Abstract:
Academicperformance has become a measure of success in any institution of learning. It
is supposed to measure how and where one will be placed in the larger society. Bum
(1979) reveals that until the late 1950's even educationists had tended to restrict their
investigationsinto factors influencing academic performance to IQ, social class, parental
interest among others. These variables provide only a partial explanation of academic
performance. More variables have emerged in the recent past. Orphanhood with its
psychological, sociological and physiological aspects is one such variable that requires
investigationto find out how it affects academic performance. The main purpose of this
study was to investigate the effects of orphanhood on the academic performance of
students in secondary schools in Hamisi District. Out of the 36 secondary schools in
Hamisi District, 13 were selected using stratified random sampling procedure which
ensured that all the categories of schools namely girls-boarding, boys-boarding, mixedday
and mixed-day and boarding were selected. Purposive sampling was used to select
orphans only. Only form 3 and 4 participated in the study as this is the group which had
stayed in school long enough to provide the information about effects of orphanhood on
academic performance. The variables studied were orphanhood which was the
independent variable and academic performance which was the dependent variable. The
research design used in this study was ex post facto because this kind of design is used
when the independent variable has already occurred, then the researcher examines the
effects of the independent variable on the dependent variable. In this kind of design also
the variables are not manipulated experimentally but through sampling procedures. The
study was based on Maslow's hierarchy of Needs Theory. The theory lays emphasis on
fulfillment of needs of lower levels before needs of higher levels such like academic
achievements are fulfilled. Data was collected using the questionnaires and document
analysis. The questionnaires were administered to head teachers, teacher counsellors,
class teachers, and students. Data was analyzed using the descriptive and inferential
statistics. The study findings spelled out the unique physiological, sociological and
psychological problems that orphans go through and their effects on the academic
performance. The secondary school administrators, teachers and other educators were
urged to understand these problems and assist the orphans to adjust and cope up in order
to perform well in their academic work.