Influence of Home Environment on the Science Learning Outcomes of Primary School Pupils in Sokoto State

This study examined the influence of the home environment on science learning outcomes of primary school pupils in Sokoto State, Nigeria. The home environment, encompassing parental literacy, material resources, domestic language, and the presence of learning support, constitutes a critical informal learning system that interacts with formal schooling to shape early science development. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The study sample comprised 360 Primary 6 pupils and 360 corresponding parents drawn from public primary schools in Sokoto South, Tambuwal, and Bodinga Local Government Areas. A Home Environment Survey and a Basic Science Achievement Test were administered as instruments. Reliability coefficients of 0.74 and 0.76 were confirmed for the respective instruments. Multiple regression and Pearson's correlation were used to analyse the data. Results showed that home literacy environment and parental educational attainment were significant positive predictors of science learning outcomes. Pupils from homes with access to reading materials, educational television programming, and science-literate parents demonstrated higher science test scores. Economic constraints limiting access to school supplies at home was identified as a significant negative predictor. Recommendations included parent literacy programmes, community library initiatives, and school-home science activity kits to extend learning beyond the classroom. Keywords: home environment, science learning, primary pupils, Sokoto State, parental influence.