Prevalence of Impulsivity among Primary School Children and its Influence on Academic Performance

Abstract

Impulsive children face various difficulties in the classroom, including poor academic achievement. Against this backdrop, the study sought to investigate the prevalence of impulsivity among primary school children, investigate the relationship between parents educational background and pupil’s levels of impulsivity, investigate the influence of impulsivity on pupil’s academic performance and examine if there are differences in impulsivity prevalence according on sex (or gender). A descriptive survey design and a quantitative approach were used in the study. The study included 202 primary-level five children from the basic schools in Cape Coast Metropolis. Both descriptive (percentages, averages, and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (independent samples t-test, chi-square, regression, and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient) were used to analyse the research's data. According to the study, impulsivity was present in 17% of the primary school children who took part. The study found that impulsivity is linked to academic success, with non-impulsive kids outperforming their peers. Impulsivity accounts for 11.1% of the variation in academic achievement among students. The study’s findings, among other factors, conclude that impulsivity cannot account for around 90% of students’ academic performance diversity. It was suggested that several other reasons could contribute to the poor performance of impulsive students and that these issues should be investigated.