UNIVERSITY OF GHANA – LEGON

FACULTY OF SOCIAL STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

UNIVERSITY LOGO

SINGLE-PARENTING AND ITS EFFECTS ON CHILDREN’S ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE IN ASHAIMAN.

BY

ERIC KWAKYE

(10300514)

A LONG ESSAY SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY,

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARDS OF BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE IN

SOCIOLOGY

JUNE 2013
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that, this long essay is the result of my own research work, carried out in the

Department of Sociology, University of Ghana, Legon, under the supervision of DR.KOFI

OHENE-KONADU. All bibliographies cited in this study have been duly acknowledged.

However, all errors found in this work are solely mine.

………………………………… …………………………………

KWAKYE ERIC DR. KOFI OHENE-KONADU

STUDENT

DATE: ……………………………… DATE: ……………………………..

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 DEDICATION

This long essay is dedicated to my late mother Abena Serwaa and my great grandfather Daniel

Kwaku Afriyie.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First, I thank the Almighty God for seeing my through with this project. Success is achieved

through hard work, determination and prayer.

I thank Dr. Kofi Ohene-Konadu my supervisor for his guidance, his correction and his

suggestions have made this project possible.

I also thank my parents for financing the entire project.

My sincere gratitude goes to all my friend and sibling; Charlotte Hagan and Owusu Alexander,

who supported me during the project.

Finally, I express appreciation to parents and schools that took part in the research.

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 ABSTRACT

The study intended to investigate the single-parent and its effects on children‟s academic

performance in Ashaiman. The purpose of the study was to find out the influence of family

pattern on the academic performance and truancy behaviour of students.

Descriptive survey research design was employed. A total of 80 parents whose children attend

Junior High School were randomly selected and the academic records of students were obtained

from the head of the schools.

Personal data forms were used to collect information on their age, sex, religion, level of

education, ethnic background and the type of home.

Independent t test was used to analysis the hypotheses. In analyzing the first hypothesis, it

showed that there is no significant difference between the academic performance of children

from single-parent homes and those from two parent homes.

The second hypothesis revealed that there is no significant difference between truancy behaviour

of children from single-parent homes and those from two parent homes.

These recommendations were made;

1. Children from single-parent homes should be counselled on self-esteem, self-concept,

2. Marital disagreement should not result in divorce but should be handle with love and care

3. Parents should involve themselves in their educational such as helping them to solve their

assignments.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLES PAGE

DECLARATION i

DEDICATION ii

ACNOWLEDGEM ENT iii

ABSTRACT iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS v

LIST OF TABLES ix

LIST OF FIGURES x

CHAPTER ONE

1. 0 INTRODUCTION / BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1

1.1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.2 STATEMENT OF PEOBLEM 3

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 4

CHAPTER TWO

2.1.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1.1 THEORETICA L FRAMEWORK 5

2.1.2 SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM AND SINGLE PARENTING 6

2.1.3 SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF CHILDREN 7

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2.1.4 LITERATURE REVIEW 9

2.1.5 INTRODUCTION 9

2.2.0 SINGLE PARENT FAMILY 9

2.2.1 FATHER ABSENCE HOMES 11

2.2.2 BOYS VERSUS GIRLS 13

2.2.3 TRUANCY 14

2.2.4 EFFECTIVE WAYS OF IMPROVING SCHOOL ATTENDANCE 18

2.2.5 SIGNIFICA NCE OF THE STUDY 20

2.3.0 HYPOTHESIS 20

2.3.1 DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS 21

CHAPTER THREE

3.1.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 22

3.1.1 INTRODUCTION 22

3.1.2 STUDY AREA 23

3.1.3 TARGET POPULATION 24

3.1.4 STUDY POPULATION 24

3.1.5 SAMPLING FRAME 24

3.2.1 SAMPLING DESIGN 24

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3.2.2 SAMPLING SIZE 25

3.2.3 METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION 26

3.34 SOURCE OF DATA 26

3.3.4 DATA ANALYSIS 27

CHAPTER FOUR

4.1.0 DATA PRESENSTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS 28

4.1.0 INTRODUCTION 28

4.1.1 SOCIO-DEM OGRAPHIC DATA 29

4.1.2 SEX OF RESPONDENTS 29

4.1.3 AGE OF RESPONDENTS 30

4.1.4 RESPONDENTS WHO HAVE ATTENDED SCHOOL 31

4.1.5 LEVEL OF EDUCATION 32

4.2.1 THE RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION OF RESPONDENTS 33

4.2.2 THE ETHNIC GROUP OF RESPONDENTS 34

4.2.3 RESEARCH MAIN FINDINGS 35

4.2.4 MARITAL STATUS 35

4.2.5 REASONS FOR BEEN A SINGLE PARENT 37

4.3.1 EMPLOYM ENT STATUS 38

4.3.2 CURRENT OCCUPATION 39

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4.3.3 THE RESPONDENTS‟ CHILD SCHOOL 40

4.3.4 RESPONDENTS HELPING THEIR CHILDREN TO SOLVE THEIR ASSIGNMENTS 41

4.3.5 SOME FORM OF PUNISHMENTS IN SCHOOL 42

4.4.1 CLASS POSITION OF RESPONDENTS CHILDREN 43

4.4.2 NUMBER OF DAYS RESPONDENTS CHILDREN ABSENT THEMSELVES FROM SCHOOL 44

4.4.3 CROSSTABULATION OF SEX AND AGE 46

4.4.4 CROSS TABULATION OF SEX AND LEVEL OF EDUCATION 47

4.4.5 THE EFFECT OF TRUANCY ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEM ENT OF CHILDREN 48

4.5.1 HYPOTHESIS 49

4.5.2 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 51

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1.0 SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION 52

5.1.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 52

5.1.2 CONCLUSION 54

5.1.3 RECOMMENDATIONS 55

5.1.4 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 56

5.1.5 BIBLIOGRAPHIES

5.7 APPENDIX

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 CHAPTER ONE

1.0. INTRODUCTION/ BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1.1. INTRODUCTION

Sociological writing on the family has long been dominated by two themes: universality and decline.

The theme of universality asserts that the family exists in all human societies

For a number of compelling reasons, people cannot live as solitary creatures nor can human females raise

their young by themselves as mother cats do.

Hence, human beings live always in groups containing adults of both sexes as well as children termed as

family and membership in the family is determined by ancestry and sexual unions.

The second theme in modern sociological writing on the family is that, despite the universality of the

family in modern societies, the family is in decline.

Families are now shrunken and unstable, and the modern family is increasing unable to provide for the

well-being of its members.

Modern family is increasingly unable to provide for the well-being of its members. One of such change

in the family structure is single-parent family.

Single parenting is a very important social issue that can have significant effects on a child‟s academic

success. Children who are raised in a single family home are at risk of not reaching their full potential.

Students within our educational system encounter many challenges in their family lives that they bring

with them into the classroom.

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The family structure, ideally, provides a sense of security and stability that is necessary for children.

