INFLUENCE OF PARENTING STYLES AND NURTURANCE ON THE PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ADOLESCENTS IN ENUGU STATE: IMPLICATION FOR EMPLOYABILITY AND GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS IN THE NEW NORMAL

Abstract

This study was on the influence of parenting styles and nurturance on the psychosocial development of adolescents in Enugu State: Implications for employability and global competitiveness in the new normal. Four research questions guided the study. Evaluative survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study was all the senior secondary school students (SS III) in Enugu State during the 2022 academic year. The sample size consisted of 1000 students chosen through multi-stage sampling techniques. The research instrument was a questionnaire made up of 50 items in four clusters and the data collected were analysed using Bar Chart to answer research question 1 and mean scores for research questions 2, 3 and 4. The findings revealed among others that parents in Enugu state use permissive styles of parenting,  that the children fall short of skills for global competitiveness and employability. Finally, they rated the influence of parenting style on their psychosocial development below average. The following recommendations were made, and they include that parents should realise that parenting is a task and it needs skills, time and resources. Seminars and conferences are to be organized on different styles of parenting. International and local competitions for children are to be encouraged and organized by both parents and other agents of socialization.