CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION
Rationale
Sigelman and Rider (2006) state that Many noted theorists have argued
that no social relationship is more important than the first: the bond between
parent and infant. Both Freud and Erikson placed great emphasis on the parentchild relationship and its importance to normal development.
A philosophy is built on years of child development research which shows
that while each child is pre-wired with certain traits, temperament and abilities,
its the interaction with their environment, especially their parents, which
ultimately determines how these characteristics are manifested as they grow and
develop into competent adults. Parenting can be a daunting prospect even for
the most accomplished and the most prepared. Good parenting is a balance of
many different factors and you will need to discipline as well as spend good,
quality time with your child. Although parenting is unarguably the most important
of occupations, it is one of the few that requires no formal education, no
examination to test a persons ability to take on such a role, and no refresher
course to ensure that a parent is following healthy standards of childrearing.
According to Amy Tiller, Belsky, Robins, and Gamble define competent
parenting as the style of child rearing that enables the developing person to

acquire the capacities required for dealing effectively with the ecological niches
that she or he will inhabit during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
Competent parenting is related to warmer, more accepting, and more helpful
styles of parenting.
Although education is not the only road to success in the working world,
much effort is made to identify, evaluate, track and encourage the progress of
students in schools. Parents care about their child's academic performance
because they believe good academic results will provide more career choices
and job security. Parental involvement has been shown to be an important
variable that positively influences childrens education. More and more schools
are observing the importance and are encouraging families to become more
involved. Because of this recent trend, it has become essential to understand
what is meant by parenting styles and in what ways it has an influence on
childrens education.
The researchers choose to have this research because they want to know
if there is a significant relationship in the way the students perform in their studies
in relation to how their parents brought them up.
The way parents interact with their children has a direct effect on their
development their level of confidence and self-esteem, their sense of security,
their emotional well-being, the way they relate to others, how they deal with
authority, and their performance in school. Guidance is necessary particularly in

the college level where the growing complexity of present day life has intensified
already.
Based on the researchers observation in relation to the academic
performance of students, they have seen that the way parents brought up their
children affects their attitudes, perceptions and how they go about in their
academic performances. The researchers also want to know if whether a
particular parenting style is more effective in motivating a student to excel in
academics compared to the other parenting styles.
In accordance to the aforementioned statements, this study is conducted
by the researchers for the purpose of determining the relationship of the
academic performance of nursing students in relation to their parents parenting
style.
Theoretical Background

This study is anchored mainly on Diana Baumrind's theory of parenting

styles. According to Vanderwoerd (2003), Diana Baumrind seemed to touch on
the idea of respect in her investigation into different parenting styles. Her
parenting styles were based on two aspects of parenting that are found to be
extremely important. The first was "Parental responsiveness", which refers to the
degree the parent responds to the child's needs. The second was "Parental
demandingness" which is the extent to which the parent expects more mature
and responsible behavior from a child. Using these two dimensions, she
recognizes three different parenting styles: permissive, authoritative, and
3

Diana Baumrinds Theory

Family Code of the Philippines

Section IX Article 220

of Parenting

Nurturance Model

Level III Nursing Students of

Holy Name University

Parenting Styles:

Authoritarian

Authoritative

Permissive

Academic Performance

Figure 1 : Theoretical Conceptual Framework of the Study

authoritarian. Permissive parents tended to give up their authority over their

children. They provided few or no controls, and very little predictability or
security. While they may have attempted to respect their childrens autonomy,
they did not recognize their childrens need for guidance and direction.
Authoritative parents recognized their childrens autonomy, and allowed them the
opportunity to explore and test their environment under the safe, predictable
structures which the parents provided. When disciplining their children,
authoritative parents provided logical and meaningful explanations to their
children, and related consequences to their childrens behavior. Finally,
authoritarian parents tended to offer no explanation when punishment was dealt
out.

Our supporting model is the nurturant parent model and it is a parenting

style which envisions a family model where children are expected to explore
their surroundings with protection from their parents. This model believes that
children inherently know what they need and should be allowed to explore. The
parents are responsible for protecting their child during this exploration,
including protecting their child from themselves by offering guidance. A child
will be picked up if the child cries because the parent wants the child to feel
safe and nurtured. If a child grows up believing that its needs will be met, it will
be more confident when facing challenges.
Ideas involved in this model include:

True

discipline

is

not

matter

of

strict

obedience,

but

of respect and compassion.

