INFLUENCE OF PARENTAL CONFLICT ON LEARNERS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN KATHIANI SUB-COUNTY, MACHAKOS COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to find out the influence of parental conflicts on the academic performance of pupils in public primary schools in Kathiani Sub-County, Machakos County, Kenya. The study was guided by four research questions: What influence does parental conflict have on learner‘s performance and behavior in public primary schools in Kathiani Sub-county? How do learners whose parents are involved in parental conflict relate with fellow learners and teachers? What challenges do parental conflicts cause on a learner‘s academic performance and behavior at school? What can be done to help improve the academic performance of learners from families faced with parental conflict? The study was grounded on the Vygotsky‘s Social Cognitive Learning Theory of Human Cultural and Bio-social Development, commonly referred to as cultural historical psychology or Vygotsky Circles. The researcher used a mixed method approach, specifically a convergent parallel design. In this, the researcher used descriptive survey design for quantitative data and phenomenology for qualitative data. The targeted population in the study was 288 learners, 144 teachers and 72 head teachers in 72 public primary schools in Kathiani Sub-County. Stratified random sampling techniques were used to pick the sample while questionnaires and interview guide were used to collect data. The research instruments were validated through pilot testing and their reliability through the test retest measure. The quantitative data were analyzed by SPSS version 20.0 and presented using means, frequencies and percentages. Qualitative data were coded and categorized into themes and presented using narrative form. Research findings indicated that children were severely damaged emotionally by bitter, long-lasting and ongoing conflict between parents. It was recommended that the head teachers call for meetings in their respective schools to sensitize the parents on the need to solve their differences without involving the children and every school needed to have a functioning guidance and counseling panel of teachers; plus the church to hold meetings for the parents and youth separately on families matter.