EFFECT OF PARENTING STYLE AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF HIGHER SECONDARY STUDENTS IN UDALGURI DISTRICT, ASSAM

Abstract

Abstract A nation’s progress and prosperity depend upon its educational system. Education is a designed process which refers to the attainment of knowledge and promotes the harmonious progress of a person. The fundamental meaning of education is the all- round improvement of human being. Education helps to unfold the inborn qualities of children and develop their personality fully in respect of physical, mental, intellectual, emotional, aesthetic and spiritual. It endures through various stages throughout the course of evolution. Academic achievement serves as an important dimension to measure the educational development. Since the students are the future of tomorrow their academic excellence is imperative for shaping their future. Good education prepares students for future careers, is linked to positive outcomes and is a main criterion to measure one’s total potentialities and capabilities. Examination is a vital tool for measuring students’ academic achievement. It enables to assess the students’ performance academically in the formal education system. The higher secondary students’ academic achievement in class XII board examination affects their future choices for higher studies and careers. Therefore, the higher secondary education stage is crucial as it prepares adolescent boys and girls for their future professions. Several factors affect the academic achievement like attitude, classroom environment, role of parents, social circle, psychological and health-related factors, guidance and counselling services and so on. Among these, parenting styles and socio-economic status are two important factors essential for students to fulfil their dreams and to compete with the world. Thus, the researcher aimed to study the effect of parenting styles and socio-economic status on the academic achievement of higher secondary students in Udalguri district. The present study intends to achieve the following objectives: 1. To examine the academic achievement of higher secondary students of Udalguri district (from 2011-2020). 2. To find out the parenting styles of parents of higher secondary students. 3. To determine the relationship between parenting styles and academic achievement of higher secondary students. 14. To find out the socio-economic status of parents of higher secondary students. 5. To determine the relationship between socio-economic status and academic achievement of higher secondary students. On the basis, of the objectives framed two null hypotheses are formulated to study the connection among academic achievement, parenting styles and socio-economic status. The study is delimited to students who passed the higher secondary final examination in the year, 2020 from Arts stream under AHSEC Board in Udalguri district only. The present study followed the descriptive survey method. For sample selection the investigator used a census sampling technique to select the degree colleges and a proportionate stratified random sampling technique to select the students. A sample of 770 students, consisting of 240 students from private colleges and 530 students from government colleges, was drawn, i.e., by taking 30% from private and government colleges from the total population of 2567 students using the proportionate stratified random sampling method. The study is based on both Primary and Secondary sources of data. Two standardised tools are used to study the parenting styles and socio-economic status. The collected data are tabulated by using statistical methods like- percentage and coefficient of correlation (Pearson’s Product Moment Method). Objective No 1: To examine the academic achievement of higher secondary students of Udalguri district (from 2011-2020) Under this objective the investigator observed the district-wise higher secondary final examination performance in Assam and the performance of Udalguri district from the year 2011 to 2020. The investigator also examined the level of academic achievement of the sample students based on the marks obtained by the students in higher secondary final examination. From the findings, it may be asserted that the performance of Udalguri district in the higher secondary final examination from the year 2011 to 2020 is not satisfactory. The pass percentage is low as compared to other districts in the state-level result. Concerning the district-wise data, in 2020, Udalguri district stands at 24 th position out of 33 districts of Assam and 3 rd position in Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) 2based on the students’ performance in higher secondary final examination. A large number of students have appeared in the examination, but only a small number have passed. According to the data, the majority of the students in Udalguri district are ‘Average Achievers’ due to few number of students passing in first division and maximum students pass in the third division. The result addressing the level of academic achievement of students taken as sample indicates that students have an average level of academic achievement. The findings suggest that majority (47.92%) of the students are ‘Average’ achievers. This result can be interpreted that majority of the student’s academic achievement is a matter of concern, as only 25.45% are classified as high achievers. Further, the finding indicates that males have outperformed the female students. Thus, it is essential to draw the attention of concerned authorities in order to provide better strategies for students’ high academic achievement. Objective No 2: To find out the parenting styles of parents of higher secondary students This objective observed the level of different parenting styles of parents of higher secondary students. In case of democratic parenting style, majority (34.03%) of the students indicated that their parents used democratic parenting and their response falls in the ‘Extremely High’ level. The result indicated that among different styles of parenting, the democratic parenting style was deemed the most predominant. Parents who are democratic are more responsive and listen to their children, are more forgiving and nurturing rather than punishing. In terms of autocratic parenting, majority (30.26%) of the responses fell into the ‘Above Average’ group. According to the results, autocratic parenting emerged as the second most popular parenting among the parents. Students who perceived their parents as autocratic conveyed through their responses that they are expected to obey their parents without questioning, perform better than others, and their parents command them what to do and what not to do, compel them to follow rules and discipline. The results on permissive parenting revealed that, majority (23.25%) of the students’ response fall into the ‘Below Average’ group. This parenting style advocates for giving children complete freedom, fulfilling their every desire 3whether good or bad, and appreciating their children’s behaviour, regardless of how they behave. In this parenting style, parents often struggle to discipline their children and feel guilty about refusing them. According to analysis on uninvolved parenting, the majority (26.88%) of students’ replies fall into the ‘Extremely Low’ group. This style is hardly adopted by parents in the upbringing of their children. Uninvolved parents have a careless and neglectful attitude towards their children. They are unconcerned about their children’s wants and expectations, hardly remember important things of their children, and are too busy to respond to their children. Furthermore, uninvolved parents are often unaware of their children’s studies and academic performance; in other cases, they have no idea what grades their children receive in class. Objective No 3: To determine the relationship between parenting styles and academic achievement of higher secondary students The result indicates that the relationship between parenting styles and academic achievement is statistically significant. The stated null hypothesis (H 01 )“There is no significant relationship between parenting styles and academic achievement of higher secondary students” fails to be accepted. A noteworthy correlation is observed between democratic parenting style and academic achievement, with a fairly positive level of correlation. The correlation between autocratic parenting style and academic achievement is found slightly significant and with low positive correlation. Significant, but weak correlation is found between permissive parenting style and academic achievement. A negative and insignificant correlation is observed between uninvolved parenting style and overall students’ academic achievement. Objective No 4: To find out the socio-economic status of parents of higher secondary students The result on the analysis of socio-economic status of parents of higher secondary students reveal that majority (38.83%) of the students’ falls on ‘Above Average’ socio- economic status level. The result reveals that maximum students come from ‘Above Average’ socio-economic backgrounds followed by ‘Average’ and ‘Below Average’ families. 4Objective No 5: To determine the relationship between socio-economic status and academic achievement of higher secondary students The result showed a positive and significant relationship between socio-economic status and academic achievement. The null hypothesis stating (H 02 ) “There is no significant relationship between socio-economic status and academic achievement of higher secondary students” fails to be accepted. Considering this finding, we can conclude that socio-economic status is an important and favourable predictor of academic achievement. Summary of the Study The findings of the present study conclude that academic achievement is significantly related to parenting styles and socio-economic status. The students’ academic achievement in Udalguri district is average. Thus, there is an imperative need to improve the academic achievement of students in Udalguri district. Parenting style and socio-economic status are two important factors associated with the academic achievement of students. Therefore, parents must be made aware of their contribution to children’s academic achievement as their parenting has significant impact on children’s development and upbringing. The Central and State Government should take steps to create more job opportunities to help people improve their financial condition and socio-economic position, as this is also an essential factor in student’s academic success. The investigator hopes that the present study will contribute to improving the academic achievement of students in the higher secondary stage, as well as create awareness among the educational authorities, state government, educators, teachers, parents, students and the general population at large. 5