Transcript Single Parenting and Academic Achievement

Single Parenting
And
the Impact on
Academic Achievement
By
Pamela Ledbetter
&
Francene Leonce
Table of Contents
Page
Introduction
1
Statement of the Problem
2
Review of Related Literature
Statement of the Hypothesis
Theorists
3
5
6
Introduction

Single parenting is a very important social issue that can have significant effects on
a child’s academic success. Children who are raised in a single family home are at
risk of not reaching their full potential. Students within our educational system
encounter many challenges in their family lives that they bring with them into the
classroom. The family structure, ideally, provides a sense of security and stability
that is necessary for children. When there is a breakdown in the family structure, it
may have a tremendous impact on a child and their ability to function ordinarily or
achieve academically. In most situations, the child no longer has two parents to
depend on. Therefore they have to rely on one parent to meet most, if not all their
needs. With limited finances, time and availability parents are less likely to provide
the adequate support a child needs to perform to the best of their ability. This is not
to say, necessarily, that the parent raising them is not providing them with more
than adequate love and attention, but rather the single parent model within itself is
comprised of many different factors that can affect a child’s level of academic
success.
Some of these factors are:
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Emotional scarring left by separation that disrupts the child’s development and
performance
Absence of the other adult may interrupt a child’s natural growth and development
Children may be inadvertently forced to grow up as they take on the duties of the
absent adult
Limited time and income become an issue as in how much time is focused on
homework or whether money is spent to build schema enjoying cultural activities
Educational goals and aspirations may not be set as high
Statement of the Problem

There are many students within our
school system that come from single
parent families. Due to the many
issues that stem from the single
family model, some students are
unable to reach their full potential.
As the single parent model rapidly
becomes the norm, it is necessary to
find a way to address these issues
so as to provide students and
parents with solutions to help them
achieve to their highest ability.
Review of Related Literature
Pros

