Effect of Parental Negligence on Classroom Behaviour And Academic Performance of Junior High School Pupils In Adenta Municipality, Ghana

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of parental carelessness on the classroom behaviour and academic performance of Adenta Municipality Junior High School students. The embedded mixed method approach was applied in the study. The study targeted pupils, teachers, as well as parents within the Adenta Municipality. Through a multi-stage sampling technique, 226 pupils, 16 parents and 8 teachers within the Adenta Municipality were engaged in the study. While data from pupils and teachers were gathered using a standardised questionnaire, data from parents were gathered using an interview guide. Quantitative and qualitative analytic approaches were used to analyse data collected. Means and standard deviation, multivariate regression analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyse the quantitative data, while thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. Parental neglect was discovered to be a strong predictor of classroom behaviour. The study also discovered that parental negligence (neglect of supervisory needs) was a significant negative predictor of students‟ academic performance. It was concluded that students who suffer from parental negligence are likely to perform poorly in school. Parents, guardians and caregivers are therefore encouraged to avoid neglecting the supervisory needs of their children, since negligence of parents on pupils‟ supervisory needs promotes poor academic performance.