IMPACT OF PATERNAL PARENTING APPROACHES ON SELF-ESTEEM AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS RAISED BY SINGLE FATHERS AT BESTLINK COLLEGE OF THE PHILIPPINES-BULACAN

Abstract

Parenting styles play a vital role in shaping a child's psychological development, particularly in the formation of self-esteem. This study explores the relationship between paternal parenting styles—authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved—and the self-esteem of college students raised by single fathers at Bestlink College of the Philippines–Bulacan Campus. The objective is to determine whether specific paternal parenting styles significantly affect the self-esteem levels of these students. The study utilized a purposive research design, gathering data from 58 college students through a structured survey questionnaire employing a four-point Likert scale. The weighted mean was used to identify the predominant paternal parenting style, while Pearson’s r was applied to assess the correlation between paternal parenting styles and the students’ levels of self-esteem. The results of the correlation analysis indicated that none of the paternal parenting styles showed a statistically significant relationship with self-esteem. The computed r-values were as follows: authoritarian (r = 0.0336, p = 0.802), authoritative (r = 0.0272, p = 0.841), uninvolved (r = -0.1057, p = 0.433), and permissive (r = 0.1856, p = 0.163). All values fell within the negligible correlation range. These findings suggest that, in this study, paternal parenting styles—as perceived by the respondents—have little to no impact on their self-esteem. The findings of this study challenge the commonly held belief that parenting styles significantly influence self-esteem. While previous research suggests that authoritative parenting is associated with higher self-esteem, the results indicate no meaningful correlation between paternal parenting styles and self-esteem among students raised by single fathers. This suggests that other factors—such as peer relationships, personal experiences, cultural norms, and emotional support—may play a more substantial role in shaping self-esteem.  The study concludes that paternal parenting styles, as perceived by the participants, do not significantly affect their self-esteem. These results highlight the need for future research to explore additional variables, including family dynamics, socioeconomic status, and support networks. Moreover, interventions aimed at fostering self-esteem should extend beyond parenting approaches to consider these broader influences.