Influence of step parenting on adolescents' self-concept and academic performance in Keiyo district, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Rift Valley region, Kenya

Abstract

The number of individuals living in stepparent families has increased owning to changes in family structure. This calls for the need to examine how these changes have impacted on the lives of the affected school going adolescents. The study was designed to investigate the influence of step parenting on adolescents' self-concept and academic performance among secondary school students in Elgeyo Marakwet County, Keiyo District, Rift Valley Region, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to investigate: the influence of step parenting on the self concept of adolescent students, the influence of step parenting on academic performance of adolescent students, the difference in self concept between male and female adolescents from stepparent families, the difference in self concept between form two and form three adolescents from stepparent families and the difference in academic performance between male and female adolescents from stepparent families. The study was based on Carl Roger's theory of self; it was supported by the systems theory. Causal-comparative research design was used in the study. Simple random sampling technique was used to select students from intact parent families and purposive sampling was used to select students from step parent families. The participants responded to a 50item self-concept scale. An average of three end of term examinations served as an index of academic performance. Four hundred adolescents were used in the study, two hundred from step parent families and two hundred from intact families. Data was analyzed using both descriptive (mean and standard deviations) and inferential (t-test) statistics. The statistical package of social sciences version seventeen was employed. Results from the study indicated that step parenting has an impact on the academic performance of adolescents, gender and class level has no influence on academic performance and that step parenting has no influence on the self concept of adolescents. Stepparents fill a void in the adolescents' life. The research provides useful information to parents who are interested in helping adolescents achieve their potential and it will also help parents and school administrators understand various behavior changes which arise due to change of family structure. The study recommended that there should be clear norms guiding relationships in step parent families. The study suggested a further study to look at adolescent well being in cohabiting step parent families.