GROUP 1

PRESBYTERIAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

COURSE TITLE: RESEARCH METHODS
LEVEL 300
TOPIC: THE IMPACT OF TEENAGE
PREGNANCY ON FORMAL EDUCATION OF
TEENAGERS
MEMBERS OF GROUP 1
CHAPTER ONE
THE IMPACT OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY ON FORMAL
EDUCATION OF TEENAGERS (A case st!" #$
ANGLICAN DISTRICT ASSEMBLY %&S&S '( t)e A*et'+
T,a!'t'#(a- A,ea&.
1&0 INTRODUCTION
(BAC/GROUND OF THE STUDY.
Teenage pregnancy is simply defined as a teenaged or underage girl becoming pregnant. The
term connotes that the girl has not yet reached legal adulthood before conceiving. A teenage girl
may become pregnant because of various reasons or situations but all teenage pregnancies are a
result of sexual activities either voluntary or not. One of the most traumatic and devastating
effects of teenage pregnancy is making it difficult for the girl to continue with her education.
Drop-out rates, repeaters, poor scoring and inability to graduate are some of the academic
conseuences of teenage pregnancy !"offerth et al, #$$%&.
'arious literatures exist on attempt to identify causes, effects and possible solution to the
conseuences of teenage pregnancy on education. The aim of this study is to identify the loop
holes or the weakness in such write-ups and to explore possibility of identifying a solution to the
afore mentioned problem.
This paper proposes to explore how teenage pregnancy affects academic progression. As a
student, pregnant teenagers are also expected to meet a minimum rate of academic progress.
(hen we say academic progress, it means passing )$* of the credit points for the sub+ects that
they are enrolled over the duration of the course. ,rogression status is based on course status,
multiple fails and assessment guide.
1&1 BAC/GROUND OF THE SCHOOL
Anglican D/A J.S.S is one of the public junior secondary schools located in the
Abetif Traditional Area of the Eastern Region of Ghana. t has the population
of about !" #ost of $ho# are teenagers. As a public junior secondary school
its ai# is to train or prepare its product for second cycle institutions and
subse%uently other le&els of for#al education. Recruit#ent of %ualifed
teachers' #aintenance of discipline and pursuit of acade#ic e(cellence are
but fe$ of the #easures being ta)en by the school to achie&e its goal. As a
public institution' the *$ahu district education directorate of the Ghana
Education Ser&ice' the *$ahu traditional council assists in the pro&ision of
teaching and learning #aterials needed to acco#plish these goals of the
organi+ation. ,apitation grants $hich is one of the policy of the central
go&ern#ent ai#s at pro&iding free co#pulsory uni&ersal basic education for
all children of school going age is enjoyed by this school.
1&0 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to e&aluate proble# of teenage pregnancy on
for#al education of teenagers specifcally in the progra##es being
underta)en by Anglican D/A J.S.S. t also atte#pt to identify e(isting
progra##es and policies of the school ai#ed at reducing the i#pact of
teenage pregnancy on teenagers $ithin the school.
Apart fro# that atte#pt to address the proble# of teenage pregnancy in
relation to continuation of for#al education of the teenagers $ill be co&ered
by the study.
The study is intended to help the authors identify areas $here the school fall
short and to #a)e reco##endation regarding other policy docu#entation'
i#ple#entation and e&aluation options that can be instituted to control
teenage pregnancy in the school
t is also ai#ed at pro&iding the foundation of de&elop#ent of further
theories on the i#pact of teenage pregnancy or for#al education.
-n the broader perspecti&e the study ai#s at pro&iding other educational
institution $ith the reco##endation that can be added to other policies and
progra#s ai#ed at reducing the i#pact of teenage pregnancy and its
conse%uence on for#al education.
1&3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
.ot$ithstanding the nu#erous challenges faced by teenagers' little or no
solution has been identifed in relation to the i#pact of teenage pregnancy
on for#al education of teenagers. The proble# in focus is'
/hat are the causes of teenage pregnancy on for#al education0
To $hat e(tent are these causes applicable to for#al education of
teenagers in Abetif Anglican D/A J.1.S0
/hat are the e2ects of teenage pregnancy on for#al education of
teenage #others $ith specifc reference to teenagers at Abetif
Anglican D/A J.1.S0
Are children of teenage parent able to ha&e for#al education as the
case #ay be in Abetif Anglican D/A J1S0
/hat are the possible solutions to the proble# of teenage pregnancy
in teenagers3 education in relation to Abetif Anglican D/A J.1.S0
1&1 OB%ECTIVES OF THE STUDY
4or the purpose of this study the objecti&es ha&e been grouped into general
and specifc.
GENERAL OB%ECTIVES
To deter#ine the causes of Teenage pregnancy on for#al education in
Ghana.
