IMPACT OF SINGLE PARENTING ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF

STUDENTS

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A Research Proposal
Medical Technology Department
St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

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In partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the subject
Mathematics in the Modern World
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By:
Julius P. Fronda
Rhea Joy Mora
Justine Helena Agustin
Background of the study

In societies throughout the world, family has played an important role in supporting and
providing resources to family members (Park 2007). The families are necessary for reasons of
survival. For instance, they strengthen the chances for economic security, intergenerational
socialization and for the emotional support of children and adolescents. Often times when we think
of the definition of family, a picture of a father, a mother, and children comes into mind. However,
the definition of family has changed and broadened these days. For example, there is recognition
of cohabiting couples, same sex couples with children, and single-parent households as family.

Based on a World Health Organization-funded study by the Department of Health and the
University of the Philippines-National Institute for Health, at least 14 to 15 percent of the estimated
94 million Filipinos are solo parents, or about 14 million.

Taking off from this study, the FSPL estimates the current number of solo parents to an
estimated 15 million in which 95 percent are women.. A more recent World Health Organization-
funded study by the Department of Health (DOH) and the University of the Philippines – National
Institute for Health (UP-NIH) placed the number of solo parents at 14 to 15 percent of the estimated
94 million Filipinos. Today, around 13.9 or 14 million Filipinos are solo parents struggling to
support their families and raise their children alone. According to the National Statistical
Coordination Board (NSCB), there are around three (3) million children in solo parent homes in
the Philippines today. These are children of single parents, widows, and kids of migrants or
overseas workers.

Single parents may have profound negative impact on student’s academic performance as
parents play an important role in most children’s academic development. Previous research
indicates that children from both parents perform better than children from single parents. This
was attributed to the limited time a single parent has to spend on their child’s academic work.

This study is therefore to investigate the effects of single parenting on student’s academic
performance among Saint Paul University Philippines students
 Statement of the Problem

Parenthood is challenging enough even under the best of conditions. So, being a single
parent in our society is tasking to say the least. This is because, with one parent, the challenges are
multifaceted. Single parenting in our society has been the focus of much interest and research in
recent years According to Funmilayo Oriyomi (2011), a communicator, “The effect of single
parenting are far reaching because it does not only affect the parents, it also affects the children.
In fact, the effects are more devastating on the part of the children because single parenthood leaves
them with deep scars. Being a single parent is a very tough and challenging task.

Many of the problems that single parents have, are similar to those of two parents family,
but these problems seems more difficult to bear or manage when the home is being tutored by only
one person. For example, all children feel hostile towards their parents as they grow-up and try to
be independent. But in a situation, where the anger and rebellion are all directed towards one
person, it may seem worse, if there is only one to bear it, not for the two to share.

There are some problems that are exceptional, which are only faced by the single parent,
which make it somewhat difficult to raise children. These problems include bitterness towards
the absent spouse, loneliness, poverty and insecurity about raising children alone without a help.
For these and some other reasons, single parents sometimes cling to their children or over
indulge them. Members may unrealistically expect that the family can function like a two-parent
family and may feel that something is wrong when it cannot.

Children are increasingly socialized by influencers outside the immediate family. As a

result of poor parental care and guidance caused by divorce, separation or death of a partner,
children are exposed to potentially damaging situations (Olaleye, Y.L and Oladeji David, April
2010). When a mother is out of a home, leaving the children under the charity and mercy of step-
mother, these children are prone to many problems such as poor feeding, negligence, not inspired
to study or learn diseases and sicknesses, emotional disturbance (fear, insecurity) as such, they are
not likely to perform up to expectation in school. Step parents do not show much love and affection
to their step children. Thus, these children suffer from mental retardation, personality disorders
and are miserable. They show behavioral response like lying, stealing, and playing truant in school.
There is increase in domestic work and redistribution of household chores, which leave the
children with little or no time for their studies (Adelani Tijani and Ogunbanwo B, 2008).

Review of Related Literature

Conducted studies on effects of single parenting gives ample evidence that single parenting
generates a lot of effects on the well-being of the students living under such conditions. Hilton and
Desrochers (2002) posits that the parent’s psychological that occurs in children after a divorce has
a direct effect on their well-being. Undeniably, all parents want their children to do well at school,
but not all parents are willing in putting strategies in place to facilitating the success and progress
of their children (Nelson, 2009). Adolescents and young adults need educational assistants from
their families, especially with their immediate parents to be able to succeed in their higher
education and their life as well. Tope (2012) pointed out that, because of the impact that single
parenting has on the development of children’s personality traits, as well as social and academic
achievements, it is necessary and worthwhile that it should be given the needed attention.

Similarly, Jacobs and Harvey (2005) indicated in their study that single parenting serves as
one of the major contributors to student’s academic attainment in schools. They further established
that most children under the guidance of single parents are seriously affected in the pursuit of their
educational career as they grow. According to them, these effects comes most of the time from the
single mother or father who does not have adequate resources to support their children’s
educational enterprise. Clark and Hamplova (2013) found out that most children under the
supervision of single parenting lose concentration of their academics. The above ample evidence
in literature insinuates that single parenting is correlated with children’s school achievement.
Inconsistency and poor parenting given to children are correlated with lower grades in children
performance.

Many studies have documented the challenges faced by children living under single parents
and its d sized effects on their performance. Even though, some of these studies have been
unconvincing, a majority of them reviewed show that children from single-parent homes score
lower on tests items in their class, poor thinking abilities and eventually complete fewer years of
school as compared to children from two-parent homes (Glasgow, Dornbusch, Troyer, Steinberg,
& Ritter, 2004).