When there is a breakdown in the family structure, it may have a tremendous impact on a child and their

ability to function ordinarily or achieve academically. In most situations, the child no longer has two

parents to depend on. Therefore they have to rely on one parent to meet most, if not all their needs.

With limited finances, time and availability parents are less likely to provide the adequate support a child

needs to perform to the best of their ability. This is not to say, necessarily, that the parent raising them is

not providing them with more than adequate love and attention, but rather the single parent model within

itself is comprised of many different factors that can affect a child‟s level of academic success.

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 1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Education is assumed to be the great equalizer in our society. There are inspirational stories of women

and men who, after a tough childhood or adulthood complete their education become successful members

of society and are held as role models.

The study will investigate single-parenting and its effects on children‟s academic performance.

There are many students within our school system that come from single-parent families. Due to the many

issues that stem from the single-parent families, some students are unable to reach their full potential.

As the single-parent families become the norm in society, it is necessary to find a way to address this

issue so as to provide students and parents with solutions to help them achieve their highest ability

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 1.3 OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the research is to find out the effect of single-parenting on children‟s educational

performance.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. To find out the difference between the academic achievement of students from single-parent

homes and those from two-parent homes

2. To find out the difference between truancy behaviour of students from single-parent homes and

two-parent homes.

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 CHAPTER TWO

2.1.0. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1.1. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The theoretical framework for this study is symbolic interactionism. Symbolic interactionism is a

perspective which relies on the symbolic meaning that people develop and rely in the social

interaction.

It is a sociological perspective on self and society based on the ideas of George Herbert Mead

(1934), Charles H. Cooley (1902), W.I Thomas (1981) and other pragmatists associated with the

University of Chicago in the early twentieth century.

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2.1.2. SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM AND SINGLE-PARENTING

Through social interaction, we create and maintain our definition of family. As we do this, it

affects our larger social definition of what everyone‟s family should be like and how we envision

family that we create ourselves.

Within our own families, our interaction through words symbols and meaning defines our

expectations of what the family should be like. For example, how many children in the family? ,

who does the house cleaning? , who pays the bills and school fees? , and who should be the head

of the family?

As a family, we collectively create and maintain a family definition on which members agree.

Problems arise when there is conflict about how the family is defined. Society assigns meanings

to particular family groups or relations.

More than a half a century ago, when a child was born to unmarried parents, it was assumed that

the child was unwanted and that the child‟s future would be less promising and single-parent

family was rare in society.

There was a major social stigma with being referred to as single-parent and children from such

family. As society modernizes, the social stigma attached to single-parent family has disappeared

and the traditional definition is a couple with children is now been challenged.

Therefore, the acceptance of single-parent family is normal family depend one‟s own definition

of a family and the society in which one lives.

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2.1.3. SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF CHILDREN

Symbolic interactionists emphasize on the function of education as socialization and helping

young people transition from home to the larger society. Interactionists emphasizes on the

relations and transactions in the school.

They emphasized that the academic performance of children influenced by their parents

involvement in their education, their teachers and the role of the child as a student.

The teacher is usually the first authority figure for children outside the family. Hargreaves and

others emphasize that the ways in which teachers make sense and respond to their pupil‟s

behaviour affect their academic performance.

Rosenthal and Jacobson found that when teachers labelled students as bright and praised them,

the students react in a positive way and the original prediction is fulfilled but if teachers labelled

students as not bright, the students react in negative way and the original prediction is fulfilled.

This process is called labeling. Labeling is where teachers attach a „‟ label‟‟ to their students as

being bright, hardworking or lazy. The labeling results in fulfilling prophecy. This affects the

way students perceive themselves and consequently their academic performance.

Roles are the behavioural expectations associated with a status within a set of relationship,

constitute a major link between social and personal organization. If students play their roles

successfully, it will have a positive affect on their academic performance however if students

failed to play their unsuccessfully, it will have a negative affect on their academic performance.

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For instance, if students attend school regularly, pay actively attention in class and perform their

assignments, this will have positive affect on their academic performance.

Parents are the first authority figure which the child comes in contact with and they are the first

to socialize the child. Parents actively involvement in their children‟s education such as

providing for their children basic school needs and helping them in solving their home work.

This will have positive affect on the children‟s academic performance but when parents do not

actively participate in their children‟s education, this will have negative affect on their children‟s

academic performance.

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 2.1.4. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1.5. INTRODUCTION

The literature review has been focused on single-parent and its effects on children‟s academic
performance in Ashaiman.

The review includes single-parent homes, father absence homes, boys versus girls, truancy, and
effective ways of improving school attendance.

2.2.0. SINGLE-PARENT FAMILY

In human context, the family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity or co-
residence. In most societies, a normal family is considered to be the “immediate group of father,
mother and children living together ‟‟.

This may be more specifically defined as “nuclear family” (Berelsen and Steiner 1964). The idea
of a normal family has now been affected by the rapid growing of single-parent family in most
societies.

Single-parenthood can be defined as when one out of two people who is responsible for the
nurturing and child rearing is not available and the work meant for two people is now carried out
by only one person.

According Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, single-parenting has been defined as a

mother or father who looks after children on their own without the other partner.

Single-parenting can be defined as a situation in which one of the two individuals involved in the
conception of the child is responsible for the upbringing of the child. (Whitting and Child (1993),
Eshelman (1981) and Henslim (1985)).

In the United States, almost half of all children age 15 will have lived under a single-parent
(Andersson (2002). The percentage of single-parent families have tripled in the past fifty(50)
years and has continued to be larger among Latino and African American families when
compared to the general population ( U.S Census,2010).

In 2000, 27% of all U.S children living were in single-parent families; among African American
families 53% were living with only one parent. (Sigle-Rushton and McLanahan, 2004). The vast
majority of these single-parents homes are headed by women. Debell (2008) reported that single-
father homes represent 7% of total single-parent homes in the country.

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Single-parent may arise when either the male or female decides to produce and rear a child
outside wedlock (Ortesse, 1998). The charter of the organization of “Partners without parents”
indicated that single-parenthood is the result of death, divorce, separation or who is unmarried.

In Ghana, the existence of single-parenthood was unknown and where they existed, they were
ignored as exceptional cases. However nowadays, there are rapid growing family patterns both
inside and outside Ghana.

In Ghana, among our ethnic groups, the parental roles are culturally determined and distributed.
The maternal roles are that of child-rearing, home training and playing of complimentary roles
whiles that of the father role is of economic responsibilities. In her work “Marriage and
Families”, Nijole V Benokraitis PhD in sociology defines mother as the expressive roles players
who provide the emotional support and nurturing that sustain the family unit.

According to Nwachukwu (1998), children from single-parents are more hostile, hyperactive and
aggressive in nature. Many of the problems faced by single-parent are similar to that of two
parents but these problems seen more difficult to bear or manage when the home is tutored by
only one person. For example, all children feel hostile toward their parents as they grow up and
try to be independent but in a situation, where the anger and rebellion are directed toward one
person, it may seem worse if there is only one person to bear it not for two to share.

There are some problems which are only faced by the single-parents which make it difficult to
raise children. These problems include bitterness towards the absent spouse, loneliness, poverty,
insecurity about raising children without a help.

