MImipraiseInfluence of Parenting Styles on Pupils’ Academic Performance in Social Studies
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to examine the influence of parenting styles on pupils’ academic performance in social studies among primary schools in Uyo Local Government Area. The study therefore considers three parenting styles which are:- Authoritarian, Permissive and Neglectful parenting styles.
The study adopted the simple random sampling techniques in selecting (24) primary schools with a sample size of one hundred and twenty (120) primary five pupils. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire with a five point likert scale. The collected data were analysis with the use of a Pearson Product Moment of Correlation (PPMC) based on the three research hypotheses formulated. At the end of the analysis it was revealed that the permissive parenting styles has the strongest positive relationship with pupils academic performance followed with Authoritarian parenting before neglecting parenting style.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Right from infancy, children learn and acquire traits and behavior that they exhibit throughout their life time. During socialization, parents and other authoritative figures endeavour to form children in such away as to make them acquire worth-virtues cherished by the society parents are customarily obligated to carry out this importance roles of socialization to their children into their social milieu (the social environment that you live or work in) as primary agents of socialization. They are expected to become an important influence on the emotional, cognitive and social development of children (Hughes, Kroehler and Zanden, 2011).
It is believed that there are some roles that are better performed by parent which children tends to accept most reality that any other person in their life. Therefore, parents play a highly influential role in their children’s all round development and as these roles are essentially formative, their influence in the socialization of children cannot be overemphasized. It is this understanding that brought about this study which aimed at examining the influence of parenting styles on academic performance of primary school pupils in Uyo Local Government Area.
According to Darling and Stemberg (2013) defined parenting style as an emotional climate in which parents raise their children and it is characterized by dimension of parental responsiveness and demandingness. Most of the studies on parenting style have indicated that the kind of parenting styles adopted by parents has monumental impact on children’s attitude, academic performance and carrier choice (Maccoby and Martin 2013; Mandara 2006). This under core why children raised in entirely different environment but received the same kind of parenting tends to exhibit similar characteristics and behaviours. Different parenting styles produce different characteristics traits of children including those demonstrated at school.
Parenting styles can be categorized according to the levels of parental demandingness which are controls, supervision and maturity demands and levels of parental responsiveness which are warmth acceptance and involvement (Maccoby and Martin, 2013). Parenting styles have often been presented as a three-category structure which is authoritarian, neglectful and permissive parenting styles Dornbusch (2007).
An authoritarian parent demands obedience from the child and tries to shape and control the child’s behavior with an absolutes set of standards. In contrast, a permissive parent tends to offer as much freedom as the child wants not demanding any form of conformity as long as the child’s physical safety is not risk. On the other hand, neglectful or uninvolved style is the kind of parenting styles wherein parents have zero involvement with the parenting process on the child. (Baumrind, 2003).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
A person’s upbringing has a profound influence on how they see the world and how they process information (Bowman, 2008) Stevenson (2008) observed that different pupils view education as having different goals this means that parenting style can create a pool of informed citizens with a developed ability to think and reason and it can be used to establish pupils who share socialization into the way things are done in a particular society. However, Broman and Stevenson fail to relate the parenting styles and academic performance of pupils. This therefore creates a gap that this study aims to fill.
Recent developments in the field of parenting and family studies have led to the renewed interest in the relationship between children’s academic performance and parenting styles. These developments have heightened the need for the study on children’s academic performances since the family is the first window of the child, parenting styles and its influence on children could greatly affect their understanding, attitude and academic performances. Accordingly, there are several research works done on parents-child relationship and children’s academic achievement and behaviours that are required for a successful adoption to the society and the family (Ladd and Pattit, 2002). However, few scholars have focused on the children’s academic performance; more so, most of the studies have focused on developed countries which have different characteristics and experience. Therefore, this study investigates the influence of parenting styles on academic performance of pupils in primary schools in Uyo Local Government Area.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study was to examine the influence of parenting styles on pupils’ academic performance in social studies among primary schools in Uyo Local Government Area. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to:
(i) Examine the influence of authoritarian parenting styles on pupils’ academic performance in social studies.
(ii) Examine the influence of permissive parenting styles on pupils’ academic performance in social studies.
(iii) Determine the influence of neglectful parenting styles on pupils’ academic performance in social studies.
1.4 Significance of the Study
(i) The finding of the study will be significantly importance to the pupils as they will be enlightened on who their parenting styles affect their academic performance.
(ii) Also the finding will be utmost importance to the parents as they will realized the importance of parenting styles on pupils’ academic performance.
(iii) Recommendations that will be made at the end of the study will be significance to teachers as it will lead to improved academic performance.
(iv) Finally, the finding of this study will add to the body of existing knowledge and will be significant to other researcher who will carry out research study in related area to this present study.
1.5 Research Question
Three research questions were formulate to guide the studies as follows:
- How does authoritarian parenting style influence pupils’ academic performance in social studies?
- Does permissive parenting style influence pupils’ academic achievement in social studies?
- What is the influence of neglectful parenting styles on pupils’ academic performance in social studies?
1.6 Research Hypotheses
Three null hypotheses were formulated to guide the research study as stated below;
- There is no significant relationship between authoritarian parenting styles and pupils academic performance in social study.
- There is no significant relationship between permissive parenting styles and pupils academic performance in social studies.
iii. There is no significant relationship between neglectful parenting style and pupils academic performance in social studies.
1.7 Limitation of the Study
- The researcher experience challenge in accessing parent of all the pupils sample and therefore the study used parent of pupils who were in this school.
- The researcher experience challenge as she compared parent of pupils who are in boarding school to those in day school since they were in school session during the research period and their parents were dispersed in different geographical location.
- Financial constraints also imposed on the study due to high cost of materials.
- The researcher also experience time constraints as she was still an active students in the college and has to combine the research works with other academic activities in the college.
1.8 Delimitation of the Study
The scope of this study was restricted to the effect of parenting style on pupils’ academic performance in social studies among selected primary school pupils in Uyo Local Government Area. The parenting styles in this study were restricted to the following authoritarian parenting styles, permissive parenting styles and neglectful parenting styles.
1.9 Definition of Terms
The following terms are defined as being used in this study;
- Parenting Style:- These refers to the different modes through which parents raised their children from infancy to a responsible adulthood.
- Pupils:- There are learners found in primary school with age range of five and above.
- Academic Achievement:- This refers to the score obtained by the pupils from test and examination.
- Authoritarian Parenting Styles:- This refers to the process of parenting whereby children are expected to obey their parents order.
- Neglectful Parenting Styles:- this is situation whereby the parents fail to take care of their children.
MImipraise
