Single Parental Status: Effects on Learners’ Emotional Behaviour in Public Primary Schools in Kanduyi Sub County, Kenya

Abstract

The family is the stimulus behind the growth and development of an individual. Children emerge from different parental status, this include intact and single parental status. However in schools, learners from single parenthood display different emotional behaviour compared to those from intact parenthood. The objective of the study was to establish the effects of single parental status on learners’ emotional behaviour. The study was guided by family systems theory and adopted comparative research design. The study targeted a total of 458 participants, including 440 standard eight learners (212 boys and 228 girls), 9 class teachers, and 9 guidance and counseling teachers from 9 public primary schools in Kanduyi Sub County, Bungoma County. The standard eight learners were selected due to their unique experiences and maturation, as well as their physical, mental, and emotional development, which enabled them to express themselves in a manner that was comparable to that of their peers in other classes. Stratified random sampling was used to obtain participants according to their gender; simple random sampling was used to give equal chance to all learners to participate in the study. Purposive sampling was employed to select class teachers and Guidance and Counselling teachers as key informants on matters concerning learners. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data. The study utilised content validity while reliability of the instruments was established by cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.697. Simple linear regression was used to analyse data. Data analysis revealed a statistically significant effect of single parenting on learners emotional behaviour F (1,198=4.731, p<0.05. The findings revealed that single parenting negatively affected learner emotional behaviour since the p-value<0.05 hence the null hypothesis rejected. The study recommended for effective guidance and counselling services for learners from single parental status to help them improve on their emotional behaviour such as low self-esteem, aggression and anxiety while in school.