The influence of family pattern on academic achievement among community secondary school students in Kinondoni municipality Tanzania

The study explored the influence of family patterns on the academic achievement of secondary school students, based on 10 sampled Community Secondary Schools in Kinondoni district, Dar-es-Salaam. The objectives of the study were to identify common family patterns reflected by students among sampled community secondary schools in Kinondoni, to explore students’ academic achievement by identified family patterns, to identify family socio-economic factors related to students’ achievement and to explore differences in the academic achievement between children from non-intact/non-traditional families and those from intact/traditional family origins. The study was mainly quantitative and used descriptive survey research design. Ten community secondary schools in Kinondoni district were involved in the study. A total of 240 participants (200 students, 20 teachers and 20 parents) were initially expected to be involved in the study but two hundred and eight (208) subjects were available in the process. Stratified random sampling technique was employed to get student respondents. Other respondents were randomly selected. Questionnaire, interviews and documentary review were used in data collection. Data were analysed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software version 20. The study found that a significant number of community secondary school students were living in non-traditional families (single-parent, step-parents and foster-parent) more than in traditional (intact/nuclear) families. There were differences in academic achievement found among students from the different family patterns. The study found that the intact family pattern students ranked higher in academic achievement, followed by foster/care-giver families and single-parent families, while the last was step/blended family pattern. Some socio-economic factors were found to have influenced academic achievement, namely: family’s economic status, family cohesion and parental involvement. Parents’ aspiration, particularly job expectation, did not considerably show influence on academic achievement. Students from traditional/intact families were shown to achieve higher in examinations than those from non-traditional families. With the results obtained, it was concluded that the socio-economic problems emanating from non-traditional families were so complex as to adversely affect students’ academic achievement. The following recommendations were made: community as whole has to accept and help children from non-traditional families so as to boost their self-esteem. Also, there is need for education stakeholders (the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training) and religious leaders to actively work together to address the negative impacts of non-traditional families on children’s formal schooling. Education and social welfare policy integration has to address the social challenges that children from disadvantaged families face, particularly those with a bearing on their academics.