PARENTING STYLES AS PREDICTORS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN PHYSICS IN NKANU WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ENUGU STATE

Abstract

The study investigated parenting styles as predictors of academic achievement of secondary school students in Physics in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu state. Three research questions and four null hypotheses tested at 0.05 significance guided the study. A correlational survey research design was adopted for the study. The population consisted of 1,105 Senior Secondary one (SSI) students offering Physics in Nkanu West LGA. Random sampling technique was used to sample 164 students comprising 101 females and 63 males. The two instruments used for data collection were a structured questionnaire based upon Diana Baumrinds (1967) parenting style theory which was adapted and Physics academic Achievement scores which were extracted from the students’ termly examination of 2022/2023 academic session conducted by the school. Cronbach’s alpha statistic was used to test for the reliability of the instrument and the reliability index was found to be 0.86. Data collected were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and multiple regressions. The results indicated that the parenting styles contributed significantly to the prediction of academic achievement of physics with authoritative parenting style the most appropriate to promote academic achievement of students and the uninvolved the most severe in demoting academic success. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that parents should adopt authoritative parenting styles that is characterized by warmth, support and reasonable expectations which positively correlate with academic success of students and also seminars and workshops should be regularly organized for parents and teachers in local communities and in schools during parents and teachers’ association meetings.