Junior High School Pupils Demographic Variables as Predictors of Their Study Habits in the Ekumfi District of Ghana

This study investigated the influence of Junior High school pupils’ demographic variables (gender, form, age, circuit) and how it influences their study habits of Ekumfi District in the Central Region of Ghana. The study adopted the cross-sectional descriptive survey research design with quantitative approach where the proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to select 475 pupils for the study. This study employed closedended questionnaire to collect quantifiable data. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as percentages, frequency, mean and standard deviation and inferential statistical tools such as independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA. The findings of the study revealed that apart from gender, the circuits, class, and age did not influence pupils’ study habits. Therefore, it was recommended that the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service should design and implement programmes to conscientize pupils on the need to develop and practice effective study habits. Additionally, much attention should be given to the boys to reorient them on the practice of effective study habits.


Introduction
Extant literature has demonstrated that the development of good study habits has a positive sway on an individual's success in education. Some scholars like Fielden (2004) posited that good study habits help a student in critical reflection in skills outcomes such as selecting, analyzing, critiquing, and synthesizing. This position is valid in the context of views put forward by education theorists like Ebele and Olufo (2016) who posited that study habit is one of the crucial learning factors that hugely influences students' academic achievements. These scholars bemoan that if good study habits is undermined by students at all level, stakeholders of education such as teachers, administrators, parents and guardians, and government, would suffer the trend and menace of students' abysmal performance in both internal and external examinations. Likewise, Mark and Howard (2009) illustrated that the most common challenge to the success of students in all ramifications is a lack of effective or good study habit. They further maintain that if students can develop a good study habit and with good discipline, they are bound to perform remarkably well in their academic pursuit. Understandably, good study habits assist students to apply their thought processes to identify relevant bodies of knowledge and evaluation of same. Conversely, poor study habits impede students' capacity to engage in constructive intellectual exercise.
Studies have shown that study habit is linked to the academic performance of students. In their view, Rana and Kausar (2011) argued that even though it is worthwhile to recognize one's learning style, being able to master one's study habits could tremendously reduce the problems of underachievement that is still on the rise among students. Bashir and Mattoo (2012), corroborate this view by stating that study habits of students constitute significant influence on their learning outcomes. In another study, Sarwar, Bashir, Khan and Khan (2009) concluded that overachievers possessed better study habits than underachievers. Relating this to the Ghanaian context, it is imperative for stakeholders in education to inculcate in students effective study habits to reverse the worsening trend of dismal academic performance. Sustaining the assertion that good study habits matter in attaining academic laurels, Ramamurti (1993) emphasized that despite possessing good intelligence and personality, the absence of good study habits hampers academic achievement. Ramammurtri recognized that keen intelligence and study habits are vital in accomplishing scholastic tasks, yet defective study habits is inimical to academic progress. The position of Ramamurti (1993) suggests that intelligent and determined students may demonstrate poor achievement if they lack proper study habits. Therefore, in Ghana, especially at the basic school level, it is important to investigate the nature of study habits that students possess, and assist them to continuously enhance such habits.
Having the realization that study habit impacts the academic performance of students, researchers sought to investigate inventories that could be deployed to enhance the academic performance of students. As a result of empirical studies, researchers have offered various theories on students study habits. Study habits as conceptualized by Bakare (1977) embraces competences in the areas of homework and assignment, time allocation, reading and note-taking, study period procedures, concentration, written work, examination taking and teacher consultation. Bakare (1977) used his study habit inventory to conduct several studies and concluded that study habit variables correlated positively with academic performance. Besides Bakare (1977), other researchers have employed this theory in their studies. The study by Salami and Aremu (2006) using this habits model found a relationship between study habits and academic achievement. Bagongon and Connie (2009) conducted a study on the effect of study habits on the academic performance of freshmen education students in XAVIER University, and a positive relationship was found. In Tope's (2011) investigation on the effect of study habit on the performance of students, he used Bakare's (1977) study habits inventory, and it was discovered that study habits affected students' academic performance. Aluede and Onolemhemhen (2001) studied the effect of study habits counseling on the academic performance of senior secondary school student in English language. The study involved 108 senior secondary school class one and two students of Lumen Christ secondary school, Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria. The study habit inventory of Bakare (1977) was adopted, and the findings revealed that counseling students on good study habits can bring about improvement in their academic achievement.
