Parental Separation and Its Effects on Student Educational Achievement
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the Study
The objectives were to:
- Examine secondary school teachers’ perceptions on the effects of parental separation on student’s academic
- Explore the perception of students in divorces and the effects of their status on their academicperformance
- Explore community members’ views on their role in the effects of parental separation on students’ academic
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Teachers’ Perceptions on the Effects of parental separation to student’s Academic Performance
Poor academic performance is understood as falling below an expected standard. Aremu and Sokan (2003) submit that poor academic achievement is related to low motivational orientation, low self-esteem, emotional problems, poor study habits and poor interpersonal relationships. This chapter focuses on divorce as being a factor that affects negatively the academic performance of secondary school students.
Biblarz (2000) conducted a study which compared academic performance of students of divorce with students of widowed mothers. Findings concluded that students of divorcees were less likely to complete high school, attend college, or attend graduate school than students of widowed mothers. The McLanahan and Sandefur study of 1994 found that students from divorced homes were two times more likely to drop out of high school than students from two parent homes.
The longitudinal study conducted by Wallerstein determined negative correlation between divorce and school attendance, academic achievement, attitude towards learning and the ability to concentrate (Wallerstein, 1980). The study found that academic performance was not significantly related to the father or mother‘s socioeconomic level. Wallerstein concluded that the divorce did not significantly alter school performance of the group as a group, but individual effects existed. students of divorced marriages get very little support from adults. He further observed that, during this time, adult friends, relatives and teachers are hesitant to interfere.
Whitemarsh (2008) found that educators are often the first to notice a change in behavior when a family is in transition to being broken up Teachers have observed that some students from divorced families may show decreased functioning in academic performance and display oppositional behavior, or signs of anxiety and depression.
According to smith (1999), some students are flexible and adapt well to change largely due to implementing effective coping strategies, while other students may react in the opposite way. students may lose confidence, blame themselves for the break-up, and see their parent’s separation or divorce in a complicated way. The range of feelings that a child may encounter include; disbelief and denial, sadness, loss, loneliness, depression, anger, anxiety, fear, relief and hope. Response to these feelings often results in different levels of intensity (Smith, 1999).
Effects of parental separation on School Going students
Reaction of students to divorce may be influenced by remarriage of custodial parent. According to Zinsmeister (1996), remarriage of parents can add to, rather than subtract from, the stress of a child. Divorce makes students unsafe, uncertain of the future or makes students feel that the future is bleak and they become helpless because they fear that something bad could happen to them (Wallerstein & Blakeslee, 2003). Some students perform better in school as an attempt to shut out problems at home (Lansky, 2000).
In contrast, other students may intentionally allow grades to slip in an attempt to gain attention from both parents (Richmond, 1998). students living with newly divorced mothers are more likely to be late for school and are less likely to have a help in their homework (Hetherington, 2002).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
A research design is an arrangement of condition for collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance of the research purpose with economy in procedures (Settz, 1965) cited in Kothari (1990). The study employed both qualitative and quantitative research approach. Qualitative design helps to study the narratives on the effects of parental separations on student’s academic performance from teachers, community members and students themselves. Qualitative design enabled the researcher to make sense of those perceptions by interpreting the meanings the respondents attached to divorces.
Independent variables are those attributes that have an effect in the dependent variables. In the context of this study, the independent variable is the number of divorce while dependant variable is the extent of the effects on student’s academic performance.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Characteristics of the Respondents
Sex of Respondents
The Table 4.1 shows the number of respondents with respect to their sex. According to the results it was revealed that majority of respondents 120(60%) were females and the remaining 80(40%) were males. This implies that gender was considered in selecting respondents so as to get consistent information regarding divorces from both sexes.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of Findings
This study sought to investigate the perceptions of teachers, students and the community members on the effects that divorce have on student’s academic performance. Specifically the study sought to:
- Examine secondary school teachers’ perceptions on the effects parental separation on student’s academic
- Explore the perception of students in divorces and the effects of their status on their academic
- Explore community members’ views on their role in the effects of parental separation on students’ academic
Recommendations
Recommendations for Action
On the bases of the results obtained in the research and the literature reviewed, the following are recommended.
- The community members including teachers, neighbors and all students lovers should make it their responsibility for all the students regardless of being their biological
- Schools at all levels should have a strong guidance and counseling unit to help all the students in need of special
- The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) in collaboration with Universities and religious organizations should work together and develop training programme on love, marriage and care for parents in order to educate the society on the importance of love and family care for healthy families, communities and society in
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