The child is morally upright, mentally upright and emotional balance when the caring
responsibilities are carried out by both parents. Sociology of Education makes us aware that the
first primary social group that the child belongs to, come in contact with and this group has a
greater influence on the child‟s physical mental and moral mental and moral development.

The family lays the foundation of education before a child goes to school and personality that the
child tales to school is determined by the family (Maduewesi and Emenogu, 1997). Fadeiye
(1985) pointed out that both parents have their own roles to play in child‟s education. The father
is to provide every necessary tool for the educational advancement while the mother is expected
to supplement the efforts of the father.

Many studies have documented the challenges faced by single parents and the disadvantages of
their children relative to children raised from two parent households.

Although, some studies have been inconclusive, majority of studies reviewed that children from
single-parent homes score lower on tests of cognitive functioning and standardized tests receive
lower GPAS and complete fewer years of school when compared to children from two parent -

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homes. (Bain, Boersma and Chapman 1983, Balcom 1998, Biller 1970, Chapman 1977, Daniels
1986, Downey, Ainsworth-Darnell and Durfur 1984, Mandara and Murry 2006).

Even when controlling for economic and racial differences of the family, children from two-
parents households outperform children from one-parent households across a variety of
measures. (Downey 1994, Kim 2004, Krein and Beller 1998, Mulkey, Crain and Harrington
1992 and Teachman 1987).

McLanahan and Sandefur summarize the research by writing:

Children who grow up in a household with, only one biological parent are worse off on average
than children who grow up in households with both of their biological parents, regardless of the
parents‟ race or educational background, regardless of whether the parents are married when the
child was born and regardless of whether the resident parent remarries.

It is widely believed that children from broken homes have high incidence of academic,
emotional and behavioural problems than children from two-parent family. An analysis of data
by NAEP (National Association of Educational Procurement) 1986, indicated that third graders
living with one-parent score considerably lower than third graders living with both parents.

2.2.1. FATHER ABSENCE HOMES

Fathers have a critical role to play in ensuring positive outcomes for their children. Major studies

across the world which follow families over time have found father‟s involvement with their

children linked with higher educational achievement and higher educational mobility. For

example, in the United Kingdom, fathers‟ involvement with their 7 and 11 year old children is

linked with their better national examination performance at age 16 (Lewis et al, 1982) and their

educational attainment at age 20 ( Flouri and Buchanan2,004 ).

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In 1992, British sociologists Dennis and Erdos found unemployed fathers‟ support for their

children support from their children‟s education strongly connected with those children‟s

education strongly connected with those children‟s escape from disadvantage.

Several reliable studies have shown high levels of interest by a father‟s in his child‟s schooling
and education, his expectations for their achievement and his direct involvement in their
learning, education and school associated with children‟s better exam / test / class results, higher
levels of educational qualification, greater progress at school, better attitudes toward higher
educational expectations.

Early, research of single-parent homes focused on" father absences”. The interest in father
absence homes were due to the large number of single-parent females headed households and to
the influence of psychoanalysis theories that called the attention to the important of the presence
of fathers in the development of child‟s personality.

In 1970 literature e review, Biller reported evidences showing a correlation between fathers‟
absence and child delinquency. He also showed evidence that fathers absence boys have more
difficulty forming peer relationship and long lasting heterosexual relationship as compared to
boys raised in fathers present homes.

Baines (1983) showed that fathers absence third graders performed significantly worse in
academic achievement and scored lower in a measure of internal locus of control than fathers
present. Chapman (1977) reported lower SAT scores among father absence males compared to
father present males.

In 1984, Fry and Scher found evidence suggesting poor ego development, low motivation and
external locus of control among ten years old children from fathers‟ absence homes. Daniels
(1986) in his study of young African American men discovered that the length of fathers‟
absence from the homes was the strongest predictor of future employment for the young men.

Johnson and Medinans (1968) cited in Ortesse (1998) found that most medical students whose
father s had been absent while they were at ages one to five of life were more psychiatric,
psychopathic and criminalistic in nature than those whose fathers were present during this
period.

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 2.2.2. BOYS VERSUS GIRLS

A number of studies have documented differences between boys and girls raised in single-parent
homes. In their review, Hetherington et al ( 1983) conclude that the “ intellectual and social
development of males may be seen as more adversely affected by living in one-parent homes
than females from similar circumstances.

Studies published since Hetherington et al have reported similar results. Fry and Scher (1984)
discovered that academic achievement scores of boys declined significantly over a five years
period of living in single-parent homes while the scores of girls in similar home environment
remained stable.

In 1998, Krein and Beller documented a significant negative effect of the number of years spent
in single-parent homes on educational attainment for all groups except Caucasian women.

According to their findings, Caucasian males spending 18 years in a single-parent homes

complete 1.7 fewer years of school as compared to Caucasian males spending 18 years in a two-
parent homes .African American males complete 1.26 fewer years of school, and African
American females complete0.73 fewer years of school when compared to their counterparts
living in two-parent homes but for Caucasian women, the difference was only 0.03 years.

In their recent study of African American adolescents, Mandara and Murray (2006) found father
absences to be a significant risk factor for drug use among boys but not among girls. They
reported that African American boys in a father absences homes were almost six times more
likely to use drugs than African American boys in a father presents homes, while the risk factor
for African American girls was the same regardless of the number of parents in the home

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 2.2.3. TRUANCY

As a general rule, children must attend school from the time they are enrolled in kindergarten
until they are 18 years old. Children are considered truant if they miss seven (7) or more days
without a lawful excuse.

Truancy is a term used to describe any intentional absence caused by students of their own free
will and usually does not refer to legitimate excused absence, such as ones related to medical
conditions. It also refers to students who attend schools but do not attend classes.

Truancy is the term referring to absence that is associated with the most brazen students‟
irresponsibility and results in the greater consequences. An Audit report from office For Standard
in Education noted that least 400000 out of the 40000 pupils absent from school each day are
truanting or being kept off schools by their parents without permission.

In the United States, truancy has been labeled as one of the ten major problems in the country‟s
school system which h negatively affects the future of the student. In fact, absentee rates have
reached as high as 30 percent in some cities.

In New York City, about 150,000 out of 1,000,000 students are absent daily. School officials are
unsure what portions of the absences are legitimately excusable. The Los Angeles Unified school
district reports that 10 percent of its students absent each day. A mere half of these students
return with written excuses. Forty public schools in Detroit, the attendance officers investigated
66,400 truant complaints during the 1994-95 school years. (Ingersoll and Leboeuf 1997)

Data from Wisconsin show that during the 1998-1999 school year, 15600 students or 1.6 % of
enrolled students were truant per day. Truancy accounted for about one-third (1 /3) of total
absence that year. Truancy rates in the largest urban school districts were twice as high as the
state average.

According to Sheila in library law blog (2006) said truancy occurs when a student between the
age of 6 and 17 missed a certain number of days from school within a specific period and time as
defined between the statues of the state that the child resides in. truancy usually apply to those
students they are minors because in most states, the age of an adult is deemed 18, however theses
can be exceptions based on the states.

