Parenting Style and Academic Performance of Pupils in Lower Primary in Kamuli District

ABSTRACT The Ugandan vision 2040 identified education as a major component of the social pillar of the Ugandan economy. The issue of parenting styles has been highlighted as a major component of academic achievement among children who make up the lower primary school population. This is because there is a belief that each parenting style sets its own demands with respect to the conduct of learners and the standards that they have to meet. Moreover, parents play a highly influential role in their children’s development. It is generally agreed that parenting style influences self-efficacy, self-esteem, and identity development, which are associated with the academic achievement of pupils. In addition, the progress in children’s achievement is influenced by the decision that is made by both parents and their children to cooperate or confront each other. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between the parenting styles and academic performance of pupils in lower primary in the Kamuli district. Uganda. The objectives of the study were to find out the parenting styles in the Kamuli district, the academic performance of pupils in lower primary, and the relationship between the parenting style and academic performance of pupils in the lower primary in the Kamuli district, Uganda. A random sampling method was used to select 18 teachers and 50 parents who were grouped into five groups each consisting of ten members. The study used questionnaires as a data collection instrument and data was analyzed using descriptive analysis to examine the relationship between parenting styles and academic performance. The data was presented in tabular form. Finally, the researcher found that the pupils who performed best experienced an authoritative parenting style, and therefore it was the best parenting style in relationship to academic performance. The researcher recommended a study to find out whether the results can be replicated among students in secondary schools.