Parental Nurturing Practices and Behavioral Adjustment among Kenyan Learners

Main Article Content

Evans Apoko Monda
Peter JO Aloka
Benard Mwebi

Abstract

There have been many cases of behavioral maladjustments among learners in Kenyan schools. These problems for many years have been a threat to the safety and tranquility enjoyed by members of the families, schools, and community. This study examined the variance in behavioral adjustment among learners that can be accounted for by parental nurturing practices. The study adopted ex-post facto research design. A sample size of 374 learners was obtained using stratified sampling and simple random sampling techniques. The parental nurturing practices scale and strengths and difficulties questionnaire were used to obtain data from learners. Split half method was used to establish the reliability of questionnaires and a correlation coefficient of 0.80 was reported. Both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used to analyze data. The results from the multiple regression model reached statistical significance implying that the model was highly significant and adequate enough to explain the variance in overall behavior adjustment among learners [F(4, 351) =101.194, R2 =.53, p <.05]. Together, the parental nurturing practices explained 53% of the variance in the overall behaviour adjustment among learners in Kenyan primary schools. Of the four parental nurturing practices, the parental warmth had the highest impact on enhancing behavior adjustment, β = .39, t(356) = 6.87, p < .005,  while parental acceptance made the least contribution to explain the variability of the model, β = .15, t(356) = 3.24, p < .005. The findings have implications for teachers, parents, school principals, community leaders, and the Ministry of Education in Kenya to enhance parental education to help address the issues of behavioral maladjustments among learners.

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Monda, E. A., Aloka, P. J. ., & Mwebi, B. . (2021). Parental Nurturing Practices and Behavioral Adjustment among Kenyan Learners. The Journal of Behavioral Science, 16(2), 28–41. Retrieved from https://so06.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/IJBS/article/view/249236
Section
Research Articles
Author Biography

Evans Apoko Monda, School of Education, Jaramogi Oginga Oginga University of Science & Technology, Kenya

There have been many cases of behavioral maladjustments among learners in Kenyan schools. These problems for many years have been a threat to the safety and tranquility enjoyed by members of the families, schools and community. This study examined the variance in behavioral adjustment among learners that can be accounted for by parental nurturing practices. The study adopted ex- post facto research design. A sample size of 374 learners was obtained using stratified sampling and simple random sampling techniques. The parental nurturing practices scale and strengths and difficulties questionnaire were used to obtain data from learners. Split half method was used to establish the reliability of questionnaires and a correlation coefficient of 0.80 was reported. Both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used to analyze data. The results from the multiple regression model reached statistical significance implying that the model was highly significant and adequate enough to explain the variance in overall behavior adjustment among learners [F(4, 351) =101.194, R2 =.53, p <.05]. Together, the parental nurturing practices explained 53% of the variance in the overall behaviour adjustment among learners in Kenyan primary schools. Of the four parental nurturing practices, the parental warmth had the highest impact on enhancing behavior adjustment, b = .39, t(356) = 6.87, p < .005,  while parental acceptance made the least contribution to explain the variability of the model, b = .15, t(356) = 3.24, p < .005. The findings have implications for teachers, parents, school principals, community leaders and the Ministry of Education in Kenya to enhance parental education to help address the issues of behavioral maladjustments among learners.

References

The study concludes that of the parental nurturing practices, parental warmth had the highest and strong positive correlation, while parental control the least moderate positive correlations to learners’ behavioural adjustment. The multiple regression model was adequate to predict overall behaviour adjustment, since 53.6% of the variability in behaviour adjustment among the primary school learners is explained by the parental child nurturing practices factored in the model. That is, other factors could account for about 46% of the model. Central to the process of the socialisation of children are the parental nurturing practises which children experience within family settings. Within these family contexts, children gradually internalise social standards and expectations which facilitate self-regulation skills and responsibility. Further, it can be inferred that parental nurturing practises which are fundamental in moulding children’s behaviour are defective in many families.

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