The Relationship Between Parenting Styles and Academic Performance Among Students in Mixed-Day Secondary Schools in Karuri Ward, Kiambu County, Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70619/vol6iss4pp19-31-836Keywords:
Parenting Styles, Academic Performance, Mixed-Day Secondary SchoolsAbstract
Academic performance is often linked to factors such as school atmosphere, the subject teacher, and students’ effort. Compared with other factors, parenting styles appear to have a far greater influence on most students' academic outcomes. The objective of this study was to affirm whether there is a relationship between parenting styles and academic performance among students in a mixed-day secondary school in Karuri ward, Kiambu County. The study used Diana Baumrind, Uri Bronfenbrenner’s, and Bandura's theories. The study used simple random sampling. Correlational research design and survey data collection methods were used in this study. The study targeted a population of 1,027 students in mixed-day secondary schools in Karuri ward, with a sample of 280 students and 12 key informants (teachers). The collected data were analyzed using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28 to determine relationships between variables, while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis and presented verbatim. The Perceived Parenting Style Scale was used to assess parenting styles and academic performance. 76% of the students performed below average due to an authoritarian parenting style, 14.3% of the respondents agreed to be average in academics, which is associated with either a permissive or neglectful parenting style, while 9.0% of the respondents agreed to be above average, which is associated with an authoritative parenting style. The findings indicated a strong positive correlation (r = .621**; p = .000) at the 0.01 significance level. In conclusion, the study affirms that an authoritative parenting style is positively correlated with students' academic performance, whereas authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful parenting styles are negatively correlated with it in mixed-day secondary schools. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education implement parenting programs within the education system to inform parents about the consequences of their parenting practices on students' academic performance.
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