The world is no more inherently hostile than it is inherently friendly; it

merely commands respect.

Respect and compassion can only be taught by example.

The nurturant parent model is discussed by George Lakoff in his books,

including Moral Politics and Whose Freedom? In these books, the nurturant
parent model is contrasted with the strict father model. Lakoff argues that if the
metaphor of nation as family and government as parent is used,
then progressive politics correspond to the nurturant parent model. For
example, progressives want the government to make sure that the citizens are
protected and assisted to achieve their potential. This might take the form of
tough environmental regulations or healthcare assistance.

Section IX Article 220 of the Family Code of the Philippines states that the
parents and those exercising parental authority shall have with the respect to
their unemancipated children on wards the following rights and duties:

(1) To keep them in their company, to support, educate and instruct them by
right precept and good example, and to provide for their upbringing in
keeping with their means;
(2) To give them love and affection, advice and counsel, companionship and
understanding;

(3) To provide them with moral and spiritual guidance, inculcate in them
honesty, integrity, self-discipline, self-reliance, industry and thrift, stimulate
their interest in civic affairs, and inspire in them compliance with the duties
of citizenship;
(4) To furnish them with good and wholesome educational materials,
supervise their activities, recreation and association with others, protect
them from bad company, and prevent them from acquiring habits
detrimental to their health, studies and morals;
(5) To represent them in all matters affecting their interests;
(6) To demand from them respect and obedience;
(7) To impose discipline on them as may be required under the
circumstances; and
(8) To perform such other duties as are imposed by law upon parents and
guardians.

Although parenting is unarguably the most important of occupations, it is

one of the few that requires no formal education, no examination to test a
persons ability to take on such a role, and no refresher course to ensure that a
parent is following healthy standards of childrearing.

Many studies exist that examine parenting styles. In Tillers study, it was
said that Baumrinds three parenting styles of authoritarian, permissive, and
authoritative are often used in studies investigating parenting styles in relation to
7

diverse child outcome variables, such as academic achievement, selfconfidence, aggression, delinquent behavior, and substance abuse. Researchers
typically have identified these three parenting styles based on the levels of
control and warmth displayed by parents on a regular basis and in a variety of
situations. Past research has also included a fourth parenting style called
neglectful, which is characterized by low warmth and low control. Maccoby and
Martin call this parenting style Indifferent-Uninvolved. They describe these
parents as emotionally detached. Indifferent, uninvolved, or neglectful, parents
tend to keep their children at a distance, responding to child demands only to
make them cease. Little is known about this parenting style, and research on this
population of parents is lacking because they are typically not very responsive or
involved in their childrens lives. Because these parents, and consequently their
children, are difficult to study, the current study examined only the three
previously mentioned parenting styles.
According to Marc H. Bornstein, children do not, and cannot, grow up as
solitary individuals; parenting constitutes an all-encompassing ecology for
development. From the start, parenting is a "24/7" job. Parenting formally begins
during or before pregnancy and can continue throughout the life span: Practically
speaking for most, once a parent, always a parent.
In Tillers research, it is mentioned that studies that examined how
parenting styles influenced the cognitive development of young elementary-aged
children are rare and no studies were found that used a standardized
assessment of cognitive ability, like the Woodcock Johnson. In a study of
8

adolescents, Dornbusch found that authoritarian and permissive parenting styles

were negatively associated with higher grades, whereas the authoritative
parenting style was positively associated with higher grades. Radziszewska,
Richardson, Dent, and Flay found similar results in their study of 15-year-olds. In
another study of adolescents, Leung, Lau, and Lam found that that academic
achievement was negatively related to authoritarianism. In a study of adolescent
minority students, Boveja found that adolescents who perceived their parents to
be authoritative engaged in more effective learning and studying strategies.
Sharon E. Paulson emphasized in her article on Patterns of parenting during
adolescence: perceptions of adolescents and parents that many studies of
parenting during adolescence have examined the relations between parenting
characteristics (e.g., parenting style and parental involvement) and adolescent
outcomes (e.g., school achievement). Parenting style usually is conceptualized
along

