Abstract:
Parents adopt certain styles of parenting based on the dimensions of disciplinary
strategies, warmth and nurturance, communication styles and expectations of
maturity and control. All these styles have an impact on development of children.
This study sought to examine the effects of these parenting styles on the academic
performance of students. The design was a cross-sectional survey conducted among
students in two Senior High Schools in the Asunafo North Municipality in the Ahafo
Region of Ghana. Using multi-stage simple random technique, 322 students were
sampled for the study and questionnaires were administered to them. Pearson Chi square and Compared Means tests were used in this study. The results showed a
significant relationship between parenting styles and academic performances of
students, x 2 (n = 322) = 54.972, df = 6, p = 0.000 (P<0.05). Compared means tests,
also, revealed significant differences in academic performances of students as a result
of parenting styles and again found authoritative parenting style to be related to high
academic performances among students. However, eta or the magnitude of the effect
of parenting styles accounting for variations in academic performances of students
was weak or small, though positive (0.39, >.20<.40). Despite methodological
limitations, the findings of the study provided support to the assertion that parenting
styles related to academic performances of students. It was, therefore, proposed tha;
adopting authoritative parenting style in single-parenting and intact parenting homes,
and consistently enforcing the dimensions of parenting would lead to positive
developmental outcomes and high academic performance among students. The study
recommended policies to be enacted to create awareness among parents of the impact
of their style of parenting and dimensions on their children's academic performance.
Description:
A dissertation in the Department of Applied Linguistics,
Faculty of Foreign Languages Education, submitted to the
School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of
the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Education
(Teaching English as a Second Language)
in the University of Education, Winneba
