Abstract

This is a descriptive study that determined the predictive influence of family socio-economic and secondary school certificates on the academic performance of students of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. It employed a quantitative research method using a questionnaire. A total sample size of 198 students was used in the study. Out of 198 questionnaires that were distributed to the students, 175 questionnaires were obtained. Data on academic performance was retrieved from the academic record of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Akure. Data collected was analyzed using the Statistical package for Social Science (SPSS) and was presented in frequency tables. The two hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using chi square. Results from the study shows that the mean age of respondents was 21 with standard deviation of +_2.52, with a higher proportion of female students. A higher proportion of respondents had good perception of factors influencing their academic performance. Results also showed that there is no significant association between parents’ socio-economic status and academic performance, secondary school certificate and academic performance. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Akure should maintain its selection criteria of using O’ level results at credit level in English, Mathematics, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry as criteria of admitting students for Basic Nursing and Midwifery programs.