The literature reviewed has demonstrated that Bakare's (1977) study habits inventory has been used extensively by researchers in different contexts. In most of the studies, it has been established that this study habit inventory affected students' academic performance. The conclusion from these studies is that effective study habits leads to good academic achievement whilst ineffective study habits result in poor performance. Even though the original study habits by Bakare (1977) consisted of many components, five of them were included in this study. These include homework/ assignments, time allocation, reading and note taking, concentration, and time management. These elements were considered in the study because they relate well to the Ghanaian education context, and the results would have implications for effective learning. Xienono (2012) observed that study skills can be a combination of several techniques including time management, note-taking, and self-testing. The position of Xienono suggests that effective study habits involve these components. In another study, Onuoha and Subair (2013) found out that 48.9% of students prepare time table for studying and majority did not have fixed periods for studying. Therefore, time management was a vital component of students study habits. The findings also admitted that note taking during lessons was the most used method for study. It could be inferred from the results of Onuoha and Subair (2013) that note-taking is a major aspect of students' study habits where they write salient points in lessons or books when reading. Anameze (2002) did an assessment of study habits among secondary school students in Anambra State in Nigeria and indicated that respondents possessed only about half of the amount of skills required for effective study habits. Thus, the study suggests that students displayed poor study habits in their studies. However, Anameze (2002) did not find out what could have contributed to the ineffective study habits of the students.
Meanwhile, several studies have investigated the influence of demographic factors on the study habits of students. Khurshid, Tanveer and Qasmi (2012) noted that class level affected study habits of students where those in a higher class displayed better study habits than those in lower class. It was realized in the study that first year students have entered a new educational institution where the working environment is completely different from what they are accustomed to. Thus, they have brought with them their own ways and ideas of how to study and have not yet developed or adjusted them. Third years on the other hand, have had time to mature within their study habits over the years and have gained a better understanding on what may or may not work for them within a particular course. Therefore, first year students need time to modify their study habits so that they can cope with their learning task after transition to higher institutions or class level.
Other researchers have focused on the effect of sex on the study habits of students where they observed significant difference in the study habits of male and female students (Pillai, 2012). Sud and Sujatha (2006) revealed that female students had better study habits than their male counterparts. This finding was sustained by Aluja-Fabregat and Blanch (2004) who found that girls scored higher on study habits than their male peers. With these results, much attention would be given to male students to assist them to improve on their study habits so as to enhance performance. However, Awabil, Kolo, Bello and Oliagbo (2013) discovered that gender was not a significant determinant of study habits among students. Similar result was found in Zimbabwe where Mushoriwa (2009) found no significant difference in the study habits of male and female students. What is not clear from the studies of Awabil et al. (2013) and Mushoriwa (2009) is the status of the students' study habit in terms of high or low. The issue is that even though no difference was found, it could be that the level of students' study habit might be low which still calls for guidance to improvement.
Age was another factor that received the attention of researchers in relation to study habits. Ossai's (2012) study revealed a significant difference in the study habit of students based on age. Analysing the cause of the disparity in study habits due to age, Heath (2007) explicated that mature age students are more motivated to succeed academically due to greater maturity and better study habits. Heath (2007) assumed that when students become mature, their educational goals become clearer which engenders commitment to thrive and attain such goals. To this end, they employ effective study habits. Ehiozuwa and Anaso's (2013) study also revealed that significant difference exist between younger students (16 years and below) and older students (17 years and above) in their study habits where older students exhibited better study habits than the younger ones. Consistent with these reports, it is expected that JHS 2 pupils are likely to possess better study habits than those in JHS 1.
Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol.11, No.2, 2020 Moreover, researchers have explored the impact of geographical location of a school on students' study habits. Agina-Obu, Amakiri and Emesiobi (2011) in their study observed that there is no statistically significant difference between rural and urban students in their study habits. This result suggests that environmental disparity between rural and urban schools does not account for the study habits of students. In the Ekumfi District, educational circuits like Narkwa and Otuam are located in hard-to-reach rural areas as compared to Eyisam and Essuehyia Circuits. It, is, therefore, imperative that pupils' study habits are investigated across these geographical locations so that specific solutions based on evidence are offered for support. The literature reviewed have highlighted that class level, sex, age, and geographical location of a school are variables that have caught the attention of previous researchers in determining the latters impact on study habits of students. The discussion has also indicated that researchers differed in their findings on the influence of these variables on students' study habits. Hence, studies are required to explore these variables in other contexts like the Ekumfi District. In the wake of the conflicting results on the personal characteristics of pupils that influence their study habit as shown in the hypothesis below: Ho1: There is no statistically significant difference between male and female pupils on their perception of study habits practiced in the Ekumfi District. Ho2: There is no statistically significant difference between pupils' form and their study habits practiced in the Ekumfi District. Ho3: There is no statistically significant difference between pupils' age and their study habits practiced in the Ekumfi District. Ho4: There is no statistically significant difference between pupils' circuit of school and their perception of study habits practiced in the Ekumfi District.