Truancy is an issue that affects people because truancy has been associated with various criminal
behaviours such as vandalism, burglary and drug use.

Kindler, Wakefield and Wilkin (1996) reported on interviews with 160 children in age of 7 and
above for the children, the main causes of truancy and disruptions are classified and described as:

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The influence of friends and peers who are seen as a status-seeking activity, or as a way of
joining in or blending in, and sometimes teasing or goading the child into truancy.

The content and delivery of the curriculum seen as lacking in relevance and stimulus.

Family factors either parental attitudes or family problems.

Bullying in school.

The classroom content, either because of teachers‟ inability to control problems arising from the
child‟s own personality or learning abilities.

Student non-attendance is a problem that extends much further than the school. I t affects the
student, school and community. In the school, the entire class is affected when a teacher slows
down to help the truant.

The Los Angeles County office of Education identifies truancy as the most powerful predictor of
delinquency. Police departments across the nation report that many students not in school during
regular hours are committing crimes including vandalism, shoplifting and graffiti.

In 1991 and in 1993, three grand Juries in Dade County, FL analyzed the data from more than
5,000 of the country's most serious juvenile offenders and found that excessive truancy was one
of the three traits most of them had in common.

Of the 85 juveniles convicted of murder in New York State between 1978 and 1986, 57.6 % had
a history of truancy, 7.1 % did not have a history of truancy, and 35 % of the records did not
include school attendance information

A combined analysis survey data from 28 communities collected between 1980 and 2000; show
that truancy is a particularly good predictor of middle school during drug use. Truant 8 th grade
were 4.5 times more likely than regularly school attenders to smoke marijuana.

When van Nuys, California officials conducted a three-week sweep for truants on the streets,
shoplifting arrests dropped by 60 percent (Garry, 1996). Absenteeism is detrimental to student‟s
achievement promotion, graduation, self-esteem and employment potential. Clearly, students
who miss school fall behind their peers and the classroom.

In a longitudinal study of African American males, Robins and RatCliff (1978) found that of
those students who were often truant in elementary school and truant in high school, 75 percent
failed to graduate; failure to graduate in turn is associated with diminished earning potential in
adulthood and other poor outcomes.

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Data from the 2000 U.S census show that high school dropout had only a 52 percent employment
rate in 1999 compared to 27 percent for high school graduates and 83 percent from college
students of those who worked full time year –round.

In 1999, high school drop outs earned only 65 percent of the median earnings. For every race and
gender, high school drop outs claim more government funded social services expenditures than
high school graduates. For men in particular, dropouts cost incur in criminal justice costs. The
average dropout cost more $200,000 in current dollars over the course of his or her lifetime.

The views of professionals in schools and educational welfare services collected and analyzed by
Kinder, Harland, Wilkin and Wakefield (1995) and included that personal factors, family,
community factors and school factors among the causes of truancy.

Individual factors include:

Lack of self-esteem.

Lack of social skills.

Lack of confidence.

Peer relationship.

Lack of academic ability

Lack of special needs and lack of concentration or self management skills and interest.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY FACTORS. These include:

Family health or financial concerns that pressure the students to care for family members or
work during school hours.

The child is a victim of abuse or neglect.

Pressures arising from team pregnancy or parenting.

Safety issues such as violence near home or between home and school.

Parental alcoholism or drug abuse

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Negative role models such as peers who are truant or delinquents.

Parents or guardians who do not value education and are complicit in student absence.

SCHOOL FACTORS. These include

Lack of effective and consistently applied attendance policies.

Poor record-keeping making truancy difficult to spot.

Push -out policies, for example suspension as a punishment for truancy and automatic “ Fs” for
students with poor attendance.

Parents or guardians not notified of absences.

Teacher characteristics such as lack of respect for students and neglect of diverse student needs.

Unwelcoming atmosphere, for example a school with ineffective discipline policies where
bullying is tolerated.

Inadequate identification of special education needs, leading some students to feel overwhelmed
and frustrated with their inability to succeed.

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2.2.4. EFFECTIVE WAYS OF IMPROVING SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

Many school districts are struggling with high rates of truancy. Schools, teachers and

communities are seeking effective ways to deal with students who are habitually truant and to

prevent truancy in the future.

There are two primary purposes for reducing truancy. The first is to have all youth attend and be

engaged in school they will have successful productive lives. The second is to increase citizen

safety, both in the short term, through having students in school rather than out in the community

during school hours, and in the long term, through school engagement and achievement leading

to later adult responsibility and productivity.

The solutions are:

Tips for parents to improve school attendance

1. Insist that your child attends school

2. If your child does not want to go to school, find why. Talk to your child and listen for an

answer. Perhaps they have a problem you can help solve. Youth need to know the parents will

take action and support them

3. Know and understand what the school considers to be an excused absence

4. Do not enable your child to continue to defy the law by calling the school to cover their

absence

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5. If your child refuses to go to school do not be afraid to ask for help. Talk to the staff at your

child‟s school to find out what the problem is.

6. Attend school with your child until they are willing to go on their own.

7. Do not be afraid to use mediation or other counseling services.

8. Advocate for your child in the school system

2. Tips for the student

1. Attend school every day, every class one time. Everyone is good at something; attend school

to discover what makes you special and unique

2. Surprise your parents or guardian by getting yourself up for school without being told

3. If you are having problems with peers, friends, parents, teachers or others talk about it with an

adult you trust.

4. Tell an adult what you think you need to make school more successful and listen without

becoming defensive

19
 2.2.5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

From the problem statement, it was noted that the study seeks to address the single-parenting and

its effects on children‟s academic performance.

. This research for instance will help us to understand the influence of family patterns on the

academic performance and truancy among students and also if single-parenting causes truancy in

students.

It would be great importance to the academic community to detect how family patterns affect

children in their daily lives, the change in their behaviour patterns in their learning and the way

they are socialized by their parents.

This study will add up to the existing literatures on single-parenting and its effects on children‟s

academic performance. Findings from this study will help us know the types of family pattern in

Ashaiman, problems faced by them, causes of truancy among students and the way to solve this

truancy problem.

2.3.0. HYPOTHESES

1. Children from single-parent homes have poor academic performance.

2. There is no significant difference between the truancy behaviour of students from single-

parent homes and those from two-parent homes

20
 2.3.1. DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS

SINGLE PARENT

A single parent usually refers to a parent who has most of the day to day responsibilities in the

raising of the child or children, which would categorize them as the dominant caregiver who is

not living with a spouse or partner, or those who are not married.

FAMILY

Family represents people living together by ties of marriage, blood, or adoption

NUCLEAR FAMILY

A nuclear family is a family that consists of the mother, father and their children

TRUANCY

It refers to absence caused by students out of their own free will for more than one week

21
 3.1.0. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This section outlines the processes and techniques used to collect data for this research. This part

concentrated on looking at the research design, study area, target population, study population,

sampling frame, sampling design, sampling size and methods of data collection.

3.1.1. RESEARCH DESIGN

The research design for the research was descriptive social survey. Survey design was used to

collect precise information concerning the current status of phenomena.