two

dimensions:

parental

demandingness

(control) and

parental

responsiveness (warmth), which can be combined to create four categories of

parenting - authoritative (high demandingness and high responsiveness),
authoritarian (high demandingness and low responsiveness), indulgent or
permissive (low demandingness and high responsiveness), and indifferent or
neglecting (low demandingness and low responsiveness). Research has shown
that authoritative parenting is more related to higher levels of adjustment
psychosocial maturity, psychosocial competence, self-esteem, and academic
success than are other parenting styles. Studies which examined the dimensions
of parenting separately similarly found positive relations of both acceptance
9

(responsiveness) and control (demandingness) with psychosocial maturity,

school achievement, and self-esteem.
In Alex Martins article (2007) on parenting involvement, he pointed out
that the climax rests in the fact that how the parents would know that their
sincere involvements are really proving worthwhile for their children. The answer
lies in the attitude of the children. The degree of parental involvement can be
judged by a childs attitude towards his school subjects, his academic desires
and

achievements.

There

is

direct

relationship

between

academic

achievements and the attitude towards school. Schunk had the following idea of
aspiration or academic desires: Level of aspiration is defined as ones subjective
probability that he or she will reach a certain level of education. (Abu, H. &
Maher, M). As a result children who received adequate parental concern were
found to be much more confident in their academic desires and achievements
than those who could not get the right amount of parental concern.

In addition to their involvement in specific aspects of their children's

education, styles of parenting also affect children's attitudes toward academic
achievement. For example, adolescents who described their parents as "warm,
democratic, and firm" (i.e., a parenting style characterized as authoritative
parenting) were more likely than their peers to develop positive attitudes toward
and beliefs about their achievement. These results, however, were true for a
predominantly white middle-class to upper-middle-class population. Investigation
of links between parenting practices and academic achievement among varied

10

ethnic groups have suggested that the relationship between parenting style and
achievement is more complex.

Students' educational aspirations appear to be influenced not only by parents,

but also by peers. For example, Laurence Steinberg, Sanford Dornbusch, and B.
Bradford Brown found that high-achieving white students benefited from the
combination of authoritative parenting and peer support for achievement, while
lower-achieving

Hispanic

students

suffered

from

combination

of

authoritarian parenting (characterized by high demands and low warmth) and low
peer support as cited in an article about Parenting Influence On Childs
Educational Aspirations and attainment. For African-American students, the
benefits of authoritative parenting appeared to be offset by low peer support for
achievement, while the negative consequences on Asian-American students
of authoritarian parenting were tempered by peer support.

Vanderwoerd (2003) also quoted that Eleanor Maccoby found that children of
authoritarian parents tended to have low self-esteem, lacked empathy, were
unable to internalize moral standards, lacked independence, and were weak in
establishing positive peer relationships. According to Chan ang Koos research,
there is indeed evidence to suggest that parenting practice matters, especially for
educational outcome. For example, Astone and McLanahan analyze data from
the High School and Beyond Study, and show that students educational
outcomes are better if parents want their children to graduate from college,
supervise their schoolwork, or simply talk to them at least weekly. But Astone

11

and McLanahan also show that these parenting practices explain little of the gap
in educational attainment between children from intact and non-intact families.

Similarly, Chan and Koo (2009) quote Pong. In that Pong use data from
the Add Health Study and show that, net of family socioeconomic background
and other demographic variables, parenting styles have positive associations
with students grade-point average. However, they argue that parenting style
does not mediate the ethnicitygenerational differences in school grades.
In a third paper that is based on the National Educational Longitudinal
Study, McNeal, Jr.(1999) shows that students truancy and drop-out rates are
lower if parents are involved in parentteacher associations (PTAs), discuss
educational matters with their child, or monitor their childs behavior. However,
the result is less consistent when it comes to science achievement scores: while
parentchild discussion is associated with higher achievement scores, parental
monitoring and parental involvement in PTAs are associated with lower scores.
This leads McNeal to conclude that parental involvement is more salient for
behavioral than for cognitive outcomes. He also argues that parental involvement
has stronger effects for white and more affluent students. The results regarding
non-educational outcomes are less consistent across studies. Chan and Koo
(2009) also mention in their study Barnes and Farrell and they report that, net of
various controls, including family history of alcohol abuse, higher levels of
parental support, and monitoring are associated with lower levels of alcohol use,
drug use, and delinquent behavior among adolescents. In contrast, Ennett report

