Parental Factors and Students Academic Behaviour in Public Secondary Schools in Kiminini Sub-county, Kenya

Parental factors are central to a child’s educational journey because parents are the first and most consistent influencers in a child’s life. Understanding these factors helps educators and policymakers identify barriers to academic success and design targeted interventions to support learners more effectively. This study investigated the influence of parental factors on students’ academic behaviour in public secondary schools in Kiminini Sub-County, Kenya. The research was guided by four specific objectives: to determine the influence of parental income, examine the influence of parental occupation, evaluate the influence of parenting styles, and establish the influence of parental education level on students’ academic behaviour. The study was grounded in Epstein’s Theory of Parental Involvement (1995) and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979), both of which emphasize the importance of family and environmental contexts in shaping learner outcomes. A descriptive survey design was employed, targeting a census of 112 class teachers from 50 public day secondary schools in Kiminini Sub-County. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed through One-way ANOVA to determine the significance of the relationships between parental factors and students’ academic behaviour in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). The results revealed that all four parental factors; income (F(2,91) = 17.235, p = 0.000), occupation (F(2,91) = 9.364, p = 0.001), parenting style (F(2,91) = 9.364, p = 0.001), and education level (F(2,91) = 9.364, p = 0.001) had statistically significant effects on students’ academic behaviour. Higher parental income, stable employment, authoritative parenting, and higher levels of parental education were all positively correlated with improved student outcomes. The study concluded that the parental socioeconomic and behavioral factors significantly influence students’ academic behaviour and performance. It recommends the implementation of integrated government and community-based programs aimed at enhancing household income, expanding employment opportunities, and offering sustained parental education and sensitization. These efforts are essential to strengthen effective parenting practices and foster academic success among learners, particularly in socioeconomically diverse settings such as Kiminini Sub-County.