To identify the e2ects of teenage pregnancy on for#al education of
teenage #others in Ghana.
To deter#ine the degree to $hich children of teenage parents are able
to access for#al education in Ghana.
To identify possible solution to the proble# of teenage pregnancy on
for#al education in Ghana.
SPECIFICE OB%ECTIVES
To deter#ine so#e causes of teenage pregnancy on for#al education
of teenagers in Abetif Anglican D/A J.1.S
To identify so#e e2ects of teenage pregnancy on for#al education of
teenage #others in Abetif Anglican D/A J.1.S
To deter#ine the degree to $hich children of teenage parents are able
to access for#al education in Abetif Anglican D/A J.1.S.
To identify so#e possible solutions to the proble# of teenage
pregnancy on for#al education in Abetif Anglican D/A J.1.S.
1&2 HYPOTHESIS
The study atte#pts to test these hypotheses
5. /hether teenage pregnancy has any a2ect on for#al education
6. /hether children of teenage parents ha&e e%uitable access to for#al
education
7. /hether the solutions to teenage pregnancy $ill increase enroll#ent of
teenagers in higher institutions of learning.
1&3 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This project $or) is li#ited to Abetif Anglican D/A J.1.S
This study is also li#ited to Geographical area that enco#passes teenagers
of Abetif Anglican D/A J.1.S.
The study is also li#ited to the infor#ation gathered fro# or pro&ided by the
Abetif Anglican D/A J.1.S
The study is further li#ited to the )no$ledge gained by the authors in a four
year study in the uni&ersity.
The study is also li#ited to the ti#e fra#e by the instructor.
1&3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
Although the i#pact of teenage pregnancy on for#al education of teenagers
is $orld$ide' Abetif Anglican D/A J.1.S is selected for the study. This is
because about 89: of its population is teenagers. Apart fro# that the school
pro&ides for#al education for teenagers at the basic le&el. There are also
progra##es such as the capitation grant to facilitate the free co#pulsory
uni&ersal basic education !4,;<E"
The school can also pro&ide easy access to the research gi&en the li#ited
constraint of ti#e and fnances. Apart fro# that' o$ing to the location of the
school' the social bac)ground of the teenagers is generally heterogeneous.
1&4 METHODOLOGY
=ri#ary and secondary data $ill used for the study. Ad#inistering of
%uestionnaire' personal inter&ie$s. Although the preparation of the
%uestionnaire #ay ta)e so#e ti#e' it is belie&ed that $e $ill be able to
obtain the needed responses fro# respondents as early as possible gi&en the
ti#e fra#e of the project. ;se of the personal inter&ie$s $ill also be our
#eans of co#ple#enting the data collection $ith the %uestionnaire as the
for#er is cheaper and abo&e all $ill enable us co&er as #any respondents as
possible $ithin the school.
/ith the secondary data collection' $rite>ups fro# the internet' boo)s'
journals' blogs' ne$spapers etc. These $e belie&e $ill pro&ide ready access
to the infor#ation $e $ill need gi&en the li#ited ti#e constraint and at a
lo$er cost. /e belie&e that $e $ill be able to obtain a greater sa#ple si+e to
i#pro&e on the degree of accuracy of our research.

1&5 ORGANI6ATION OF THE STUDY
The study ai#s at identifying the i#pact of teenage pregnancy on for#al
education of teenagers. t has therefore been organi+ed into f&e chapters as
follo$s?
,hapter one co#prises of the bac)ground of the study' bac)ground of the
organi+ation' signifcance of the study' state#ent of the proble#' objecti&es
of the study' hypothesis' and li#itations of the study and scope of the study
and #ethodology.
The second chapter co&ers the literature re&ie$ rele&ant to the topic.
,hapter three' &arious #ethods used in the research $ill be dealt $ith' this
includes the type of research #ethodology used' population' sa#ple and
sa#pling procedures' research instru#ents !@uestionnaires etc"
ad#inistration of research instru#ents and #ethods for data analysis.
,hapter four presents the analysis of both the pri#ary data and the
infor#ation recei&ed.
,hapter f&e su##ari+es the fndings the study' conclusions and
reco##endations if any.
CHAPTER T7O
LITERATURE REVIE7
INTRODUCTION (DEFINITION AND HISTORY.
Teenage pregnancy dates bac) to centuries ago according to the Guinness
<oo) of records Aina Bedina of =eru holds the $orld record for youngest li&e
birthC She $as f&e years' se&en #onths old $hen she ga&e birth in 5878.
