Effects of single parenthood in the education of children: a case study of Karemo Division, Siaya County,
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Date
2015-08
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Kampala International University, College/School of Education
Abstract
The recent rapid increase in divorce, along with its distinctive cultural and welfare
environments for single-parent families, makes Kenya an interesting case for
examining effects of single parenthood on children’s education. Using data from the
questionnaires distributed I compared the levels of educational aspiration and
student disengagement between students with two parents and those with a single
parent, distinguishing divorced single fathers, widowed single fathers, divorced
single mothers, and widowed single mothers.
Logistic regression analysis show that students with a divorced single parent,
regardless of gender of the parent, are much less likely to aspire to four-year
university education and more likely to be disengaged than their counterparts with
two parents. The effects of widowhood disappear once control variables are held
constant. Lower household income among single-parent families explains in part the
poorer educational outcomes of their children. Parent-child interaction is another
important mediating factor for the effect of single fatherhood but not for single
motherhood. The relevance of the extended family system and distinctive features of
post-divorce living arrangements in Kenya is discussed to understand the effects of
single parenthood.
Description
A research report submitted to the college of education, open and distance learning in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Education in early childhood Primary Education of Kampala International University
Keywords
Single parenthood, Education