The Influence of Family Structure on Academic Achievement in the Kwabre East Municipal Area, Ghana

Abstract

This study focused on the influence of family structure on academic achievement in the Kwabre East Municipal Area. This study is guided by three objectives, namely to determine the families’ roles in the academic achievement of senior high school students, to identify the challenges to the adequate performance of families’ roles in the academic achievement of senior high school students and to investigate the influence of family structure on academic achievement of senior high school students in the Kwabre East Municipal Area. This study is a cross-sectional study where data were collected from 363 students in the Kwabre East Municipal. The data collection instrument was a structured questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed descriptively and quantitatively. Pearson Correlation Coefficient is used to establish the relationship between family structure and academic achievement of the respondents. The majority of the respondents disagreed that parents give school authorities health information about wards and academic histories. The parent does not support their wards in-home learning. Parents, however, support ICT learning in the schools and attend school programs such as an anniversary. Financial hardship was a significant challenge for the effective involvement of parents in the academic achievement of students. There is a significant strong positive correlation between parental roles in education and students’ academic achievement. Parents should be made aware and encouraged to provide vital information, such as their wards’ health information and academic history to school authorities. Parents should be made aware and encouraged to ensure their wards do their assignments. Parents should be encouraged to provide their children with required learning materials.