Cross-sectional study on parenting behaviors and intrapersonal functioning among adolescent students of Tabor Secondary School, Hawassa

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to examine the relationship between the parenting behaviors and intrapersonal functioning among adolescent students at Tabor Secondary School, Hawassa. Cross-sectional research design was used to achieve this objective. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select students based on sex and grade level and systematic random sampling technique was used to include respondents in the sample. 353 (182 males and 171 females) students were participated in this study. A demographic questionnaire, parenting behavior scale and adolescent intrapersonal functioning scale were administered. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed that the majority of Hawassa Tabor secondary school students had high level of intrapersonal functioning. Independent t-test for group mean difference revealed that there was no significant mean difference between male and female students in terms of parental support and parental psychological control. On the other hand, there was significant mean difference between male and female students in terms of parental behavioral control. There was also no significant mean difference between male and female students in terms of intrapersonal functioning. Finally, the result of Pearson correlation indicated that there was a positive relationship between parental support and adolescents’ intrapersonal functioning. Parental psychological control had a negative relationship with adolescents’ intrapersonal functioning and parental behavioral control had a positive relationship with adolescents’ intrapersonal functioning. It was recommended that parents, schools, governments, and non-government organizations better work together to improve intrapersonal functioning of adolescents.