The Role of Permissive and Neglectful Parenting Style in Determining the Academic Performance of Adolescents in the Senior High Schools in the Birim Municipality

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of parenting styles on the academic performance of adolescents in the senior high school of Birim Central Municipality in Ghana. To accomplish this, a descriptive survey research design procedure using a quantitative approach was employed. A sample size of 317 respondents were used for the study. Questionnaire was used to obtain data from the respondents. The data was analysed using inferential statistics (multiple regression and Pearson Product Moment Correlation). The study revealed that generally, the academic performance of adolescents in the third year in the Senior High School of Birim Central Municipality in Ghana was greatly influenced by the type of parenting style the parents adopt. However, the findings from study suggest that differences in academic performances of students in the study area were as a result of the variations in parenting styles used by parents.  Overall, authoritarian parenting style was found to have a more significant effect on students’ academic performance than other parenting style. Additionally, students from authoritarian homes were found to perform better than the others from other parenting homes. It was therefore, recommended that there should be awareness of parenting styles and their dimensions of parenting by the Municipal Assembly, Ghana Education Service, the Parent Teacher Associations within the Senior High Schools, the Clergy and the Media within the Birim Central Municipality in Ghana. This will help parents to adopt the right parenting style and it dimensions.

Keywords: Parenting, Permissive, Neglectful, Parents, Adolescent