A social survey is considered as a process whereby quantitative facts are collected about the

social aspects of a community‟s composition and its activities.

It is also a method of collecting information by putting questions to people either through

interview and questionnaire. It can be used when investigating into the current or existing social,

economic, political condition, that is the living conditions of a place, a people, a group, a

community, a society etc.

It is this reason that this study chose to use the descriptive social survey research design to

examine single-parenting and its effects on children‟s academic performance in Ashaiman.

The design adopted is appropriate and efficient to use in such as it is an accurate counter and

indicator to measure the influence of single parenthood on children‟s behaviours and academic

performance (Pamela, 2003).

22
The researcher used this research design because the study objective was to collect information

from respondents on their experiences, perceptions and opinions in relation to the study.

According to Bell, (1993), survey designates aim at obtaining information which can be

analyzed, pattern extracted and comparisons made.

3.1.2. STUDY AREA

Ashaiman is the capital of Ashaiman Municipal Assembly created in 2008 by former president
John Agyekum Kuffour. Ashaiman is the sixth most populous settlement in Ghana in terms of
population.

Ashaiman has a population of one hundred and ninety thousand, nine hundred and seventy-two
(190,972).The male population is ninety-three thousand, seven hundred and twenty-seven
(93,727) and the female population is ninety-seven thousand, two hundred and forty-five
(97,245). (Ghana Statistical Service, 2010 Population and housing census).Ashaiman is located
about four (4) kilometers to the north of Tema and about thirty (30) kilometers from Accra.

Ashaiman comes from two Ga words, Ashai (personal name) and man (town).Ashaiman was
founded by Nii Ashai in the 17th Century after he moved to Tema. He named it Ashaiman
meaning Ashai‟s town.

Nii Tetteh Amui II is now the head of Ashaiman. Ashaiman grew as others from the Dangwe
West district; precisely the Ada areas came to settle in the town and were followed subsequently
by other ethnic groups including the Ewes and the Northerners.

As Ashaiman expanded communities such as Lebanon, Middle East, Jericho and Bethlehem that
derived their names from soldiers who returned from peace-keeping duties in these countries
settled there and Zongo Laka sprang up.

23
The largest occupation in Ashaiman is commerce and those who engaged in commerce are petty
traders, foodstuff sellers and provisions store operators. Ashaiman has only one public senior
high school and health center, with their names respectively as Ashaiman senior high school and
Ashaiman polyclinic. The distinctive culture and ethnic diversity makes Ashaiman an interesting
place to conduct the research.

3.1.3. TARGET POPULATION

The target population for the study comprised of parents living in Ashaiman. The focus was on

both single parent homes and two parent homes, as this research compared the academic

performance of children from these homes.

3.1.4. STUDY POPULATION

The study population was parents whose children attend junior high school in Ashaiman.

3.1.5. SAMPLING FRAME

The sampling frame for this research consisted of all parents living in Ashaiman.

3.2.1. SAMPLING DESIGN

Since the whole population does not qualify to be included in the sample of this study, stratified

and simple random sampling method was used to select the unit of my analysis for this study.

The stratified sampling is used to divide the parents into different ethnic groups which gave

equal probability of inclusion and exclusion in the sample.

24
Simple random sampling was used to select all the units from each ethnic group with a quota to

each ethnic group. The quota sampling method was used to assign specific number to each ethnic

group.

3.2.2. SAMPLING SIZE

The sample size used for the research is 80 parents living in Ashaiman.

Ideally following how to conduct a research by Kahn and Katz, 10% of the total population has
to be used as the sample size but to tome constraints and huge cost of conducting research, the
researcher did not select the 10% of the population.
`

25
 3.2.3. METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION

This part of the research concentrated on looking at the source of data and data analysis.

3.2.4. SOURCE OF DATA

Primary and secondary data was used to collect all the necessary information for this study.

Primary data involved the use of quantitative research which focused on analysis of numerical

data from quantitative variable. The approach often follows the scientific method of data

collection by using designs that permit various levels of confidence in making causal inferences.

Administered well-structured questionnaires and face to face interviews among the respondents

were used to collect data from respondents. The questionnaire comprised of open ended and

closed ended questions.

The open ended questionnaire allowed the respondents to freely express their opinions on the

issue and give a basis for their answers and allowed the researcher to probe respondents on the

answers they gave.

Secondary data involved the use of qualitative research which focused on published text books

and unpublished books, articles, newspapers, student journals and the internet.

The approach is descriptive, interpretative, and subjective in nature. Secondary data was used to

complement the primary data. The secondary data was in the form of literature review.

26
 3.2.5. DATA ANALYSIS

Data gathered from the questionnaires administered was coded into a computer software

application (SPSS) which was used to generate histogram, bar charts, tables and other statistical

tools to analyze and interpret the results.

The coding of the study was based on questions and responses obtained from the respondents.

27
 CHAPTER FOUR

4.1.0. DATA PRESENTAION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

4.1.0. INTRODUCTION

This chapter gives details of the findings of 80 respondents on the issues of single-parenting and

its effects on children‟s academic performance in Ashaiman.

The analysis is done with regard to objectives of the study:

◊. Finding out the effects of single-parenting on children‟s academic performance

◊. Finding out the difference between the academic achievement of students from single-parent

homes and two-parent homes

◊. Finding out the difference of truancy behaviour of students from single-parent homes and two-

parent homes

This section is done with regard to the issues outlined in the main objectives of the study.

This section of the project involves the statistical analysis of data, presentation and the

interpretation of the results.

Data analysis was done with both descriptive statistics (pie chart, bar chart, frequency tables and

cross tabulation) and inferential statistics (Independent t test). The inferential statistics is used to

test the hypothesis outlined in the study while the descriptive statistics is used to present the

summary of data collected in graphical form.

28
 4.1.1. SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC DATA

This section aims to obtain some information about the sex, age, religion, level of education and

ethnic group. This would provide some essential information for better analysis and

understanding of the study problem.

Findings for this section are shown below.

4.1.2. SEX OF RESPONDENTS

TABLE 1

Cumulative

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent

Male 40 50.0 50.0 50.0

Female 40 50.0 50.0 100.0

Total 80 100.0 100.0

Question 1 of the questionnaire asked respondents about the sex of respondents. For the purpose

of this analysis, sex was categorized into two that is male and female. Out of 80 respondents, 40

respondents were male representing 50% and 40 respondents were females representing 50% as

shown in table 1 above.

29
 4.1.3. AGE OF RESPONDENTS

Question 2 of the questionnaire asked respondents about their age. 29 respondents were between

the age of 30-40 representing 36.25%, 30 respondents were between the ages of 41-50

representing 37.5%, 8 respondents were between the age of 51-60 representing 10%, 5

respondents were between the age of 61-70 representing 6.25% and 8 respondents representing

10% who do not answer the question as shown in the figure 1 below.

30
 4.1.4. RESPONDENTS WHO HAVE ATTENDED SCHOOL

Question 3 of the questionnaire asked respondents about those who have attended school before.

