AFRICAN SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL

This study assesses the predictors of sexual harassment and senior secondary school students’ academic achievement in Biology in Rivers State, Nigeria. The study adopted the correlational research design. A sample of 1024 respondents comprising 257 Biology teachers, 384 Biology students and 384 parents/guardians of the students were selected from 64 public senior secondary schools across six (6) randomly selected Local Government Areas in Rivers State. A 20-item self-structured instrument titled “Sexual Harassment Predictor Scale” (SHPS) and 50-item “Biology Achievement Test” (BAT) with reliability coefficients of 0.873 and 0.885 respectively necessitated the use of the SHPS and BAT instruments for collecting data analyzed using regression analysis. The study revealed (r = 0.042; P = 0.22) and (r = 0.088; P = 0.010) which indicated a very weak positive correlation between domestic violence and act of absenteeism respectively to students’ achievement in Biology in Rivers State. The study recommended among others that teachers and parents should engage students in worthwhile programmes and activities that will help reduce the stress and emotional insecurity which are tantamount to students’ poor academic achievement in a secondary school subject like Biology.