Parents’ conceptions of Namibian boys’ underachievement and under-participation in education

Abstract

To create awareness on gender disparity in academic achievement between boys and girls, a study on Namibian boys’ educational underachievement was conducted (Zimba, et al. 2023). This article is based on data from this study that pertained to parents’ conceptions of boys’ educational underachievement. Using a pragmatic parallel mixed methods research design, systematic, and criterion sampling techniques, data were collected by administering structured questionnaires to 182 parents and by conducting focus group discussions with 85 parents. More than half (57%) of the parents agreed that boys performed worse than girls at school because they were less motivated to work than girls, girls worked harder than boys and that boys needed more help than girls to achieve their full potential. In focus group discussions, about 60% of
the parents indicated that boys were less motivated to work at school than girls because they were NOT responsible, goal directed, aiming to achieve anything in life, interested in education, concerned about education, and they were NOT willing to do their schoolwork without being closely supervised. Boys who educationally underachieved did not want to be told what to do, had negative attitudes towards school, did not challenge themselves, had no will power, were lazy, uncooperative, and did not understand the value of education. To support boys’ education, it is recommended that ‘parents should act as real parents’ for boys during socialization by treating them as persons who need help and guidance and not as persons who
are self-sufficient. They should also monitor and exercise control over their sons’ misbehaviour and misdeeds.