Effects of parenting styles on the academic performance of students in Ablekuma North Municipal

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of parenting styles on the academic performance of Junior School students in the Ablekuma North Municipality of the Greater Accra Region Ghana. Descriptive survey research design was adopted with a population of 345 students and a sample size of 243 students. A structured questionnaire self-designed by the researcher was used for the study. Frequency and simple percentage were used to analyse the gender difference among the respondents while mean and standard deviation, independent sample t-test and Pearson product moment correlation were used to analyse research question 2 and 3 respectively. The study revealed that authoritative, authoritarian and permissive parenting styles are not types of parenting styles adopted by parents of JHS students in the Ablekuma North Municipality. It was also revealed that there is a difference between male and female students‟ academic performance when authoritative and permissive parenting were identified as influencing the academic performance of the students. The study concluded that students under the control of authoritarian parent are likely to develop higher timidity and/or low academic performance and poor academic performance than those who are under the control of permissive parents. The study therefore recommended that school counsellors under the Ghana Education Service, teachers and parents should assist students who have been identified as being influenced negatively by authoritative or authoritarian parenting to come to terms with reality and understand the dangers that are associated with forceful control of their children as far as their future life and academic life is concerned.