12

that parentchild communication about tobacco and alcohol use is not associated
with the initiation of smoking or drinking among adolescents.
Research such as that by Rodriguez Castellano (2003) demonstrate that a
positive family climate favors the development of well-adapted , mature, stable
and integrated subjects, and an unfavorable family climate promotes nonadaptation, immaturity, lack of balance and insecurity as cited in Diazs study on
personal, family, and academic factors affecting low achievement in secondary
school.
In an article entitled The Parents Role: Learning Differences at College,
it is pointed out that it is very important that in the academic years of students,
parents should be supportive of their choices, but any more than this is too much.
Matt, a recent anthropology graduate, stated that parents should let their children
know that they are there for them and that they can help, but they should not try
to do more than this, like they might have back in high school. College students
have many obstacles to overcome in order to achieve their optimal academic
performance. It takes a lot more than just studying to achieve a successful
college career. Factors such as parental involvement in the light of parental
expectations, can pose a significant effect on a students academic performance.
Parental expectations have a notable influence on academic results, even when
controlling for initial knowledge and socio-economic context. The more subtle
aspects of parental involvement, such as parental styles, had a greater impact on
student educational outcomes.

13

THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

The study aims to investigate the relationship of parents parenting style

and academic performance among Level III Nursing students for the school year
2010-2011.
Specifically, the study seeks to answer the following questions:
1. What is the demographic profile of the parents of the respondents in
terms of:
a. Age
b. Occupation
c. Educational Attainment
d. Familys Monthly Income
e. Number of siblings in the Family
2. What is the parents parenting style in terms of
a. Authoritarian
b. Authoritative
c. Permissive

14

3. What is the profile of the academic performance of the randomly

selected nursing subjects?
4. Is there a significant relationship between parents parenting style and
the respondents academic performance in the nursing subjects?
5. Based upon the findings of the study, what recommendations will be
proposed to improve their academic performance?
Statement of the Hypothesis
The study seeks to test the null hypothesis that states: there is no
significant relationship between parenting styles and the academic performance
of Level III Nursing students of Holy Name University.

Significance of the Study

The researchers would like to share with genuine interest how significant
the study is to the following group of persons:

Students. This study will serve as their inspiration in putting more

motivation in studying, which in return, may affect their academic performance.
Moreover, the students will be given better understanding to their perception with
regards to strategies in studying.

Clinical Instructors. As mentors of the students, they could enhance their

way of teaching and come up with a strategy that is best suitable to improve the
academic level of the students. Furthermore, the study will make them aware
15

about the students attitudes in response to their teaching styles. This will also
help them determine which teaching strategy is more effective and easier to
conduct a smooth-sailing flow of discussion.

Administration.This study will serve as basis for them to assess the

degree of effectiveness of the teachers teaching strategies. In line with that, they
may give insights for professional training and development to enhance the
competencies of teachers.

Parents. This study will serve as their instrument in giving information,

their perception regarding the styles of parenting they exemplify to their children
and how it directly translate into effects in academic performances.

Guidance Counselors.This study may serve as inspiration for them to

mold students about their character, and styles in studying habits thus making
students in becoming a better person. They are there to advice and at the same
time encourage the students to verbalize feelings concerning their degree of
academic performance.

Future Researchers. This study will serve as their reference for their
future research undertakings and they may use the gathered data as basis in
conducting research studies of their own.

