Impact of Drugs and Stimulants on Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Salah al-Din Schools – As a Model
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This research explores the impact of drugs and stimulants on the academic performance of secondary school students in Salah al-Din Governorate, Iraq. Using a descriptive analytical approach, the study investigates how substance use—such as tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs—affects students' grades, attendance, classroom behavior, and overall academic engagement. Data was collected through questionnaires administered to a representative sample of students across various schools in the region. The findings reveal a strong negative correlation between drug use and academic performance. Students who engaged in substance use had significantly lower grades, higher absenteeism, and increased disciplinary issues compared to their non-using peers. The study identifies key contributing factors to drug use, including peer influence, family environment, and ease of access. Theoretical frameworks such as Social Learning Theory, Socialization Theory, and Addiction Theories were applied to explain these patterns. Based on the findings, the research recommends implementing school-based prevention programs, strengthening family-school relationships, and improving counseling services to address student substance abuse and promote academic success.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Abdu-Raheem, B. O. (2013). Sociological factors to drug abuse and the effects on secondary school students' academic performance in Ekiti and Ondo States, Nigeria. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 6(2), 233–240.
Al-Hemiery, N., Dabbagh, R., Hashim, M. T., Al-Hasnawi, S., Abutiheen, A., Abdulghani, E. A., & Rawson, R. A. (2017). Self-reported substance uses in Iraq: Findings from the Iraqi National Household Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use, 2014. Addiction, 112(8), 1470–1479. Al Jubouri, I. K. S., & Al Azzawi, I. T. (2024). Labov’s model as an instructional model for teaching EFL university students’ textual aspects of writing. Journal of Tikrit University for Humanities, 31(4), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.25130/jtuh.31.4.2024.234
Arria, A. M., Caldeira, K. M., Vincent, K. B., O’Grady, K. E., Cimini, M. D., Geisner, I. M., et al. (2017). Do college students improve their grades by using prescription stimulants nonmedically? Addictive Behaviors, 65, 245–249.
Brown, S. A., Tapert, S. F., Granholm, E., & Delis, D. C. (2000). Neurocognitive functioning of adolescents: Effects of protracted alcohol use. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 24(2), 164–171.
Gunjan, M., Deepali, T., & Neetu, S. (2020). Effect of the drug abuse on the academic performance of the students/adolescents. Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research, 28(3), 21601–21611.
Kimanthi, A. (2014). Influence of drug abuse on students’ academic performance in public universities: A case of UoN, Kenya. Journal of Education and Practice, 5(26),
Leshner, A. I. (1997). Addiction is a brain disease, and it matters. Science, 278(5335),
Mohammed, A. A., & Jasim, B. Y. (2024). The effect of integrating critical thinking skills on EFL university students’ performance in English literature. Journal of Tikrit University for Humanities, 31
Mahmood, N., Othman, S., Al-Tawil, N., & Al-Hadithi, T. (2019). Substance use among high school students in Erbil City, Iraq: prevalence and potential contributing factors. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 25(11), 806-812.
Oetting, E. R., & Donnermeyer, J. F. (1998). Primary socialization theory: The etiology of drug use and deviance. I. Substance Use & Misuse, 33(4), 995–1026.
Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. Macmillan, 70 – 76.
Tapert, S. F., & Brown, S. A. (1999). Neuropsychological correlates of adolescent substance abuse: Four-year outcomes. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 5(6), 481–493.