HOMEWORK TYPE, PARENTAL OCCUPATIONAL STATUS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN ENGLISH AND MATHEMATICS IN IJEBU NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

The practice of giving home work to students has become common. However, there have been several controversial submissions on the influence of homework on the academic performance of primary school pupils. This study examined homework type, parental occupational status and academic performance of primary school pupils in English and Mathematics. A sample of 200 pupils was randomly selected from primary schools in Ijebu North local government in Ogun State Nigeria. Data were collected using Homework type questionnaire (HWTQ) and Parental occupational status Questionnaire (POSQ) and School Achievement Records (SAR). Simple Linear Regression indicated that homework type has significant influence on pupils' academic performance in English and Mathematics which accounted for 21.0% of variance in the academic performance of primary school pupils. Also, parental occupational status did not significantly determine pupils' academic performance. This result is at variance with assumptions, results from interviews and researches indicate that parent's occupational status should affect pupils' academic performance. It was recommended that there is the need for parents to be alive to their responsibilities on their wards and children and see to it that they ensure that home works given to children are all done and done promptly.