Abstract:
Adolescents’ perceptions of parental treatment practices and their influence on
school belongingness and academic engagement were examined in this study. A
cross-sectional survey design was used for the study. Data was collected from a
sample of 361 stratified sampled participants using a questionnaire. Frequencies,
percentages, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, and multiple
regression were used to analyse the data. Parents are regarded as indispensable
actors in a student’s education as they have a positive influence on the school
belongingness and academic engagement of adolescents. Among other aspects of
parental treatment practices, punishment was believed to be the most salient factor
adolescents considered in their socialization with regards to their school
belongingness and academic engagement. Again, a statistically significant
relationship was found between parental treatment practices and adolescents'
school belongingness. Additionally, there was a strong correlation between
parental treatment practices and adolescents' academic engagements. This
demonstrates that if parental treatment practices are implemented properly,
adolescents’ sense of school belongingness and academic engagement will
eventually improve which will result in high academic performance. The study
recommends it is imperative that, parents create and maintain good parental
treatment practices which afford adolescents the conducive and supportive
environment to thrive in. This will lay the foundation for a more positive and
effective parent-child relationship in Ghana's educational system