Out of 80 respondents, 68 respondents have attended school before representing 85%, 8

respondents have not attended school before representing 10% and 4 respondents did not answer

the question representing 5% as shown in figure 1.1 below.

31
 4.1.5. LEVEL OF EDUCATION

The question number is associated with this analysis is Q3I. 7 respondents have attended primary

school representing 8.75%, 34 respondents have attended JSS representing 42.5%, 22

respondents have attended SSS representing 27.5%, whilst 4 respondents have attended tertiary

institution representing 5% and 13 respondents did not answer the question representing 16.25%

as shown in figure 1. 2 below. This shows that majority of respondents are JSS AND SSS drop

out indicating the problem of literacy in Ashaiman.

32
 4.2.1. THE RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION OF RESPONDENTS

Question 4 of the questionnaire asked respondents about their religious affiliation. Out of 80

respondents, 59 respondents were Christian representing 77.6%, 13 respondents were Muslims

representing 17.1%, 3 respondents were traditional African worshippers representing 3.9% and 1

respondent was other religious worshipper representing 1.3% as shown in figure 1.3 above.

This shows that majority of respondents were Christians. This is supported by the 2010

population census conducted by Ghana Statistical Service which states that majority of

Ghanaians are Christians followed by Muslims

33
 4.2.2. ETHNIC GROUP OF RESPONDENTS

The question number associated with this analysis is Q5. For the purpose of this analysis, the

ethnic group was categorized into Akan, Ewe, Ga Adangbe and Gur.

Out of 80 respondents, 25 respondents belong to the Akan ethnic group representing 31.65%, 12

respondents belong to the Ewe ethnic group representing 15.19% , 32 respondents belong to the

Ga Adangbe group representing 40.5% and 10 respondents belong to the Gur ethnic group as

shown in figure 1.4 above . This indicates how Ashaiman is a distinctive society with

heterogeneous ethnic groups.

 34

4.2.3. RESEARCH MAIN FINDINGS

4.2.4. MARITAL STAUS

Question 6 of the questionnaire asked respondents about their marital status. The marital status

was categorized into single and married. The single represents single parent homes and married

represents two parent homes.

Out of 80 respondents, 47 respondents were from single parent homes representing 58.75% and

33 respondents were from two parent homes representing 41.25% as shown in figure 1.5 below.

This shows that majority of respondents were from single parent homes which shows the recent

decline in the two parent homes in the country.

35
 36

4.2.5. REAON FOR BEEN A SINGLE PARENT

Question 6i of the questionnaire is associated with this analysis. Respondents were asked about

their reason for been a single parent, out of 45 respondents who answered the question, 19

respondents said that death is the reason why they are single parent representing 42.2%, 19

respondents said that divorce is the reason why they are single parent representing 42.2%, 6

respondents said that that separation is the reason why they are single parent representing

13.3% and 1 respondent said that unmarried is the reason why they are single parent

representing 2.2% as shown in the figure 1.6 above.

This indicates that death and divorce is the major cause of single-parent in our societies.
 37

4.3.1. EMPLOYMENT STATUS

Question 7 of the questionnaire asked respondents about the status of employment. 70

respondents who answered the question said that they are employed representing 92.11%, 6

respondents who answered the question said that they are unemployed representing 7.89% as

shown in the figure 1.7 below.

This shows that majority of respondents are employed.

Those respondents who are unemployed gave reasons that, they wanted to start new business

since their own business was not doing well foe them as a result low patronage of their goods

and also, they are waiting for loans for their banks to travel to bring goods to the country.
 38

4.3.2. CURRENT OCCUPATION

Question 7i is associated with this analysis. For the purpose of this analysis, the current

occupation was categorized into respondents who work in the formal sector of the economy and

those who work in the informal sector of the economy.

Formal sector is part of the economy which is organized, taxed, monitored by government and

included in gross domestic product (GDP). Workers who fall under this are government workers

and Multinational companies and etc.

 39

Informal sector is the part of the economy that is not taxed, monitored by government and not

included in gross domestic product (GDP). Workers who fall under this include small-scale

traders, farmers and artisan and etc.

From the figure 1.8 above, 20 respondents fall under the formal sector representing 25%, 51

respondents fall under the informal sector representing 63.75% and 7 respondents did not answer

the question representing 11.25%.

4.3.3. THE RESPONDENTS‟ CHILD SCHOOL

Question 12 asked respondents about which school their child attends. Out of the 80 respondents,

42 respondents‟ children attend school at Ashaiman Presby JSS representing 52.5%, 27

respondents‟ children attend school at SDA Ashaiman JSS whilst 11 respondents‟ children attend

Ashaiman 5 JSS as shown in table 1.2 below.

Among the schools, Ashaiman 5 is owned by government while the rest of the schools are owned

by the church and the government.

TABLE 1.2. Which school does your child attend?

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Percent
Ashaiman Presby
42 52.5 52.5
JSS
SDA Ashaiman JSS 27 33.8 86.2
Ashaiman 5 JSS 11 13.8 100.0
Total 80 100.0
 40

4.3.4. RESPONDENTS HELPING THEIR CHILDREN TO SOLVE THEIR ASSIGNMENTS

Question 14 of the questionnaire is associated with this analysis. Out of 80 respondents, 42

respondents helped their children to solve their assignments representing 52.5% and 38

respondents helped their children to solve their assignments representing 47.5% as shown in

table 1.3.

This shows that majority of respondents helped their children to solve their assignments.

The respondents do not help their children to solve their assignments reasons that, they are

uneducated and they need to work for more than 10 hours before they can come home, as result

of this when they reached home, they are tired and need to find some place to sleep.

TABLE 1.3. Do you help your child to

solve his or her assignments?

Cumulative

Frequency Percent Percent

Yes 42 52.5 52.5

No 38 47.5 100.0

Total 80 100.0

41
 4.3.5. SOME FORM OF PUNISHMENT IN SCHOOL

Question 22i of the questionnaire asked respondents about some form of punishment the school

will give to their children when they intentionally absent themselves in school.

16 respondents said that caning and weeding are the punishments the school will give to their

children when they absent themselves from school representing 25.4%, 2 respondents said that

the punishment is bringing of brooms, dusters and gravels representing 3.17%, 3 respondents

said that the punishment is collecting refuse to the refuse dump representing 4.76%, 1 respondent

said the punishment is sacking their children from school representing 1.59% and 41

respondents said that the mention above punishments are applied when their children absent

themselves from school representing 65.08% as shown in figure 1.9 below.

 42

4.4.1. CLASS POSITION OF RESPONDENTS‟ CHILDREN

Question 15 of the questionnaire is associated with this analysis. 8 respondents said that their

children grade fall between 06 to10 representing 10.13%, 17 respondents said that their

children‟s grade falls between 11 to 16 representing 21.52%, 20 respondents said that their

children grade falls between 17 to 22 representing 25.32%, 29 respondents said that their

children‟s grade falls between 23 to 30 representing 36.71% and 5 respondents said that their

children‟s grade falls between 31 to 40 representing 6.33% as shown in figure 1.10.

