Socio-Economic Status and Age of Students and their Academic Performance in Online Learning in Selected Faculties in Rivers State University in the 21st Century

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of socio-economic status and age of students and their academic performance in online learning in selected Faculties in Rivers State University in the 21st century. The study was guided by 2 research questions and 2 null hypotheses. The population comprised 629 of 2020-2021 academic session post graduate (Masters and PhD) students of the Faculties of Engineering, Law, Agriculture, Science, Education and Humanities. The sample size consisted of 315 students using multistage sampling technique. The instruments used to collect data were a questionnaire and an online academic performance test. Three experts validated the instruments and the Cronbach Alpha statistics reliability method was used to achieve a reliability index of 0.79. Percentage and frequency were used for analyzing demographic data of the respondents, Mean and Standard Deviation were used to answer the research questions and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) statistics was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed a high extent of relationship between socio-economic status and age of students and their academic performance in online learning. The researcher therefore recommended that, Government should provide free supply of internet to schools in order to give all students equal opportunity to internet usage and that, age is no barrier to technological gadgets usage, older students should not see age as a hindrance to being competent in gadgets usage.