognizes the prevailing &nbsp;gender &nbsp;inequality &nbsp; in &nbsp; the &nbsp;field &nbsp; of &nbsp;science &nbsp;(chemistry) &nbsp; and &nbsp; in society. &nbsp; It &nbsp;advocates &nbsp;for &nbsp;a &nbsp;strategic &nbsp;focus &nbsp;on &nbsp;girls &nbsp;in &nbsp;order &nbsp;to &nbsp;promote their &nbsp; participation, &nbsp;higher &nbsp; achievement &nbsp; and &nbsp; &nbsp;interest &nbsp; &nbsp;m &nbsp; &nbsp;science (chemistry). This does not, however, disadvantage boys. What is good for girls is &nbsp; also &nbsp; good &nbsp; for boys. Equity and high quality very clearly work together in the case of science (chemistry) education. On a final note, it is noted that there are 69 million women and girls in Nigeria: &nbsp;represents a tremendous &nbsp; waste &nbsp; &nbsp;of &nbsp; human &nbsp; potential. Nonetheless, &nbsp;women &nbsp; also undertake &nbsp;60 &nbsp; to &nbsp;90 &nbsp;percent of agricultural production &nbsp;activities &nbsp;in &nbsp;the developing world, &nbsp;and they carry the primary responsibility for &nbsp;providing for &nbsp;the &nbsp; water, &nbsp; energy, &nbsp; sanitation &nbsp;and health &nbsp;care &nbsp;needs &nbsp; of their &nbsp;family and &nbsp;communities &nbsp;(Udeani, &nbsp; 2004). &nbsp; In &nbsp; any &nbsp; &nbsp;case, &nbsp; their &nbsp;exclusion &nbsp; from participation &nbsp;and &nbsp;high &nbsp;achievement &nbsp;in &nbsp; science &nbsp;(chemistry) &nbsp; education means that &nbsp;they have limited &nbsp;access to &nbsp;jobs in &nbsp;these &nbsp;fields, &nbsp;which &nbsp;are among the &nbsp;fastest growing and &nbsp;highest &nbsp;paying. &nbsp; Study by Salome, (2013) lends support to this assertion.</p><p>For science &nbsp;( chemistry) &nbsp; to &nbsp;largely &nbsp;remain &nbsp;the &nbsp;domain of men &nbsp;is &nbsp;a &nbsp;sure means &nbsp;to &nbsp;perpetuate &nbsp;existing &nbsp; inequalities &nbsp; on &nbsp; the &nbsp; &nbsp;basis &nbsp;of &nbsp;gender &nbsp; in society. It &nbsp;should &nbsp;be &nbsp; borne &nbsp;in &nbsp;mind that &nbsp;after decade of &nbsp;Science &nbsp;and Technology &nbsp; (S &nbsp; &amp; &nbsp; T) &nbsp; interventions &nbsp; in &nbsp;development, &nbsp; women’s &nbsp; overall position &nbsp;actually &nbsp;declined &nbsp;relative &nbsp;to &nbsp; men’s &nbsp;and &nbsp;women &nbsp;have &nbsp;become disproportionately &nbsp;poor in &nbsp;comparison &nbsp;with men &nbsp;in &nbsp;their communities. Given this &nbsp; situation, &nbsp; this &nbsp; study &nbsp; seeks &nbsp; to &nbsp; assess the conventional interplay of factors like parental/influence, gender and cultural beliefs as imparting greatly on girls’ achievement and attitude towards chemistry in school.</p><p><strong>1.1.5 Theoretical Framework</strong></p><p>The &nbsp;theory &nbsp;of reasoned &nbsp;action as &nbsp; propounded &nbsp;by &nbsp;Ajzen &nbsp;and Fishbein’s (1975) &nbsp;as &nbsp; cited &nbsp;in &nbsp;Salome &nbsp;(2013) &nbsp;is &nbsp;seen &nbsp;relevant &nbsp;for &nbsp;the &nbsp;study. The theory explains that the &nbsp; beliefs represent the information that is known by &nbsp; an &nbsp; &nbsp;individual &nbsp; about the subject. &nbsp; Thus, &nbsp; an &nbsp; &nbsp;individual’s &nbsp; attitude towards any subject is a function of that person’s belief about that object as well as the implicit evaluates &nbsp;response associated with those beliefs. It could therefore be argued that beliefs affect attitudes and these attitudes affect the intentions and behaviour. The enhancement of positive &nbsp;self concept &nbsp;on &nbsp;student’s &nbsp;ability in &nbsp;science &nbsp;(chemistry) &nbsp;will &nbsp;possibly in &nbsp;turn foster development of favourable attitudes &nbsp;towards science (chemistry).</p><p><strong>1.2 &nbsp; &nbsp; Statement of the Problem</strong></p><p>Nigerian &nbsp;women &nbsp;lack &nbsp;of recognition &nbsp;in &nbsp; the &nbsp;sciences &nbsp;(chemistry) &nbsp;play a part &nbsp;in &nbsp;their low &nbsp;self-esteem. The low level of women participation &nbsp;in &nbsp;the study of &nbsp;science &nbsp;( chemistry) &nbsp;at local &nbsp;and national &nbsp;levels &nbsp;stem &nbsp;from &nbsp;deep seated trends encouraged &nbsp;by &nbsp;the parents. These influences &nbsp;include; &nbsp;fear of being molested or raped in pursuit of seemingly male dominated area; parental &nbsp;insecurity &nbsp;and worry over &nbsp;exposure &nbsp;of the &nbsp;girl who goes through menstrual pains and related feminine private issues in &nbsp;area they thought boys &nbsp;could perform easily; &nbsp;and parental perception that it &nbsp;is &nbsp;a &nbsp;waste of fund &nbsp;training women in &nbsp;the area.</p><p>In the same vein, family chores, early marriage and socialization presents a &nbsp; cultural &nbsp; hurdle against women participation and performance &nbsp; in science (chemistry). So, &nbsp; this proposed study will &nbsp;assess &nbsp;the &nbsp; relationship &nbsp;between &nbsp;parental influence &nbsp;as well &nbsp;as &nbsp;cultural &nbsp;challenges as &nbsp;they affect &nbsp;secondary school girls achievement and attitude &nbsp;towards &nbsp;chemistry.</p><p><strong>1. 3 &nbsp; &nbsp;Purpose of the Study</strong></p><p>The proposed study is to assess the Parental Influence and Cultural beliefs on Secondary School girls’ achievement and attitude towards Chemistry.</p><p>The Study Specifically:</p><p>1.) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Examined the Parental influence (fear of being raped, inadequate fund and inadequate sanitary facility) on secondary school girls (a) achievement and (b) attitude towards Chemistry.</p><p>2.) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Determine the influence of cultural beliefs (family chores and early marriages) on Secondary School girls (a) achievement (b) attitude towards Chemistry.</p><p>3.) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Show the extent of influence which gender have on Secondary School girls (a) Achievement and (b) Attitude towards Chemistry.</p><p><strong>1.4 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Research Questions’</strong></p><p>1.) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;To what extent do parents influence Secondary School girls (a) achievement and (b) attitude towards Chemistry?</p><p>2.) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;How have cultural beliefs influenced secondary school girls (a) achievement and (b) attitude towards Chemistry.</p><p>3.) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;To what extent have gender influenced secondary school girls’ (a) achievement and (b) attitude towards Chemistry.</p> <br><p></p>