| dc.description.abstract | ABSTRACT
Parenting styles is the manner in which the parents instil discipline in their child. Parenting styles have varied characteristics and have different effect on the behavior of children. This study sought to establish the factors affecting parenting styles on students' discipline. The objectives were: to establish the effect of parenting styles on student's behavior in public secondary schools in Nairobi County, to determine the influence of social economic status on parenting styles among students in public secondary schools in Nairobi County, to establish the relationship between careers aspirations and different parenting styles among students in public secondary schools in Nairobi County, and to find out the effects of religion on parenting styles used on students in public secondary schools in Nairobi County. This study utilized descriptive research design. Respondents were sampled from the 60 public secondary schools in Nairobi County. The study will be important to school managers in providing them with vital background knowledge to apply in the context of family therapy and use that knowledge to educate parents/guardians about the crucial role that they play consciously or unconsciously in shaping the behavior of their children, either advancing or retarding their children's socialization and scholastic performance. Secondly, it will be important to head-teachers in viewing serious forms and manifestations of problem behavior through the perspective of poor parenting. Head-teachers, student counselors and students were targeted as respondents. The respondents were assured of confidentiality. Data collected was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences in order to observe trends and patterns on the responses. The results were then interpreted in order to provide answers to the research questions and come up with conclusions and recommendations. The study found that the students had been involved in indiscipline for the last one year. Students had been involved in indiscipline I to 3 times for the last one year. Parents pay for curricular activities at school, school fee is always paid before or on I st day of every new term, at least one of the parents/guardian always sleep at home after job every day and one of the parents/guardian is a manager at work place. Moreover, students with more than recommended pocket money were rated as the ones with highest indiscipline. The school arranged for parents/teachers and students meetings. More than half of the parents did not attend school meetings. The study concludes that discipline will largely depend on the style of parenting adopted by the parents. Some parenting styles promote good behavior in their children like authoritative style while others like authoritarian promote dysfunctional behaviors. Parents had money to pay for the students though they did not spend time with them thus increasing indiscipline. Students with more than and less than recommended pocket money had high indiscipline. The school arranged for parents/Teachers and students meetings. The study recommends students to be disciplined at school and at home. The study recommends parents/guardian not to have very high expectations of students. Parents/guardian should respond immediately to indiscipline cases. Parents should attend school meetings. | en_US |
