The Relationship between Family type and Parental involvement on the Student’s Deviant Behaviour in Secondary Schools in Kericho County, Kenya

Abstract

There have been growing concerns about the increasing manifestations of deviant behaviours manifesting themselves in the form of maladjusted behaviours among students in Kenya. Such behaviours have continued to lower the academic achievement among learners and the effects go on to affect the nation. These behaviours have an impact on the kind of citizens the country will eventually have and has continued to produce. It is important to shed more light on the causal factors hence find a defined way of dealing with this behaviour by determining its antecedents. The purpose of this study was to address this gap by examining the influence of family type and parental involvement on the student deviant behaviours in Kericho County, Kenya. The objective of this study was to identify the variables of the family type and parental involvement, and their influence on the student deviant behaviour. The study was anchored on Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Theory of Human Development. A sample size of 300 respondents was used from a target study population size [N] of 125650.These were students studying in secondary schools of Kericho County. The study adopted a quantitative research design. Stratified random sampling was used to select schools included in the study, the informants of the study were selected purposively. The data for the study was obtained through questionnaires. The reliability of the instrument was ascertained using a pilot study on four schools which would not be included in the final study. Cronbach Alpha’s measure of internal consistency yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.84. Expert judgment and peer reviews were used to determine validity of the research instruments. Multiple regression was used as the data analysis method. Results of the study indicated a positive and significant relationship between the family type, parental involvement and the prevalence of the student deviant behaviour. The implication therefore is, parents ought to be sensitized on their critical role as members of the family unit in alleviating student deviant behaviours and thereby promoting academic achievement. If parents showed more involvement in the lives of their children both at home and at school, then deviant behaviour would be alleviated or minimized. The study recommends that the family type and parental involvement must be considered if at all the student deviant behaviours in Kericho County should minimize.