Intergenerational Transmission of Academic Identity and Educational Attainment in Nigerian Families Across Three Generations

This study investigates the intergenerational transmission of academic identity and its role in mediating educational attainment patterns across three generations within Nigerian families, making an original contribution to the intersection of developmental psychology, family systems theory, and educational sociology. While economic and structural explanations of intergenerational educational persistence dominate the Nigerian literature, the psychological mechanisms through which academic identity is transmitted or disrupted across family generations remain theoretically undeveloped and empirically unexamined. The study employs a retrospective prospective cohort design, recruiting 200 three-generation family triads across South West, North Central, and South East Nigeria, encompassing grandparents, parents, and adolescent grandchildren. Academic identity, educational attainment, family communication about education, and psychological capital were assessed using adapted generational measures. Retrospective educational histories were obtained for the oldest generation. Multilevel structural equation modelling, family systems trajectory analysis, and intergenerational transmission path modelling constitute the analytic approach. Thematic analysis of 30 in-depth family interviews provides mechanistic narrative depth. Results reveal significant intergenerational transmission of academic identity across all three generational dyads, with family educational narratives and parent academic engagement functioning as primary transmission mechanisms above and beyond socioeconomic status. Disruption of transmission was most commonly associated with displacement, family conflict, or parental non-formal education histories. This study extends social learning and family systems theory to the Nigerian intergenerational educational context and has implications for understanding persistent regional educational attainment differences. Keywords: intergenerational transmission, academic identity, educational attainment, family systems, Nigeria.