Comparative study of levels of academic aspiration and Psychosocial adjustment of adolescent students from single-mother and dual-parent families in Public secondary schools in gem district, Kenya

Abstract

At high school, adolescent's educational aspiration and psychosocial adjustment are ?f critical importance to their academic attainment. Parenting nature plays crucial role III the adolescents' academic aspiration and psychosocial adjustment. From the year 2009-2012, Gem district registered an increase from 47.6% in to 50.3% in femaleheaded families (by choice, widowed, separated or divorced). Further, there was a decline in the percentage of students who obtained grade B from 24.22% to 17.93% and more than 50% (56.08% to 55.36%) of students failed to attain grade C+ which is the minimum requirement for direct entry to the university. The district also indicated a high drop-out rate at 19 % compared to 9.5% in Nyanza region and 6.6% nationally. The purpose of this study was to compare the levels of academic aspiration and psychosocial adjustment of adolescent students from single-mother families and dualparent families in Gem district. Objectives of the study were to; establish and compare the level of academic aspiration of adolescent students from single-mother families and dual-parent families; establish and compare the level of psychosocial adjustment of adolescent students from single-mother families and dual-parent families and to establish and compare the level of impact of psychosocial difficulties in adolescent students from single-mother families and dual-parent families. The study was based . on a conceptual framework showing the relationship between students parenting background and their levels of academic aspiration and psychosocial adjustment. Expost- facto and descriptive survey research designs were adopted. Study population consisted of 1050 form three students, 80 class teachers and 30 deputy principals. Purposive sampling technique was used to select students from single-mother and dual parent families. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 293 students from dual parent families, 137 students from single-mother families and 24 class teachers. Saturated sampling technique was also used to select 27 deputy principals. Data was collected using questionnaire and interview schedules. Face validity of the instrument was ascertained by experts in the department of Educational Psychology, Maseno University. A pilot study was conducted on 72 students from dual-parent families, 34 students from SMFs, 8 class teachers and 3 deputy principals using test-retest method and reliability coefficient of the instrument determined at 0.74. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages and means, while the t-test was used to test the significant differences between the means in single-mother families and dual-parent families(a=0.05), Qualitative data was transcribed, organized thematically and reported in text form. The study established that majority (53.2%) of the adolescent students from both single-mother families (20.5%) and dual-parent families (32.7%) aspired for masters degree and beyond, Further, majority (74.0%) of the adolescent students from both single-mother families (28.4%) and dual-parent families (45.6%)111 and were at risk of having clinically significant psychosocial problems. It was concluded that mean difference in academic aspiration, psychosocial adjustment and impact of psychosocial adjustment between adolescent students from SMFs and dualparent families was not statistically significant. It was recommended that teachers, parents, guardians and other educators should assist the adolescent students set realistic academic aspiration goals and further help them cope with the psychosocial challenges.