Methodology
This study adopted the cross-sectional descriptive survey design which is grounded in the positivist philosophy of how to generate knowledge. This design seeks to describe and interpret what exists in its present condition, attitudes, practices and beliefs (Seidu, 2007). This description of the descriptive design was in line with the purpose of this study which sought to examine the influence of demographic variables on pupils study habits. Therefore, this study adopted a quantitative approach where research involves statistical analysis and relies on numerical evidence to draw conclusions (Veal, 2006). Data on study habits, and demographic factors were collected in the form of numbers for statistical analysis. Burns and Grove (2011) also noted that the numerical data collected in the quantitative research is used to examine effects and relationships between variables which is consistent with the purpose of this study. The target population for this study stood at 3,164 pupils involving 1644 boys and 1520 girls. Nevertheless, a sample size of 475 pupils were selected even though 380 pupils actually participated in the study due to the return rate had. This sample size will be based on the recommendation of Asamoah-Gyimah and Duodu's (2007) assertion that a sample size of 10% to 30% of the target population is representative in surveys. Therefore, 475 was 15% of the population (3,164). To arrive at the sample, the district was stratified into five circuits (Eyisam, Essarkyir, Narkwa, Essuehyia, and Otuam) based on their proportion to the target population. For instance, Eyisam Circuit had 695 pupils representing about 22% of the population. Therefore, 22% of the sample size (475) represents about 104 pupils. The stratified random sampling involves the selection of participants where the members of the population are grouped into relatively homogeneous sub-populations (strata) before sampling (Fowler, 1993). The second stage of the selection was based on sex. Out of the population size for Eyisam (695), 332 (48%) were boys and 363 (52%) were girls. Based on these percentages, 50 boys and 54 girls were selected in Eyisam Circuit using simple random sampling technique. The same process was followed in getting the samples in other circuits.
A questionnaire adapted from Bakare (1977) was employed in gathering the data. This questionnaire was divided into two sections such that the first section collected information on the personal data of the students such as gender, age, class and circuit. The second section of the questionnaire had items on study habits construct such as examination, time management, homework and assignment, concentration and reading and note-taking based on a five-point Likert Scale. Thus, 1= Strongly Disagree, 2= Disagree, 3= Undecided, 4= Agree, and 5= Strongly Agree. The various construct under the study habits questionnaire had a Cronbach Alpha coefficient of above 0.70 in the pilot study as prescribed by Dörnyei and Taguchi (2010). With the aid of the Version 22 of the Statistical Product for Service Solutions (SPSS), descriptive statistics (frequency & percentage) and inferential statistics (independent samples t-test, one-way between-groups analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Post-hoc) were used in analyzing the data.

Results and Discussion Bio Data
The demographic information as disclosed in Table 1 show that more males participated in the study (n=194, 51.1%) as compared to females (n=186, 48.9%). In terms of age, the study indicated that 20 pupils representing 5.3% were in the 11-13 age bracket, 235 pupils representing 61.8% were between 14-16 years, 120 pupils Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol.11, No.2, 2020 representing 31.6% were between 17-19 years, and the rest, 5 pupils constituting 1.3% were above 20 years. Besides, it could be observed that more pupils in JHS 2 participated in the study (n=195, 51.3%) as compared to their counterparts in JHS 1 (n=185, 48.7%). JHS 3 pupils were not included in the study because they had finished school at the time of data collection. Finally, it could be observed that majority of the pupils live in Eyisam (n=99, 26.1%) than those who live in Narkwa (n=94, 24.7%), Essuehyia (n=80, 21.1%), and Essakyir (n=70, 18.4%).

Test of the Study's Hypotheses Gender as a Predictor of Junior High School Pupils' Study Habits
This hypothesis sought to test if the gender of the Junior High School pupils could predict their study habits. In this respect, it was hypothesized that "there is no statistically significant difference between male and female pupils on their perception of study habits practiced in the Ekumfi District". To test this hypothesis, the independent samples t-test was used and the results are shown in Table 2. , and the overall study habits [t (378)= -1.850, p=0.065, 2-tailed] were statistically significant at 0.05 alpha level due to gender. Therefore, it could be inferred from these results that gender does not influence examination and homework and assignments related study habits whilst it does affect reading and note-taking, concentration, time management, and the overall study habits of pupils in public JHS in the Ekumfi District.