Scope and Limitation

The primary focus of this study is to determine the relationship of
Parenting Style and Academic Performance among 3 rd year Student Nurses of
16

Holy Name University School Year 2010-2011. Specifically, the dependent

variable will determine the academic performance of the 3 rd year Nursing
students of Holy Name University through their final grades of all lecture major
subjects. The independent variable which are the different Parental Styles, is
comprised of three types namely: Authoritarian, Authoritarian, and Permissive
Styles.
The limitation of this study covers the accessibility, the collaboration,
willingness to participate, and the honesty of our respondents in answering the
questionnaires. As well as we limit our data to respondents living with their
biological parents. Limitations also include the availability of the data needed to
be collected from the registrars office, and the Nursing Administrators office.
The researchers have chosen the 3rd year students of Holy Name
University as the suitable respondents whose census is enough to assess the
validity and reliability of the study.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design
This study will use descriptive research design, which is the most effective
method used to describe an existing condition or a phenomenon and tends to
explore a certain fact that influence the variables of the study, with the
questionnaire as the major data gathering methodology. Descriptive as it seems
at describing the learning whether there is significance in the influence of

17

parenting styles in the academic achievement of 3 rd year BSN students at the

time of the study.
Research Environment
This study will be conducted at Holy Name University which is located at
Janssen Heights, Dampas, Bohol under Region VII. The said institution is located
at the heart of the city. It is a catholic educational institution manned by members
of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) and selected group of lay educators
committed to the education of the youth. The school was founded by Rev.
Alphonse Lesage, SVD on June 1947 and was formerly named as Holy Name
College. Presently there are seven departments in which Nursing is one.
The College of Nursing started its operation on May 18, 1985 after the
approval of the Department of Education Culture and Sports. It was on October
19, 1987 that the Divine Word College, College of Nursing City of Tagbilaran
received her recognition. In the beginning year, the population was 40 until it
grew rapidly in the early part of 1990s. However the enrolment dwindled towards
the middle part of 1990 up to the year 2000.
The study will be particularly conducted on the different classrooms
wherein classes are going on of the Nursing students who will be chosen as
respondents for this study. It is particularly located on the Freinademetz Building
of this constitution.

18

Research Respondents
The respondents of this study are students of Holy Name University, who
are enrolled at the College of Nursing and are currently 3 rd year students of the
school year 2010-2011. List of respondents will be obtained from the Nursing
Administrators office, reflecting the total number of 3 rd year students. From the
list, the respondents will be drawn by stratified sampling data. Total number of
respondents will be determined by the use of the formula:
Sample Size by Cochran

z 2 p (1 p )
ss=
c2
Where:

(.5

value

(e.g.

percentage

picking

used

for

1.96
a

for

95%

confidence

choice,

expressed

sample

size

as

level)
decimal
needed)

c = confidence interval, expressed as decimal , acceptable margin of error for the

proportion

being

estimated

(degree

of

precision)

(e.g., .04 = 4)

19

Correction for Finite Population

New ss =

ss
ss 1
1
pop

Where: pop = population size

Total number of Level III Nursing students is 373. There will be 24-26
students per section chosen to participate in this study. There is a total of 8
sections in the level III. Hence, giving us a total of 197 respondents.
Research Instrument
Quantitative
This study will use a Parental Authority Questionnaire. This questionnaire
includes the demographic profile of the respondents parents, such as: age,
occupation, educational attainment, monthly income, number of siblings in the
family.The Parental Authority Questionnaire will be composed of questions on
determining parental styles.
The data gathered for the grade of the respondents will be obtained
through a formal letter of request addressed to the office of the registrar.
Qualitative

Focus Group Discussion (FGD) is a group discussion of approximately 6 12 persons guided by a facilitator, during which group members talk freely and
spontaneously about a certain topic, in this case, about parenting.
20

A FGD is a qualitative method. Its purpose is to obtain in-depth

information on concepts, perceptions and ideas of the group. A FGD aims to be
more than a question-answer interaction. The idea is that group members
discuss the topic among themselves, with guidance from the facilitator.

Research Procedure
Prior to administration of the instruments, it will be pilot tested to 10
random 3rd year nursing students of Holy Name University who will then be
excluded in the final respondents. This will be done to ensure that all problems
were easily understood, free from errors, and to ascertain the length of time
needed in answering the questionnaire.
The instrument will be administered during their fourth year first semester
classes of the respondents; room to room basis hence, asking information to the
registrars office about their room schedules and assignments. Permission from
the students in answering the questionnaires will be requested upon
administration of instruments. Consideration from their clinical instructors or any
instructor in-charge will also be asked as instruments will most likely be
distributed before the beginning of their class.
In conducting the Focus Group Discussion, the moderator leads the
discussion, keeps the conversation flowing and takes a few notes to remember
comments that s/he may want to use later. The assistant moderator takes
comprehensive notes, operates the tape recorder, handles the environmental

21

conditions and logistics, responds to unexpected interruptions and keeps track of

time.
Statistical Treatment
To determine for the academic performance of the respondent and are
computed using mean and standard deviation of the responses, the formula is
listed below.

