A Comparative Study on Academic Performance of Children from Male and Female-Headed Single Parent Families

Abstract

Children are supposed to grow and develop in a healthy family setting where both parents play their respective roles by providing security and stability. Therefore, the research intends to comparatively study how the gender differentiation of head of the household in single-parent families affects their children's academic performance. Hence, this study's objectives attempt to fulfil the anthropological approach requirement to study the ability to provide academic assistance and meet emotional needs of children with balancing the personal lives of single parents. This study is based on 06 female-headed, 06 male-headed single-parent families and 08 teachers of Ratmalana DS division, Colombo district, Sri Lanka. Qualitative methods and techniques have been applied to collect data, including interviews, case studies and observation methods. The findings revealed that 66.66% of single mothers do not have sufficient means to provide most of the children's school needs. Further, 50% of single mothers and 16.66% of single fathers were educated up to G.C.E. ordinary level, and parent's educational qualification largely effects on assisting children at home in Covid 19 period. According to the registration document analysis, the percentage of regular daily attendance of children belonging to single-father parent families was more sound than single-mother families. According to the teachers, 100% of positive compliments were identified in children's health from single-father households. In addition, it was stated that these children have a more significant amount of participation in extracurricular activities at school than children from single mother-headed households. The study concludes that children from single-mother households faced challenges in supervising academic assistance, and children from single-father households faced problems due to lack of emotional support, negatively affecting their children's academic performance. Given the findings, the study recommends that schools establish guidance and counseling platforms to assist children from single-parent households in coping with academic work and completing on an equal footing with children from intact families.