Parenting Practices and Perceived Social Support as Predictors of Problem Behaviour among Form Two Students in Embu County, Kenya
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Date
2025-10
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Problem behaviour in secondary schools is an issue of concern all over the world. The increase in problem behaviour among secondary school students continue to raise concern in educational and community settings. Parenting practices and perceived social support have been identified as key predictors of such behaviour. In particular, majority of secondary school students in Mbeere south sub-county, Embu County have been exhibiting problem behaviour at an alarming rate. These problem behaviour have been attributed to school factors and very little has been done on perceived social support and parenting practices which may be contributing a lot to the student problem behaviour. This study examined the extent to which parenting practices and perceived social support predict problem behaviour among secondary school students in Mbeere sub-county, Embu county, Kenya. The objectives of the study were; to determine the relationship between parenting practices and problem behaviour, to establish the relationship between perceived social support and problem behaviour and to determine the predictive model of parenting practices and perceived social support on problem behaviour. The research was anchored on social learning theory and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory. Correlational research design was employed in this study. The study location was Mbeere South Sub-County, Embu County and the study was conducted among form two students. The target population consisted of 32 secondary schools and 8822(5302 boys and 3520 girls) form two students. The sample size of the study was 383(199 boys and 184 girls). Purposive sampling, simple random sampling, stratified and proportionate sampling were used to select the schools and the respondents. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the quantitative data. A pilot test was conducted using 38 form two students from a secondary school in Mbeere South Sub-county to assess the validity and reliability of the research instruments. This school was excluded from the actual study. Descriptive, inferential statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Multiple were used to analyze the data. The results of this study indicated that there was a negative and significant relationship between parenting practices and problem behaviour (r=-0.46, p<.05), perceived social support and problem behaviour (r=-0.65, p <.05). The results from multiple regression analysis indicated that parental practices are the best predictors of problem behaviour since they had the highest predictive index of (β=-0.45) followed by perceived social support which had the least predictive index (β= -0.33). The equation for predicting problem behaviour from parenting practices and perceived social support was found to be significant (F (3, 271) = .00 P <.05). In addition, the sub-scales of the two independent variables were found to have a significant predictive weight on problem behaviour. The study recommends the ministry of education should establish parent-school partnership and that teachers should strengthen school based social support system so as to help the students deal with problem behaviour.
Description
A Research Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Award of the Degree of Master of Education (Educational Psychology) in the School of Education and Life Long Learning, Kenyatta University, October 2025.
Supervisors
1. Dr. Lucy Mawang - Department of Educational Psychology, Kenyatta University.
2. Dr. Susan Ngunu - Department of Educational Psychology, Kenyatta University.