Influence of School Location on Academic Performance through Socioeconomic Status, Resource Access and Parental Education

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of school location on academic performance by socioeconomic status (SES), resource access and parental education among secondary school students. The study employed an ex post facto and survey design. The population comprised all SS II Biology students in urban and rural secondary schools in Zaria LGA, Kaduna State. A stratified random sample of 702 students was selected. Academic performance data were obtained from the 2023/2024 Biology MOCK results, while survey data on SES, parental education, and school resources were collected using the Socioeconomic and School Resources Assessment Scale (SES-RAS). The SES-RAS had a reliability coefficient of 0.84. The study tested ten null hypotheses. The study found that school location significantly affected SES (β=0.32, p<0.001) and resources (β=0.28, p<0.001), rejecting H0₁–H0₂. SES influenced resources (β=0.41, p<0.001) and performance (β=0.22, p=0.028), while resources also impacted performance (β=0.30, p<0.001), rejecting H0₃–H0₅. Location had no direct effect (β=0.05, p=0.405), accepting H0₆, but indirect effects through SES (β=0.07, p=0.020) and resources (β=0.08, p=0.008) were significant, rejecting H0₇–H0₈. Parental education moderated SES (β=0.12, p=0.016) and resources (β=0.08, p=0.046) on performance, rejecting H0₉–H0₁₀. The study recommends, among other things, that interventions should focus on reducing socioeconomic inequalities and providing adequate educational resources to rural schools to improve academic performance.