X=

S=

where:
= mean
= symbol of summation
= frequency of response
= the variables
s = standard deviation
To test for the significant correlation between parents parenting style and
academic achievement, the Pearson Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation
has been used with the formula:

r=
22

where:
= total no. of respondents
= the independent variable
= the dependent variable
= symbol of summation

To test for the significance of the Pearson, the T-test for the significance
of (r) has been used, whose formula is listed below:

t=

where:
r= the computed Pearson (r)
t= the computed t-test

Definition of Terms

Academic Performance
The average of the final grade of 3rd year nursing students in their 5 major
subjects of the school year 2010-2011 namely NCM 103.N, NCM 104.N, NCM
105.N, ECON 1N, & ELECTIVE 1.

23

Parenting Style

The method used by parents in raising a child depending on their own way
of doing.

Authoritarian Parents
Parents exercise full control on their children. They dont listen to their
childrens wants or requests.

Democratic Parents

Parents set limitations and standards to their children at the same time
listen to the side of their children.

Permissive Parents

Parents tolerate their children in all their activities

Uninvolved Parents
Parents dont get involved in the life of their children. Children can do
whatever they want without even consulting the parents.

Children

The BSN level III students enrolled at Holy Name University school year
2010-2011.

24

BIBLIOGRAPHY
A.Books
Theis, Kathleen; Jones, John Travers, Development Through the Lifespan
Barlett Publishers Massachussets 2nd Ed (2009)
Pilliteri, Adele, Maternal and Child Health Nursing; Care of the Childbearing
& Childrearing Family Vol. 1 5th Ed (2007) pp. 324

B. Journals
Vanderwoerd, Jim, Journal of Child and Youth Care, Vol. 5 No.1 pp. 39-40
Paulson, Sharon, Patterns of parenting during adolescence: perceptions of
adolescents and parents, Adolescence, Summer, 1996
Marc H. Bornstein, Parenting: Science and Practice, Volume 1, Issues 1 & 2,
May 2001
Goldberg, Dana, Parenting - Find The Right Balance!, March 6, 2006

C. Electronic Sources
Chan, Tak Wing; Koo, Anita, Parenting Style and Youth Outcomes in the
UK*,
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~sfos0006/papers/esr2010.pdf

25

Diaz, Antonia Lozano, Personal, family, and academic factors affecting low
achievement in secondary school,
http://www.investigacionpsicopedagogica.org/revista/articulos/1/english/Art_1_4.pdf
Martin, Alex, Parents Involvement in Childrens Education,
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/parents-involvement-inchildrens-education-117944.html
McNeal, Ralph, Parenting Involvement as Social Capital: differential
effectiveness on science, achievement, truancy, and dropping out,
http://www.jstor.org/pss/3005792
Myers, Robert, Child Development,
http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/
Nurturant Parent Model,
http://abitabout.com/Nurturant+parent+model
Parental Authority Questionnaire,
http://faculty.sjcny.edu/~treboux/documents/parental%20authority%20que
stionnaire.pdf
Parenting - Influence On Child's Educational Aspirations And Attainment,
http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2312/Parenting-INFLUENCEON-CHILD-S-EDUCATIONAL-ASPIRATIONS-ATTAINMENT.html
Parenting Styles and Attachment,
http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Parenting-Styles-Attachment/185370

26

The Family Code of the Philippines,

http://www.weddingsatwork.com/culture_laws_familycode09.shtml
The Parents Role: Learning Differences at College,
http://smu.edu/smunews/learndifferently/parents-role.asp
Tiller, Amy; Garrison, Betsy; Block, Elizabeth; Cramer, Kathryn; Tiller, Vicky,
The

Influence

of

Parenting

Styles

on

Childrens

Cognitive

Development,
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/55603785/Parental-Style-and-Cognitive

27