Poster #85 - Socioeconomic determinants of Adolescent’s School Satisfaction: Comparative analysis of Malawi and Nigeria.

• In Event: Poster Session 19

Abstract

School satisfaction is an indicator of adolescent wellbeing at school, and it is defined as a student’s evaluation of the positiveness of adolescent school experiences “as a whole” (Huebner, 1994). It is a predictor of positive child development, school performance, school dropout, behavior problems and general wellbeing in adolescent. (Noddings, 2003; Zullig et al., 2009; Huebner & Gilman, 2006).

Research on adolescent well-being has found strong associations between subjective well-being at country level and objective factors of household level socioeconomic status (SES) within national contexts (Bradshaw, 2015; Bradshaw, Martorano, Natali, & deNeubourg, 2013). However, not so much is known about the impact of SES factors on adolescent school satisfaction within the Africa context (Loft ,2021).

This study uses the UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster (MIC) Round 5 survey data to explore the links between household SES indicators (household asset wealth and Parental level of education) and adolescent school satisfaction in two Africa countries (Nigeria and Malawi) while accounting for country variations. The sample used for this study includes adolescents of ages 15 and 16 who are presently attending school in both countries (N =4949).

This study extends previous literature by linking household asset wealth (SES indictor) with school satisfaction. Previous studies in relation to school satisfaction were conducted in developed economies where parental income wealth were used as a measure for SES. This study focuses on two African developing economies in which wealth is been evaluated by household asset.
Furthermore, Africa is the future of the world largest child population but has the highest number of out of school children/dropout rate in the world, and poor child flourishing index (UNICEF 2017). It is important to investigate the SES variables that are associated with school satisfaction within the Africa context.

The UNICEF MICs are nationally representative and internationally comparable households survey data from multiple countries. Data collection for the study in Nigeria was from September 2016 to January 2017 while data collection in Malawi was from November 2013 to Apr 2014

Although, Nigeria and Malawi are both Africa developing countries, with the same primary school completion rate of 77%, similar population growth rate, there are variations. Nigeria is a west Africa country, lower middle-income country, with an inequality rate of 39.1% as measured by GINI coefficients, national wealth index of 2,176.00 USD gross domestic product per capita (GDP) at time of study. Malawi is a Southern Africa country, low-income country, GINI coefficient of 44.7% at 2016, and GDP of 371.27 USD in 2014.

Hierarchical regression analysis was used to estimate associations between parental education, household asset and school satisfaction. Demographic variables of age, gender, living arrangement and child’s level of education were controlled. Results indicate variations in associated factors within the country context. Across the whole sample, the country of residence was associated with school satisfaction; children ‘s level of education, household asset wealth and mother’s educational level were significantly associated to school satisfaction at household level.

Author

• Esther Abimbola Ariyo, Osun state University Nigeria
  Presenting Author