Form/Level as a Predictor of Junior High School Pupils' Study Habits
In investigating the influence of form/level of pupils and their study habits, this study hypothesized that "there is no statistically significant difference between pupils' form and their study habits practiced in the Ekumfi District". In testing this hypothesis, the independent samples t-test was employed and the results are shown in Table 3.

Age and Junior High School Pupils' Study Habits
The age of the Junior High School pupils was used as predictor of their study habits. In this respect, it was hypothesized that "there is no statistically significant difference between pupils' age and their study habits practiced in the Ekumfi District". In testing this hypothesis, a one-way between groups ANOVA test was employed to provide answers to this hypothesis, and the results are shown in Table 4.

Circuit/Geographical Location of School and Junior High School pupils Study Habits
The geographical location/circuits of pupils was investigated if it could influence their study habits. Accordingly, it was hypothesized that "there is no statistically significant difference between pupils' circuit of school and their perception of study habits practiced in the Ekumfi District. In testing this hypothesis, a one-way between groups ANOVA test was employed to provide answers to this hypothesis, and the results are shown in Table 5. .252] at 0.05 alpha level due to the circuits in which pupils were located. Based on these results, it could be concluded that apart from time management, pupils' study habit was not contingent on the circuits the pupils were located in the Ekumfi District.
To determine where the differences among the circuits occurred, post hoc analysis using Tukey HSD test was conducted, and the results are displayed in Table 5.1. The post hoc results in Table 5.1 reveal that there was significant pair-wise group difference between the pupils in Essuehyia and Essarkyir where those in Essuehyia Circuit scored significantly higher (M=3.47, SD=0.41) than Essarkyir Circuit (M=3.36, SD=0.40) on time management.

Discussion of the Results
The essence of the study hypotheses was to explore the extent to which Junior High School pupils' personal factors like gender, form/class, age, and circuit (zone), accounted for the study habits. The aim was to discover specific categories of pupils who might need assistance in their study habits. The findings from the first hypothesis disclosed that gender influenced the study habits of pupils in public JHS in the Ekumfi District [t (378) = -1.850, p=0.065, 2-tailed] where females had better study habits (M=3.47, SD=0.36) than their male peers (M=3.40, SD=0.39). This result concurs with previous studies (Aluja-Fabregat & Blanch, 2004;Sud & Sujatha, 2006;Pillai, 2012), where similar findings were found that girls had better study habits than their male counterparts. However, the result of this study digresses from Awabil et al. (2013) and Mushoriwa's (2009) revelation that gender was not a significant determinant of study habits among students. Besides, the study found that form (class) did not influence the study habits of pupils in the Ekumfi District [t (378) = -0.756, p=0.450, 2-tailed]. This revelation departs from Khurshid et al's. (2012) finding, where it was found that class affected study habits of students where those in a higher class displayed better study habits than those in lower class. In relation to age, the result had shown that age did not significantly predict the study habits of pupils in the Ekumfi District even though the findings indicated that pupils within the age bracket of 11-13 years and 17-19 years were found to be given special attention on their homework and assignment. This finding disagrees with those of previous studies (Heath, 2007;Ossai, 2012;Anaso, 2013). In conclusion, age was not a critical factor to consider in the study habits discussion of pupils in the Ekumfi District. Finally, the study discovered that pupils' study habit was not influenced by the circuits (zones) the pupils were found in the Ekumfi District [F (4, 375) = 1.348, p=0.252]. This resonates with Agina-obu, Amakiri and Emesiobi's (2011) observation that location of school in relation to rural and urban areas does not affect study habits of students.

Conclusions and Recommendations
The study has gathered evidence that showed that study habits of pupils is critical to their success in schools. Accordingly, it is anticipated that stakeholders would guide pupils to develop and apply appropriate study habits to promote good academic performance. The Guidance and Counseling Coordinators and Circuit Supervisors should be equipped with current theories in study habits so that they can offer necessary assistance to pupils on how to improve on their study habits. In addition, the study revealed that girls had better study habits than their male peers. Additionally, it was revealed that time management is critical to pupils study habits. Therefore, it is recommended that much attention should be given to the boys to reorient them on the practice of effective study habits. This will help the pupils to apply relevant study habits so as to attain good academic performance. This study, also recommends that head teachers and teachers liaise with parents, chiefs and other opinion leaders to engender commitment to the successful implementation of the strategies aimed at improving pupils study habits. Finally, awareness should be created among the pupils to recognise the consequences of practicing effective or ineffective study habits and mismanagement of time in their studies. This will make them apply result-driven study habits so as to achieve desired academic performance.