This indicates that majority of respondents‟ children grade falls between 23 to 30.
 43

4.4.2. NUMBER OF DAYS RESPONDENTS‟ CHILDREN ABSENT THEMSELVES FROM

SCHOOL

Question 17 of the questionnaire asked respondents asked respondents about the numbers their

children absent themselves from school. 64 respondents said that their children absent

themselves from school between 0 to 5 day(s) representing 83.12%, 9 respondents said that their

children absent themselves from school between 6 to 10 days representing 11.69%, 3

respondents said that their children absent themselves from school between 11 to 16 days

representing 3.9% and 1 respondent said that their children absent themselves from school

between 17 to 21 days representing 1.3% as indicated in figure 1.11 below.

44
45
 4.4.3. CROSS TABULATION OF SEX AND AGE

Question 1 and 2 asked respondents about their sex and age.

From table 1.4, the total respondents were 72; male respondents were 35 representing 48.6% and

female respondents representing 51.4%.

The table 1.4 also shows that 16 male respondents and 14 female respondents are between the

age of 30 to 40, the total respondents under this age range are 29 representing 40.3%.

16 male respondents and 14 female respondents are between the age of 41 to 50, the total

respondents under this age are 30 representing 41.7%

3 male respondents and 5 female respondents are between the age of 51 to 60, the total

respondents under this are 8 representing 11.1%.

3 male respondents and 2 female respondents are between the age of 61 to 70, the total

respondents under of this age are 5 representing 6.9%.

TABLE 1.4

AGE

30-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 Total

SEX Male 13 16 3 3 35

Female 16 14 5 2 37

Total 29 30 8 5 72
 46

4.4.4. CROSS TABULATION OF SEX AND LEVEL OF EDUCATION

Question 1 and 3 of the questionnaire asked respondents about their age and their level of

education.

From table 1.5 below, the total male respondents are 34 representing 50.8% and the total female

respondents are 33 representing 49.2%.

The table 1.5 also shows that, 2 male respondents (5.9%) and 5 female respondents (15.2%)

completed primary, the total respondents who completed primary are 7 representing 10.4%.

20 male respondents (58.8 %) and 14 female respondents (42.4%) completed JSS; the total

respondents who completed JSS are 34 representing 50.7%.

11 males (32.4%) and 11 females (33.3%) representing 32.8% who completed SSS.

1 male respondents (2.9%) and 3 females (9.1%) representing 6%.

This shows that majority of respondents completed JSS and also majority of 20 male respondents

representing 58.8% completed JSS.

Table 1.5. Sex * Level of Education

Count
Level of Education
Middle/JSS/J GEC/VOC/S
Primary HS SS/SHS Tertiary Total
Sex Male 2 20 11 1 34
Female 5 14 11 3 33
Total 7 34 22 4 67
 47

4.4.5. THE EFFECT OF TRUANCY ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMMENT OF CHILDREN

TABLE 1.6.Does truancy affect your

child’s academic performance in school?
Cumulative
Frequency Percent
Yes 76 100.0 100.0
Total 76

The question 24 of the questionnaire asked question about the effect of truancy on the academic
performance of children.
From the table 1.6, out of 75 respondents who answered said that truancy has negative impact on
the academic performance on their children.
This is the result that their children missed the subjects taught in school which make it difficult
to cope with the rest of teaching for the term, hence them failing in their final exams.
 48
4.5.0. HYPOTHESIS TESTING

Independent Samples Test

Levene's
Test for
Equality of
Variances t-test for Equality of Means

Sig. (2-
F Sig. t df tailed)

What is the class position of Equal variances assumed .126 .720 -.100 77 .921
your child last examination
Equal variances not
she or he wrote? -.101 70.637 .920
assumed

0.05 significant level

The hypothesis examines the difference between the academic performance of children from

single parent homes and two parent homes. The hypothesis was stated that children from single

parent homes have poor academic performance.

The table above revealed, t value of -1, degree of freedom of 77 and p value of 0.921.

The null hypothesis which states that there is no significant difference between the academic

performance of children from both homes.

The null hypothesis is accepted since p value 0.921 is greater the significant level of 0.05,

therefore the hypothesis which stayed that children from single parent homes have poor

academic performance is rejected.

49
 Independent Samples Test

Statistics

Levene's Test
for Equality of t-test for Equality of
Variances Means

Sig.
(2-
Dependent variables F Sig. t df tailed)

How many days do your Equal variances assumed 7.168 1.390

.009 75 .169
child absent himself or E0 E0
herself from school?
Equal variances not 1.497 7.408
.139
assumed E0 E1

0.05 Significant

The hypothesis examines the difference between truancy behaviour of children from two parent

homes and single parent homes.

The hypothesis was stated that there is no significant difference between truancy behaviour of

children from both homes.

The table revealed t value of 1.497, degree of freedom of 74.408 and p value of 0.139. This

shows that null hypothesis is accepted because the p value 0.139 is greater than the significant

value of 0.05, therefore the hypothesis is accepted.

50
 4.5.1. DISCUSSION

The study attempted to investigate the effects single parent have on children academic

performance and truancy behaviour.

There were two hypotheses which were raised in the study; the first hypothesis stated that

children from single parent homes have poor academic background.

The result obtained in the study shows that there is no relationship between academic

achievement of children from both homes. The finding contradicts the findings of other scholars

such as Bickeley, 1976, Bokan and Akinadle, 1994, Stephens, 1994 and Agbo, 1997, who find

out that children from single-parent homes exhibit lower self-esteem, lower achievement

motivation, lower tolerance for delay gratification and lower academic achievement than those

from two parent homes when both father and mother are present.

The explanation they gave for the poor academic achievement of children from single-parent

homes that is, single-parents have so much work and family responsibilities that require time,

attention, money, she or he cannot meet with the consequence of paying less attention to the

education of his or her children.

The second hypothesis stated that there is no significant between in the truancy behaviour of

children from both homes.

The obtained in the study shows that hypothesis is accepted, this means that truancy behaviour

among students is caused by a lot of actors which include the type of family, community and the

school etc.

51
The finding contradicts the finding of scholars like Ogenyi (1998) and Tenibiaje (2011), which

they state there is significant difference between the truancy behaviour of children from single-

parent homes and those from two parent homes.

Ogenyi states that there is correlation between home circumstances and persistent truancy

behaviour without the knowledge of the parents.

Tyerman (1958) concluded that there are four factors associated with truancy and are related to

home background.

The factors according to Tyerman include:

◊. Poor relationship between children and parents

◊. Poor condition in the home

◊. The use of corporal punishment in the home

◊. Lack of parental interest in the child‟s welfare

Tyerman (1958) also stated that children who lacked material care for a significant part of their

infant lives may show symptoms of truancy.

52
 CHAPTER FIVE

5.1.0. SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION

This chapter presents the summary of findings, conclusion of the study and

recommendations. The study concerned itself to the findings of general effects of single parent

on children‟s academic performance.

5.1.1. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

The findings in this research revealed that the response rate of respondents (40 males and 40

females) was high which indicated a favorable coverage of the study objectives.

