Single Parent: An an alysis of Students Behavior

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Parenting is great factor in nurturing children holistically. However, despite of the much care exerted, still unexpected behaviors have been observed in some students in school. One of the teachers' resorts is to eagerly seek parent's attention in cases of repeated misbehavior. Thus, the researcher is trying to uncover if the problem in students' misbehavior in school has something to do with parent status being a single parent.

METHODS

Descriptive method was usedin the study to analyze the relationship of having a single parent to student's behavior in school, steered in the Cluster 1-Division of Laguna among respondents who were purposively selected from the existing records of the guidance office of each school. The researcher provided a self-made questionnaire, to collect the data for profile, extent of having a single parent and level of student's behavior. The data gathered were treated through chi-square.

RESULTS

Findings showed that majority of the respondents were first-born female and mostly has three or more siblings in the family. Single parents are usually laborers and their being single parent, were caused mainly by unexpected pregnancies, broken-homes and death of spouse. It was revealed that parents disciplined their children when committed mistakes. Also, parents' attention is diverted to jobs for needs sustenance. The level of student-respondents' classroom behavior appeared as often being responsible -attending class regularly, arriving at school on time and following school's rules and regulations. They were never involved in cheating and physical fight. The extent of having a single parent has a significant relationship to the student-respondents' behavior. The kind of parenting given to the children was good. Consequently, the children behave well. They were mindful of what is wrong and right, as well as what could be the consequences of their actions.

DISCUSSIONS

Responsible parenting leads to influencing the children to act in a decent manner during their school days. Obviously, the extent of parenting they apply affects the kind of behavior that the student-respondents manifest. This proved that parenting is a great factor in nurturing children's behavior. For future researchers they shall conduct follow-up studies on the benefits provided to the single parents, to spread awareness and enlightenment.