INFLUENCE OF FAMILY STRUCTURE ON STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KIAMBU COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Urbanization, industrialization, globalization, changing cultural trends and the social metric shift of the late 20th century has led to profound change in family structure worldwide over the last five decades. The trends indicate that the number of children living in two parent families is declining sharply. On the other hand, the trend shows that the number of children living in single parent families is on the increase. These trends in the family structure have major implications on the psychosocial aspects and academic performance of children. Increase in psychosocial and schooling problems such as drug abuse, school arson and strikes, bullying, early sexual debut, teen pregnancy, suicidal thoughts and suicide, and examination malpractices among secondary school students is becoming a major challenge in Kenya. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of family structure on students’ psychosocial aspects and academic performance in public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study was guided by four objectives namely: to find out the influence of family structure on students’ self-acceptance; to establish the influence of family structure on students’ interpersonal relationships; to determine the influence of family structure on students’ social integration and to establish the influence of family structure on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study was anchored on Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs and Social cognitive theories. Descriptive research design was adopted for the study. Purposive sampling was used to select Kiambu County and form four students while proportionate stratified sampling technique was used to select 30 schools from the 274 public secondary schools in Kiambu County. Random sampling technique was employed to select the 385 students from the selected schools. Self administered student’s questionnaire containing sub- scales on self-acceptance, interpersonal relationships and social integration and the KCSE national examination results of 2017 were used for data collection. Reliability of the questionnaire was tested by computing Cronbach alpha coefficient. Collected data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics in line with the study objectives. The null hypotheses were tested using Kruskal Wallis H test (one-way ANOVA on ranks) test at 0.05 significance level. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) aided the data analysis. The findings indicated statistically significant influence of family structure on student’s self-acceptance, 2 (1) = 47.4, p = .000. No statistically significant influence of family structure on students’ interpersonal relationships,  2 (1) = 2.02, p = .155; social integration, 2(1) = 0.028, p =0.866 and academic performance, 2(1) = 0.898, p = 0.343 was found. A major implication and recommendation of the study was that all stakeholders in education should validate and foster the development self-acceptance, interpersonal relationships, social integration and academic performance among students. Warm, nurturing, structured and authoritative school environment to be provided for healthy development of students’ psychosocial aspects and academic performance. Further research should also consider other family structure factors such as family disposition, family relationships, gender of single parent, parental social-economic status, duration in the family structure and their influence on psychosocial aspects and academic performance of the students. The major beneficiaries of this study are students, teachers, parents and policy makers.