EFFECTS OF SELECTED PARENTING STYLES ON SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF PRE-PRIMARY LEARNERS IN LURAMBI SUB-COUNTY KAKAMEGA COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Parenting plays a central role in a child’s growth and development, as early learning and social-emotional competencies often depend on the quality of parent–child relationships. Parents strongly influence children’s verbal problem-solving skills, emotion regulation, stress tolerance, and self-esteem. This study sought to examine the effects of selected parenting styles on the social-emotional development of pre-primary learners in Lurambi Sub- County, Kakamega County, Kenya. The objectives were to determine the effect of authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved parenting styles on children’s social-emotional development. The study was guided by Baumrind’s (1991) theory of parenting styles, which posits that parenting approaches significantly shape children’s behavior, personality, and socio-emotional balance at the early learning stage. A convergent parallel mixed-methods research design was employed, allowing for simultaneous collection and separate analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data. The target population comprised 6,848 pre-primary learners, 264 ECD teachers, and 6,526 parents. Using simple random sampling, 19 pre schools, 400 learners, and 26 teachers were selected, while 20 parents were purposively sampled. Data were collected through teachers’ questionnaires, learner interviews, and parent focus group discussions. Content validity was ensured through expert review, while reliability was tested using the test-retest method. Pilot study was conducted in two pre schools in Malava Sub-County of Kakamega County. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics (means and percentages) and inferential techniques, including linear regression and ANOVA in SPSS, to test relationships between parenting styles and social emotional outcomes. The results revealed that authoritative parenting style significantly predicted social-emotional development (R² = .206, F = 4.661, B = .541, p < 0.045), permissive parenting style also showed a significant effect (R² = .227, F = 5.290, B = .284, p = 0.034), while uninvolved parenting style likewise had a predictive effect (R² = .249, F = 5.975, B = .499, p = 0.025). The study concluded that children whose parents engaged them actively in conversations, provided tokens before tasks, and made reasonable demands demonstrated stronger social-emotional competencies. The study recommends that parents adopt clear, age-appropriate boundaries while maintaining warm and supportive relationships, with open two-way communication to build trust and confidence. It further emphasizes that the authoritative parenting style is the most effective in nurturing children’s social adjustment, responsibility, and positive peer interactions. Finally, parents should be empowered through seminars and workshops to strengthen their parenting skills, particularly in balancing warmth, guidance, and discipline for optimal child development.