PARENTING STYLES AND STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

PARENTING STYLES AND STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background to the Study

Family is the fundamental and important structure of the society that has an important role in one’s life and in the society. The important of the family as a social structure is something unmistakable. Although affected by society and peers, children are more influenced by the family. The influence of the family on the children and its role in academic achievement is very great and important. 

PARENTING STYLES AND STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Correct and balanced relationship between parents and their children is one of the factors influencing both their physical and mental health. Interaction between, children and how parents communicate with their children are considered to be the most important and fundamental factors among the various factors that affect children’s development.

According to Ekanem (2004), education of the child begins from the home. He observed the home as the primary agent of socialization of the child. It is believed that the family from which a child is brought up has an influence on his or her development and academic achievement. The family is the natural entity that best protects children and provides condition necessary for their development (Johnson 2007).

The child is entitled to care, security and an upbringing that is respectful of his or her person and individuality. The primary responsibility of the parents is upbringing and developing the children. The parents also have the principal responsibility to ensure the child an adequate standard of living. The social climate or environment in which an individual finds him/herself to a large extent determines his/her behavior, personality and academic achievement (Ekanem, 2004). Consequently, parental guidance and discipline usually influence the behavior and academic achievement of the child.

Bank (2004) found that student’s academic achievement depends on the family he comes from. He observed the family as the fulcrum around which the development of the child revolves. The central figures in the family are the parents while child bearing and child rearing cannot be divorced one from the other, the type of child rearing practiced in a family, has a tremendous impact on the entire life of the child including his or her academic life.

PARENTING STYLES AND STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

It is noticeable, that the style of parenting adopted in a family can determine the academic achievement and how the child will adjust to the society emotionally. Parenting style goes a long way in determining how the child sees his or herself, perception concerning physical, social and psychological aspiration.

1.2   Statement of the Problem

Over the years, students have been performing poorly in Government in Secondary Schools in Etinan Local Government Area. This poor performance has been attributed to many factors including; learning environment, gender, socio-economic status of parents, and study habit of the learners among others (Udoh, 2004). However, Udoh (2004) fail to relate the poor academic performance of students in Etinan Local Government Area with parenting styles.

Therefore, against this backdrop is this study seeking to investigate if the poor academic performance of students in Government in Etinan Local Government Area can also be attributed to parenting styles.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of parenting styles on the academic performance of students in Government in Etinan Local Government Area. Specifically, the study was aimed at the following:

(i)     To investigate the influence of Authoritative style of parenting on academic performance of students in Government in Etinan Local Government Area.

(ii)    To investigate the influence of permissive style of parenting on academic performance of students in Government in Etinan Local Government Area.

1.4   Significance of the study

The findings of the study will be significant to parents, teachers and students as follows:

(i)     It will benefit parents in learning how their parenting styles influence their children’s performance in school.

(ii)    Teachers will be made aware of importance of learning the parenting styles that a student goes through in order to avoid poor performance.

(iii)    The study will also benefit other students in the field with the literature to support their argument and hence improved knowledge.

 

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1.5   Research Questions

The following research questions are formulated to guide the study:

(i)     To what extent does Authoritative style of parenting influence academic performance of students in Government?

(ii)    To what extent does Permissive style of parenting influence academic performance of students in Government?

1.6   Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study:

(i)     There is no significant relationship between Authoritative style of parenting and good academic performance of students in Government.

(ii)    There is no significant relationship between Permissive style of parenting and poor academic performance of students in Government.

1.7   Limitation of the Study

The limitation experienced in the study was:

(i)     Insufficient Finance: Insufficient finance was one of the limitations to the study.

(ii)    Time Constraint: As the time allowed for the completion of the study was very limited.

(iii)    Searching for materials on subject under investigation also posed a problem.

1.8   Delimitation of the Study

The study was delimited to ascertaining the influence of parenting style on the academic performance of students in Government. It was also delimited to all the senior secondary schools in ml Local Government Area.

1.9 Definition of Terms

(i)     Parenting Style: This is the different ways of upbringing children.

(ii)    Authoritative Parents: They are parents who are responsive and they do not oppress their children directive options.

(iii)    Permissive Parents: They are parents who are nurturing and responsive to the child’s needs and wishes.

(iv)   Academic Performance: This is the test or examination scores, which is used to determine the academic achievement of a student.

(v) Government: It is a science, which studies human behavior as a relationship between ends and scarce means, which have alternative uses.
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