AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSES OF SINGLE PARENTHOOD AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSES OF SINGLE PARENTHOOD AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The importance of intact parenting in any culture cannot be overstated, and they are without a doubt the most important critical determinants necessary for every child’s growth and development. Hoover-Dempsey, Walker, Sandler, Whetsel, Green, Wilkens & Closson (2005), Redding, (2006), and Nyarko (2010) all emphasized the importance of a child’s immediate environment on academic performance and overall achievement. Walker, Sandler, Whetsel, Green, Wilkens, and Closson (2005), Redding, (2006), and Nyarko (2010) As the child grows up in situations where parental duties or obligations have become imbalanced, he or she will face a number of problems and potential roadblocks. In these cases, either the mother or the father is the sole caregiver (single parent). It may be difficult for children in this situation.

to be able to survive at times (Odeyemi-BSD, 2018). According to research findings, when children are close to their parents, they are less likely to engage in risky activities (Billings, 2012; Davis & Friel, 2001). Parents, regardless of whether they come from a blended family or a single family, have the obligation to set a positive example for their children to follow in their lives (Odeyemi-BSD, 2018). Children frequently mimic their parents’ every habit, whether it is good or bad. In recent years, single parenting has become a more common family structure all over the world (Bondenhorn, 2006; Salami & Alawode, 2002).

There is a great deal of interest in improving students’ mathematical performance. in schools. There are economic benefits to better preparing young people for the numerical demands of modern workplaces and raising overall workforce skill levels; however, there are also social benefits to increasing access for a greater number of young people to post-secondary education and training opportunities and laying stronger foundations so that they can learn for the rest of their lives. The desire to see children achieve greater levels of success has resulted in a better understanding of the factors that either limit or promote the achievement of various groups of students. Because different groups of students have different effects on one another, it is critical to consider their influence together. The impact on various student groups is significant. Since socioeconomic differences in mathematics achievement persist, despite recent reductions in inequalities in other areas of education. Researchers studied patterns in mathematical performance for three decades. A study of patterns in mathematics proficiency in Australia over three decades (from 1966 to 1996) reveals that significant social class gaps persist (Afrassa & Keeves, 1999). During the same time period, similar findings were reported for the United States, with inequalities across social classes (as defined by parental education) remaining significant (National Center for Education Standards, 2000). While socioeconomic trends on broad indices of educational engagement, such as school retention rates, are fading at a time when social gaps in student progress and academic achievement are widening,

The findings are persistent, and they serve as a reminder that

Historically, school efficiency research focused on children’s aptitude and socioeconomic circumstances as factors influencing academic success, and it concluded that schools had little direct impact on children’s academic progress. Coleman et al. (2006), for example, appeared to cast doubt on the potential of improving student success through school changes in a large study of US schools. ‘Schools have a minimal impact on a child’s success that is independent of his upbringing and broader social milieu,’ the researchers discovered in their study of school achievement disparities between student peers. Jericks and his colleagues reached the same conclusion after conducting a second study on the same dataset:

“our research suggests… that the nature of a school’s output is substantially determined by the qualities of the students who attend it.” Everything else, including the school’s finances, rules, and instructor qualities, is either secondary or utterly irrelevant. 2002 (Jericks and colleagues).

The modeling approaches used in this early study were criticized for failing to take into account the data’s hierarchical structure, and the data could not be correctly separated into elements related to school, student, and classroom aspects, among other things (e.g. Raudenbush & Willms, 1991) In order to improve the accuracy of the results, recent school effectiveness research has used multi-modeling approaches to account for the clustering effects of various types of data. Households with a single parent are frequently classified based on the gender of the primary custody parent (mother-only or father-only families). Mother-only households include widows, divorced and separated women, as well as single mothers. Women are frequently awarded custody of their children in divorce proceedings in the United States and other industrialized nations. In Italy, for example, 90% of children whose parents divorced were placed in the care of their maternal grandparents in 1997. Because the vast majority of single parents are mothers, the majority of research has concentrated on families with a female head of household. Single parents, regardless of sexual orientation, face many of the same issues and challenges (Grief 1985). Families are made up of

Only fathers are born as a result of widowhood, mother abandonment, or spouses who refuse to share custody. Part of the reason for the increase in the number of father-only households could be attributed to fathers’ efforts to gain custody of their children. Financial stability, previous involvement in housekeeping and child care throughout the marriage, satisfaction with child-care arrangements, and a shared sense of responsibility for the marriage’s dissolution are all factors that aid in their transition into primary parenting (Grief 1985).

1.2 DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM

A significant portion of the debate over single-parent households focuses on the effects these changes have on children. Social scientists generally agree that children raised by single parents have a disadvantage.

success in the mathematics subject.

1.3 Purpose of the Research

The study’s broad objectives are to investigate the causes of single parenthood and its impact on students’ academic performance in mathematics. However, specific goals include;

i. To investigate the factors that contribute to single parenthood.

ii. To determine the impact of single parenthood on students’ academic performance.

iii. Determine whether parental personality types influence students’ academic performance.

iv. To look into the connection between parental involvement and student academic performance.

1.4 Question for Research

During the course of this research, the following questions were addressed:

i. What are the factors that contribute to single parenthood?

ii. How does single parenthood affect students’ academic performance?

Is there a difference between parental types?

What impact does this have on students’ academic performance?

Is there a link between parental involvement and academic performance in students?

1.5 Importance of the Research

This will be of greater benefit to policymakers and stakeholders because it will expose the challenges students face in the event of parental divorce or separation; thus, the study will help policymakers make laws that will benefit these students in the face of such an occurrence. Again, the study will be eye-opening for young people who want to start their own families. The society will also be made aware that single parenthood is not a disease and that they should not be stigmatized.

The study will be important to the academic community because

will contribute to the existing literature.

1.6 Scope of the Research

The research will look into the factors that contribute to single parenthood. The research will also look into the impact of single parenthood on students’ academic performance. The study will look into whether parental types affect students’ academic performance. Finally, the study will look into the link between parental involvement and student academic performance. As a result, this study will be limited to Abia State.

1.7 The study’s limitations

The researchers encountered minor constraints while conducting the study, as with any human endeavor. Inadequate funds tend to impede the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data collection process (internet, questionnaire, and interview), which is essential.

Why did the researcher choose a moderate sample size? Furthermore, the researcher will conduct this study alongside other academic work. As a result, the time spent researching will be reduced.

1.8 Terminology Definitions

A single parent is a parent who lives without a spouse or partner with dependent children, either alone or in a larger household.

Academic performance is the assessment of a student’s achievement in various academic subjects.