Effects of Single Parenting on Student's Academic Performance in Selected Public Secondary Schools in Mukurwe-Ini Sub-County, Nyeri County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate how having a single parent affects the educational success of a sample of secondary school students in the Mukurwe- ini area of Nyeri County. Four specific goals need to be accomplished in order to reach the target. One: Examining the factors that lead to single parenting. Two: Assessing the challenges that single parents experience in raising their children. Three: Identifying solutions that can mitigate the negative impacts of single parenting on students' academic performance. Four: Evaluating the role of school-based support systems in improving outcomes for children from single-parent families. For this reason, it is important to examine the factors that lead to single parenting, the challenges that single parents experience in bringing up their kids, and the solutions that have been shown to be effective in reducing the negative impact of single parenting on students' academic performance. Divorce, death, and separation are all factors that might lead to the formation of a nuclear family. Among these challenges include the inability to afford school materials, a lack of time to examine pupils' practice books, and a lack of communication between the parent and the child. Students raised by single parents encounter unique challenges, including but not limited to: a lack of access to educational resources; a lack of parental support; financial issues; emotional strain; and clinical depression. One thousand pupils in Form Three at three different secondary schools in the Mukurwe-ini Sub-County participated in the study, which would use an exploratory research design. One hundred third-graders from each of the three schools were randomly selected to represent ten percent of the total population. Of the total 50 teachers were selected at random, making up 30%. Questionnaires were the main method of data collecting used in this study. The schools were chosen through deliberate sampling to ensure gender parity and to get a diverse set of responses to questions about how single parenting affects children's academic success. The researcher checked the totals after collecting the surveys to see whether every question was answered. The collected information was analysed using descriptive statistics. The research found that the performance of children from single parents in schools is affected mainly by the absence of the other parent of the children which causes boredom. Lack of discipline and work overload by the parent also leads to poor performance among children from single parents in school. The study recommends that Mukurwe-ini Sub-County secondary schools should come up with a strong support system for children from single parents in order to improve their performance in school.