Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Research Proposal Example This research will be based on the Psychological Theories of drug abuse. Within this theoretical framework, reinforcement and individual theories will be explored to establish that pushes students into drugs. The research will follow the exploratory design and will be based on mixed methodology. Data will be collected from students and teachers using both structured and unstructured questionnaires. Interviews will also be scheduled with key informants. The researcher believes that research findings will make invaluable contributions to the existing literature that links substance abuse to poor academic performance. Keywords: substance abuse and academic performance The Correlation between Cigarette Smoking and High School Achievement Substance use among teenagers has finally entered the unchartered territory where it is no longer possible to ignore its impacts. The increasing prevalence of teenagers abusing drugs in the United States has become a major public health issue. Subsequent addiction and loss of productivity among drug users have particularly elicited great interest in substance abuse. The importance of substance abuse in academic discourses stems from the correlation between substance abuse and academic performance. Therefore, substance use and abuse are focal issues that academic commentators must address with urgency. Peer pressure has been cited as the common motivators for teenagers to engage in drugs (Thorlindsson and Vilhjalmsson, 1991). Most teenagers feel pressured to take alcohol/drugs at social gathering in order to conform to social groups. Nevertheless, some teenagers use drugs and other substances as a means of dealing with their distress. In the same vein, other teenagers may use drugs to overcome personal limitations, such as low self-esteem or shyness (Morin et al., 2011). The first casualty of substance use and abuse is cognitive ability. Impaired cognition limits the performance capacity of substance users (Thorlindsson and Vilhjalm sson, 1991). It is against this backdrop that the proposed research purposes to establish how cigarette smoking among high school students affects their overall, academic performance. Significance of the Research Education has long been heralded as a means of social mobility. Accordingly, proponents of academic achievements link education attainment to a successful future. Nevertheless, the job market has become very competitive in the 21st century than ever before. This implies that students who fail to achieve high grades stand no chance of competing favorably in the job market. Within such a context, academic achievement tops the agenda for many discussions within government and academic circles. By studying the correlation between cigarette smoking and high school achievement, the proposed research underscores the role that education plays in personal development. The research will, firstly, establish the link between cigarette smoking and high school achievement. Secondly, the research will identify the prevalence of cigarette smoking among high school students and the factors that contribute to this prevalence. Thirdly, the research aims at establishing the effects of cigarette smoking on high school stude