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1.6 Theoretical Framework

Lev Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development (1978)

Vygotsky's cognitive development theory (1978) stresses that parents’ play a central role in the process of
making meaning. Vygotsky further states cognitive development stems from social interactions from guided
learning within the zone of proximal development as children and their partners co-construct knowledge. For
Vygotsky, the environment in which children grow up will affect how they think and what they think about
(Roth & Lee, 2007). He also believed that there were certain higher functions developed through the direct
interaction with significant people in a child’s life. The absence of the missing parent to guide, discipline,
direct, model, and teach may be one of the causes that a child from a single parent family may not perform
at their full potential (Rothstein, 2004). To Vygotsky, the development of the mind is the interweaving of
biological development of the human body and the appropriation of the cultural or ideal or material heritage
which exists in the present to coordinate people with each other and the physical world (Bronfenbrenner,
2002).

Also, Vygotsky's concept of cognitive development suggests that the social world defines the way children
think. Vygotsky's (1978) believed that children learn more when their learning is best supported at
opportune times when the caregiver aides them in learning new tasks.

“When children raised in single-parent households are left alone for long periods or left in the hands of
uninvolved caregivers, their academic skills are not being fully supported” (Knox & Virginia, 1996).

Therefore, the researcher has employed Vygotsky's cognitive development theory because it places parents
as partners in their child’s life is crucial as he believed that everything a child learns is through the
interactions with knowledgeable partners, Thus children who experience cooperative and assistive, rather
than punitive styles of parenting, will quickly increase cognitive skills and be motivated to learn. This applies
to practical skills like writing or building things from blocks, as well as the learning of ethical and problem-
solving behavior (Brooks, 2011).

1.7 Conceptual Framework

The Figure below shows variables that guide this study. There are independent variables, intervening
variables and dependent variable. Independent variables are represented by single parenting factors. While,
intervening variables are parents’ education, gender, parent occupation and family size and Dependent
variable is students’ performance.

illustration not visible in this excerpt

1.8 Significance of the Study

Firstly, the outcome of this study would serve as an input for legislation on policies relating to parenting. The
study recommendations would assist the nation’s lawmakers to have a deeper horizon of single parenting
and on the need to act fast because of its consequences on the nation.

Secondly, as curriculum planners needed to be guided with factors that could assist the curriculum planning
and implementation to be successful. This study would therefore afford planners to consider learners’ family
stability as a primary determinant of academic breakthrough. In addition, the outcome of this study would
not exempt students in the scheme of importance it would benefit them. It would enable students to
understand even though over a long period of time, that crisis is eminent everywhere they find themselves
but should rather allow their conscious to guide their daily conduct and strive to achieve hard work.
Thirdly, the study outcome would help secondary school teachers to acknowledge the importance of
children upraised with both parents as a major pillar for academic success in the academic of any student.

Fourthly, the school counselors would be better equipped with the necessary tool to guide and counsel
students from single parents’ homes. Such would offer them the zeal and courage to forge ahead in life
especially with their studies aimed at discouraging any form of distractions. It would help to become aware
of the need to students from single parents, aspire to improve their educational performance.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

The researcher encountered the following limitations; the lack of openness of the respondents in giving the
true information they had, to avoid this limitation the research assured the respondents with confidentiality
by holding a discussion with respondents before the exercise. The researcher prepared the questionnaires
in simple English language that could be understood to students.

1.10 Delimitation of the Study

Curran, (1991) argues that, the ideal setting for any study should be easily accessible to the inquirer. The
study was conducted in Arusha City Council, the location was chosen due to the homogeneous nature of
the study population and the well-developed infrastructure.

1.11 Operational Definitions of Terms

Academic Performance (AP): A In this study, Academic performance means student’s grade or marks
obtained from National examinations.

Parenting: In this study, parenting means the skills and task responsibilities of raising child/children.

Single Parenting:. In this study single parenting means a mother or father who looks after children on their
own, without the other partner.

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a67f/48ce4649188f0ed6ff3864551479abf3934c.pdf

2.1 Theoretical framework

The study was guided by the conflict theory by Karl Marx (1867). The theory argues that

society is in a state of perpetual conflict due to competition for limited resources thus

those with power and wealth try to hold on it by any means possible thus suppressing the

poor and powerless. Students of low socioeconomic status are generally not afforded the
same opportunities as students of higher status, no matter how great their academic

ability or desire to learn is (Collins,1975). The children might tend to lag behind in their

emotional and psychological wellbeing thus inevitably influencing their academic

achievement. This theory is therefore thought to be appropriate when interpreting results

of students from single parent family structures that are generally poorer compared to two

parent family structures.

 2.2 Conceptual framework

A conceptual framework is a visual presentation that explains the main things to be

studied in research including the key factors, concepts or variables and the presumed

relationship among them (Miles and Huberman,1994). The conceptual framework has

shown the relationship between the independent variables associated with single

parenting and dependent variables in terms of academic performance. The relationship of

these factors is illustrated in Figure 2:1

Figure 2:1 Conceptual framework on the influence of single

parenting on children’s academic performance
Independent variables: Characteristics associated with single parent families
Parental involvement in
children’s education in terms
of:
Helping with school
assignment
participating in school activities
participating in school Intervening
Dependent variables
projects variables
Students’ academic achievement
Parents’ education level Student’s Good grades Poor grades
attitude to Absenteeism Indiscipline
learning
Parents’ occupation

Family size
2 Provision of basic needs,
3 paying attention to the
child ‘emotional and
social needs
The information presented in Figure 2:1 seem to suggest that parents’ involvement in

their children’s education, educational level, occupation and family size are likely

to affect academic achievement. This is because single parent families are faced with

challenges such as, decision making as an individual on his or her children which may

be hampered by level of education and financial constraints. All these factors may

contribute to poor academic achievement of a student.