In a study conducted by Kim (2004), it was pointed out that parental involvement in the
school environment appears greater because most parents engaged themselves in some school
activities such as Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA). Some also spends enough time to discuss
the potentials of their children, others parents discuss school work and make sure that their children
do their exercises, homework, projects. The results further showed that responsible couples are
more likely to involve in their children’s education than single parent.
 According to Berk (2000), the differences in academic performance of children will exist
when children living under single parents are provided with the need academic as compare to
children who enjoy all the academic benefits. Berk further explained that in two parent’s homes,
both the parents have a significant role to play in child’s education lifetime. The role of the father
is to give the necessary learning aids for the child educational advancement, whilst the mother is
to serve as a supplement to the father's efforts in order to give the best to the child. Kelly and
Emery (2003) in their study examined the effects of family structure and parenthood on the
academic performance of students. They pointed out that students from single sometimes perform
poorly due to the fact that they do not get external support from the parents.

PROPOSED STUDY

Data to be collected

In this research, data will be collected both through primary and secondary sources, the
survey method was adopted with the researcher going to the field himself. Questionnaires will be
administered to respondents and completed. Data collection through secondary sources includes;
data collected from text books, journals and internet with references shown in the bibliography.
All the questions will be asked are close ended. This facilitates coding and allow for comparison
and responses. A total of one hundred and fifty (150) were administered. The choice of self-
administered questionnaires is due to the fact that all respondents are literates. Another basis for
the selection of adolescent respondents is because of their cognitive maturation and capacity to
retrieve stored data for exercises such as this one.

Methods of Data Collection and instrument to be used

The research design that will be used in this work is survey design. This design aims at
collecting samples from the population in order to examine the distribution, incidence and
interaction of sociology and psychological variables. Surveys oriented towards the determination
of the status of a given phenomenon rather than towards the isolation of causative factors as
experimental research seek after. Parenting or child upbringing is a practical social situation. Using
survey design will afford the researcher the opportunity to answer the research questions and also
test the hypotheses in the work. Thereafter, suggestions for improvement will be made.
 A sample size of one hundred and fifty (150) students was selected for the study in other
for the test of statistical significance to be viable, a sample size must be large enough to allow for
comparison of sample statistics and population parameters.

The one hundred and fifty (150) student constitute ten percent (10%) of the population
within the age range of twelve (12) to seventeen (17) years of age in Saint Paul University, and
this is considered large enough to permit test of statistical significance and hypothesis testing.

The purposive sampling technique was employed to arrive at the sample size. Purposive
sampling is the common name most authors have given to quota and judgment sampling. Quota
sampling gives a semblance of representativeness. Thus, quota sampling is to non probability what
stratified random sampling is to probability sampling, because both select sample subject to
conform to some control measures detected by some inherent characteristics of populations of
interest.

The sample size for this study constitutes equal number of boys and girls. In other words,
the sample of children from single parent homes comprises thirty seven (37) boys and thirty eight
(38) girls, same is applicable for those from dual parent families.

Procedure

There are many methods of collecting data in social sciences. These include the
questionnaire methods, interview techniques, observation method comprising both participant and
non-participant methods, etc. However, in this research, data were collected both through primary
and secondary sources, the survey method was adopted with the researcher going to the field
himself. Questionnaires were administered to respondents and completed. Data collection through
secondary sources includes; data collected from text books, journals and internet with references
shown in the bibliography. All the questions asked are close ended. This facilitates coding and
allow for comparison and responses. A total of one hundred and fifty (150) were administered.
The choice of self-administered questionnaires is due to the fact that all respondents are literates.
Another basis for the selection of adolescent respondents is because of their cognitive maturation
and capacity to retrieve stored data for exercises such as this one.
 Method of Analyses

This study adopted the simple percentage and Kendell’s measure of concordance. These
techniques are used because they are easy to comprehend and considered adequate for the analysis.
Using the Kendell measure of concordance (w), the following steps were applied:

Step1: Add the rank for each problem and for all the problems
Step2: Square the total rank for each problem
Step3: Add a square total to get ∑RT2
Step4: Use the result to determine the sum of squares for the rank.
Step5: Use the sum of squares in the following formula to obtain Kendell’s (w). Step 6: Test for
significance of the w by using the chi square statistics.

Discussion of how the proposed study will address the problem identified

This proposed study will awake the awareness of the parents which they will realize that
there are bad consequences in the academic performances of the students through single parenting.
For this reason, they will become aware and will increase their knowledge on how to properly
handle their children. This proposed study will help the parents to make good and appropriate
decisions for the growing of their children which will contribute to their good academic
performances. The parents will be able to give a necessary attention and proper care to their
children to help them achieving good academic performances.

References

Abankwa .A. (2013) “Relationship between Single Parenting and Academic Performance of
Adolescents in Senior High Schools: A case study of Afigya Sekyere District in Ashanti Region.

Adelani .T. and Ogunbanwo .B. (2008) “Emergence of Single Parenthood in Nigeria and Its
Implication on Child Rearing” Department of Nursing, Ladoke Akintola University of
Technology, Osogbo. Continental J. Nursing Science. Wilolud Online Journals.

Amato, P. And Keith, B (2000) “Parental Divorce and the Well-being of Children” A Meta
Analysis. psychological Bulletin, 110,26-46.

Amato, P.R and Reza, S.J (1994) “Contact with Non-Resident Parents, Inter Parental Conflict and
Children’s Behaviors”. Journals of Family Issues 15:191-207.

Azuka-Obieke, U. (2013) “Single Parenting, Psychological Well-being and Academic

Performance of Adolescents” University of Lagos, Nigeria.