Most of the available literature seems to support the belief that
single parenting has an adverse effect on a child’s development
and thus their level of achievement. This study examines the
adverse effects of divorce or separation on academic
achievement. The research implies that children who experience
separation or divorce do not perform well or achieve
academically. Research also identifies single parenting as a
major social problem that is on the rise. Throughout the years
single parent families have increased. At the same time, there is
a tremendous growth in the number of children of single parents.
Various studies presents research that indicates the impact of
single parenthood on children. According to Wagner, (1992) there
is a need to address single-parent children and academic
achievement. The article points out four major areas effecting
children from single parent homes. Stability/structure,
acceptance, adult attention and parental involvement are
extreme areas of concern that she believes are lacking in the
lives of children with single parents. Many studies support this
view and presents information that suggests the
underachievement, criminal activity, poverty; racial differences
are all consequences of children raised in single parent homes.
Family structure is considered to be the major cause of
dysfunction and low academic achievement amongst children.
Clay (1980) stress the fact that school programs are not
designed to accommodate dysfunctional families and
emphasizes the need to provide various measures of support.
Review of Related Literature
Cons
In contrast, there are a few studies that believe that
the single parent household may not have as
widespread and adverse an effect as is publicized.
Findings suggest that conventional wisdom may
exaggerate the detrimental effects of father absence
(Debell, 2007). This study seemed to imply that
once the socio-economic factors are controlled
there is a much lessened effect on the academic
performance and all around well-being of the child.
Other studies suggest that much of the previous
research has focused on the negative
consequences for children (Glenn & Kramer, 1985).
This focus and emphasis is primarily due to
society’s negative reception of the single parent
model and view of it as a deviation from the cultural
ideal.
Research Hypothesis
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This study intends to show that children
from single parent families are at risk of not
being able to achieve to their greatest
capacity. Prior research has shown that
single parenting has an adverse effect on a
child’s development in the classroom. This
study aims to focus on the impact this
social problem has on the African American
community and their students. The
knowledge gained from this study can be
useful to educators as they attempt to meet
the individual needs of their students. One
of the many goals of this research is to
prove that greater teacher-parent
communication, collaboration and contact
can perhaps help to diffuse some of the
effects of single parenting.
Theorists
A. Bandura
 B. Weiner
 B. F. Skinner
 J. Piaget
 L. Vygotsky
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A. Bandura
Social Learning Theorist
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Academic achievement can be attributed to various factors. There are
many factors that can influence or impact student academic achievement
negatively or positively. In this case, single parent families or the level of
parental involvement can be very instrumental in influencing students in
regards to educational achievement. (The Gale Group, 2002) provides a
study that indicates that parental beliefs and behavior systems induce their
children’s educational aspirations and achievements. Many theorists imply
that student achievement can be a result of their learning environment,
experiences, or various social conditions. A.Bandura, a social learning
theorist, presents a social learning theory which draws attention to human
behavior. It emphasizes the idea that human behaviors are learned. As
stated in the (Encyclopedia of Education, 2002), the social learning theory
of Bandura emphasizes the importance of observing and modeling the
behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. According to
Bandura, (1997), people learn through observing others’ behavior,
attitudes, and outcomes of those behaviors. All adults including both
parents and teachers are very influential in how children or students
perform academically. We have to be very conscientious and methodical
in the way we model behaviors and attitudes in regards to education. As
educators we are observed by our students constantly our attitudes
towards the student’s achievement and how we present ourselves in the
classroom can have a major impact on their academic performance.
Parents also are major contributors to the students and their values and
beliefs toward education. When children attend school they arrive with a
whole set of beliefs and values about education and their ability to achieve
imparted by their parents.
B. Weiner
Attribution Theory
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(The Gale Group, 2002) interprets the attribution theory as a
theory that relates to how individuals interpret events and how
this relates to their thinking and behavior. It assumes that people
try to determine why people do what they do, i.e., attribute
causes to behavior. Weiner, (1980) focuses his attribution theory
on achievement and he states that “Causal attributions
determine affective reactions to success and failure.” The
success or failure of students can be attributed to many things.
As a result, we always try to determine the cause of student
achievement. Although success is not always the outcome in
many of our schools, there are many students who perform on
grade level and demonstrate the ability to succeed academically.
In the same way, on many occasions students are not always
performing as well as they should. In this case, we have to
determine the cause. Many times students do not do as well as
they should because they may be weak in a specific academic
area. Children may be experiencing difficulty in their families or
at home. As educators, it is extremely important that we assess
our student’s ability level and take their home environment or
personal experiences into consideration.
B. F. Skinners
Operant Conditioning Theory
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B.F. Skinners Operant Conditioning Theory
is one that can also be applied to academic
achievement. Positive reinforcement is
essential in promoting academic
achievement. Children need to be
motivated to do well. This motivation
should come from the people they value
most such as a teacher or parent. Children
want to do well when they are encouraged
to do well. Skinner (1954) believes that
changes in behavior are the result of an
individual’s response to events (stimuli)
that occur in the environment.
Lev Vygotsky’s
Theory of Cognitive Development
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Vygotsky believed that there were certain
higher functions developed through the
direct interaction with significant people in
a child’s life. The absence of the missing
parent to guide, direct, discipline, model,
and teach may be one of the reasons that
a child from a single parent family may not
perform at their full potential. Students who
come from single parent households tend
to be reaching out for that missing person
in their life.
Jean Piaget’s
Theory of Cognitive Development
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Jean Piaget is well known for his work
dealing with the cognitive development of a
child. He believed that children need to be
able to naturally advance through the
different stages of development
sequentially in order to graduate to higher
levels of learning.
This theory can then be applied to the child
who is part of a single family who is, in
essence, by nature of the situation forced
to grow up and do and act as though they
are not the child but rather are little adults.
This premature acceleration into the adult
world may be a part of the reason that
children from single families do not perform
at their highest level.