Parenting Approaches and Pupils’ Classroom Reinforcement in Sagnirigu District, Tamale-Ghana

This study examines the relationship that exists between parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian and permissive) and student’s classroom motivation. Simple random sampling was used to select the subjects for the study. The sample consisted of 390 comprising of 130 students, 130 parents and 130 teachers from twenty public and private Junior High Schools in the Tamale Metropolis. The data were analyzed using partial correlation and logistic regression and analytical techniques with SPSS version 16. Results showed that majority of parents perceived themselves as authoritative, followed by authoritarian and permissive. The findings revealed that mothers were more permissive than fathers. The results also did confirm a positive correlation between paternal parenting approaches and pupil’s classroom reinforcement/motivation.These findings are consistent with earlier findings of Cramer (2002) and Baumrind (1971). Possible reasons why the study findings of the present study are consisted with earlier ones were discussed.The study’s result also suggest that even though cultures differ in the kinds of opportunities they provide children to develop the competencies the need, parenting everywhere has direct influence on children’s social and emotional development. The present study concluded that both paternal and maternal parenting styles have a great bearing on student’s classroom motivation. Keywords: Parenting Style, Classroom Motivation, Mastery Motivation, Authoritarian Parenting, Permissive ParentingAuthoritative Parenting,Intrinsic Parenting, Family andStatistical Package for Social Sciences (S.P.S.S.