The study showed that 63.75% of respondents worked in the informal sector, as indicated by the

Ghana Statistical Service that 80% of Ghana‟s economy is the informal economy which makes it

difficult for the government to collect tax from them.

The women who worked in this sector engaged in commerce activities such as seamstress, hair

fashion designers, and the selling of crops in the market like cassava, yam, plantain and maize

etc.

Another findings of the study showed that death and divorce are the major causes of single

parent. The divorce is the result of marital disagreement between couples.

This results in early childhood development problem for children from these homes and poor

academic performance.

52
The study revealed that truancy has negative impact academic performance. 100% of

respondents who answered the questionnaire said that truancy ha negative impact on the lives of

people in general.

Truancy behaviour among children are caused by the following factors: school, community,

parent and child. Majority of criminals and unemployed in our societies are truant.

Also, the study showed some of the form of punishments the schools have instituted to prevent

truancy behaviour among students.

The schools used punishments such as caning, weeding, bringing of gravels and brooms and

sacked from school. The schools indicated that when a student absents himself or herself from

school for more ten days, the student is sacked from the school.

According to the schools, when they instituted these punishments, the average number of days

students absent themselves from school have reduced from 15 to 6, hence helping the schools to

complete their teaching courses for the term.

53
 5.1.2. CONCLUSION

Based on the data collected and analyzed, the following conclusions were made,

◊. The study revealed that the absence of a parent does not necessary has influence on the

academic performance of children as traditional believed that children from two parent homes

have good academic performance.

This means that parents has a limited role in the academic performance of their children in

schools. Therefore by, this is no relationship between single parental influence and academic

performance of children.

◊. The study revealed that there is no interaction between the truancy behaviour of children from

single parent homes and those from two parent homes are not significantly difference from each

other.

This implies that, there is no difference between the truancy behaviour of students from single

parent homes and those from two parent homes. It can be stated that the type of homes has no

significant influence on truancy behaviour of students.

Kindler, Wakefield and Wilkin (1996) reported that, the main causes of truancy and disruptions

are classified and described as:

The influence of friends and peers

The content and delivery of the curriculum as seen as lacking in relevance and stimulus

Family factors, either parental attitudes or family problems

54
Bullying in schools

The classroom room context either because teachers inability to control or problems arising from

the child‟s own personality or learning abilities.

◊. The study revealed that student non-attendance is a problem that extends much further than

the school. It affects the student, the family and the community.

Truant students become drop outs and they engaged in criminal activities such as vandalism,

shoplifting, and graffiti

5.1.3. RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations have been made

◊. Government, private organisations and individuals concerned with the business of education

should endeavor to address the obstacles hindering effective academic performance

◊. There is need for the recognition of individual differences in students and the need to deal with

them accordingly. Counsellors should provide necessary assistance and psychological support

for students from single parent family so as to overcome their emotional problem

◊. There is also the need to keep enlightening the parents of importance of the home structure on

the life of children. This necessary so that parents can understand the implications and

consequences of parental separation and to mobilize all resources to curtail the problems arising

from their separations.

55
◊.Generally, there is need to combat the continuing declining state of education by providing

more funds and materials for the equipment of our educational system

◊. Finally, school counsellors should be employed in institutions of learning and academic

supervision to be put in place to ensure provision of necessary guidance services to students

5.1.4. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

There are a lot of factors that I faced with regard to this study. These include:

◊. The researcher did not pay much attention to cultural factors or variations in life experiences

which has influenced on single parent homes

◊. There is the problem of data collection instrument which is the questionnaire. Some of the

questions were not answered.

◊. The researcher was not able to cover a large portion of Ashaiman but few places in Ashaiman

◊. The researcher was not able to have access to the number of schools that he chose his

respondents from

◊. There is also the problem of poor recording of students‟ information such as terminal report

and class attendance report.

56
 5.1.5 BIBLIOGRAPHIES

A.E. Ogenyi, (1998).The Effects of Single-parenthood on the Development of the child;

Implications for Counselling.

Bain, H., Boersma, F., & Chapman, J. (1983). Academic achievement and locus of control in

father-absent elementary school children. School Psychology International, 4, 69-78.

Balcom, D. (1998). Absent fathers: Effects on abandoned sons. Journal of Men’s Studies, 6(3),

283-290.

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families: Economic or interpersonal deprivation? Journal of Family Issues, 15, 129147.

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in single-parent households. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60, 878-893.

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 5.1.5 APPENDIX

QUESTIONNAIRE

This study is being conducted by an undergraduate student of the University of Ghana in

fulfillment of a Bachelor‟s Degree on Sociology.

This aims at finding out the effects of single-parenting on children‟s educational performance in

Ashaiman.

SECTION A

1. What is your gender? A. Male B. Female

2. What is your age? A .25-53 B.36-46 C. 47-57 D. 58 and above

3. Have you attended school before? A. Yes B. No

3i). If yes, what is last the certificate you acquired? A. Primary B. Middle/ JSS / JHS. C. GCE/

VOC/SSS/SHS. D. Post-Secondary E. Tertiary

4. What is your religion?

A. Christianity .Islam C.Traditional D. others (specify)…………………….

……………………………….

5. Which ethnic group do you belong to? ……………………………………….

60
 SECTION B

6. What is your marital status? A. single B. married

6II. if you are a single parent, what is the reason? A. Death B. Divorce C. Separation D.

Unmarried. E. Adoption

7. Are you employed? A. Yes B. No

7i. If yes, what is current occupation?................................................................

7ii. If no, what is your reason?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………….

8. Do you regret of being a single parent? A. Yes B. No

8i. If yes, what is your reason?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

61
8ii. If no, what is your reason?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………..

9. What are some of the problems you faced as a single parent?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………

10. Do you think of marrying again? A. Yes B. No

10i. If yes, what is your

reason?……………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………….

10ii). If no, what is your reason………………………………………………………..

62

SECTION C
11. What is the sex of your child?

A. girl B. boy

12. Which school does your child attend?

……………………………………………………………..

13. Which class is your child?

………………………………

14. Do you help your child in solving her or his assignments?

A. Yes B. No

14i.f no, what is your reason(s)?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………....................

15. What is the class position of your child last examination she or he wrote?

……………………………..

16. Do you employ a teacher to teach your child after closing from school?

A. Yes B. No

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16i). If yes, what is your

reason(s)?...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................

16ii). If no, what is your reason(s)?.........................

..................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................

SECTION D

17. How many days must your child attend school?.................................

18. .Does your child attend school regularly?

A. Yes B. No

19. How many days do your child absents himself or herself from school?..............

20. What are the reasons for your child absents from

school?...............................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................................

..................................................

64
21. Do you punish your child when she or he intentionally absents himself or herself from

school?

A. Yes B. No

22. Does the school punish your child when he or she intentionally absents himself or herself?

A. Yes B. No

22i). if yes, what are some of the punishments?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………….

23. Do you know that truancy is punishable by law?

A. Yes B. No

24. Does truancy affects your child‟s academic performance in school?

A. Yes B. No

65