=erhaps the #ost fa#ous teenage pregnancy in history $as Bary' Bother of
Jesus. She is generally belie&ed to ha&e been 57 years old $hen she ga&e
birth to Jesus. -ther sources place her age as high as 5D years. 1ildegard of
Ein+gou$' the $ife of ,harle#agne $as about 5F years old $hen she ga&e
birth to her frst son in GG6 ,E. The #other of 1enry E of England $as 57
years old $hen she ga&e birth to hi# in 5FDG. Baria of T&er' the $ife of &an
the Great of Russia' ga&e birth to her frst son $hen she $as about 5H years
old' in 5FDI. E#press Tei#ei of Japan $as 5H years old $hen she ga&e birth
to 1irohito in 5895
n defning teenage pregnancy ho$e&er' Da&id Schoe# !5885"' describes
pregnancy by the underage girls of usually $ithin the ages of 57 and 58. t is
beco#ing clear that the defnition of teenage pregnancy depends on the
legal en&iron#ent' the social cultural identity of a defned people.
n the ;nited States for instance is defned as a #inor la$ underage girl
beco#ing pregnant. 1o$e&er' in the ;nited *ingdo# there is a legal
defnition $hereby the $o#an is considered to be a pregnant teenager if she
beco#es pregnant before her eighteenth birthday. The ter# in e&eryday
usually refer to $o#en $ho ha&e not reached the age of #ajority legal
adulthood' $hich &aries across the $orld $ho beco#es pregnant.
=resently' the ;S is seeing the highest rate of infant born to single #others
in its entire history. 77: of infants are born to single #others. The reason for
this is because of ad&ances in #edical technology. The de&elop#ent of
&ita#ins and other changes in nutrition ha&e changed the a&erage age at
$hich $o#en can beco#e pregnant. 599 years ago' the a&erage age for
$o#en to beco#e pregnant $as 5I years old' #ostly because of poor
nutrition. .o$ that $e are #ore educated and our diets ha&e been altered so
that $o#en recei&e better nutrition' the a&erage age that a $o#an can
beco#e pregnant is 56 to 57 years old !Diana Juc)er#an"!699I".
,o##on a#ong these $riters is teenagers beco#ing pregnant $ithin their
teen ages $hether fro# a de&eloped or a de&eloping country. n Ghana li)e
any de&eloping country' teenage pregnancy is gaining #ore attention today
because the responsibility of #other hood has gone beyond being a
babysitter to )ey social responsibilities $hich re%uire a good for#al
education. t is e(pected that $o#en $ill be able to #o&e beyond nursing
#otherhood to supporting the fa#ily $ith inco#e preferably fro# a gainful
e#ploy#ent. This is $hy the need to go beyond just the defnition to
establish its i#pact on for#al education of girls.
CAUSES OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY
Bany people ha&e loo)ed at the causes of teenage pregnancy fro# di2erent
perspecti&e a#ong the# are?
Pee, '(8e(ceC a lot of teenagers indulge en early se(ual beha&iour due to
peer inKuence. Teenagers gro$ing in largely pro#iscuous societies tend to
date far earlier than others in slightly #ore con&entional set ups. This is due
to the fact that they feel the great need to be Lhip3 and Laccepted3 by their
circle of friends. The only $ay they could probably achie&e that $ould be
ha&ing a boyfriend or girlfriend or at least by dating and indulging in se(ual
acts often. This )ind of rash beha&iour could lead to unintended pregnancies
by Bellissa 4o(' a health professional !5F
th
July 699I".
-ther $riters loo) at peer group inKuence to teenage pregnancy fro#
psychological perspecti&e.
According to Abern .ethy !58GF"' found out that pregnant adolescent ha&e
lo$ self estee# $hich highly correlated $ith their engage#ent in se( and
the ris) of pregnancy. Another interesting re&elation had to do $ith the
relationship bet$een teenage pregnancy and the potency of their boyfriend
se(ually.
Girls often $in the a2ection their boyfriends by ha&ing a child since the
pregnancy confr#s the Moung#an3s #an hood. <eco#ing independent?
trying to be e%ual to their #other? to be li)e other pregnant friends? and to
signal for help' a#ong others !*andell' 58G8' and Busic) 5887"
P##, Pa,e(ta- G'!a(ce
=oor =arental control is also identifed as one of the causes of teenage
pregnancy. 4o(' etal 58II argues that poor co##unication bet$een #other
and daughter has a greater tendency to result in se(ual acti&ity. /hereas
4isher 58IH argues that parent3s teen co##unication has no relationship
$ith se(ual acti&ity. Juhas+ and Sonnenshein>Schneider 58IG belie&e that
co##unication bet$een adolescent and parents is necessary for adolescent
to #a)e co#petent decisions concerning se(. n agreeing to the contention
by 4isher' Eisen and Jell#an 58IG argue that fa#ily co##unication bet$een
the parents and the adolescents can inKuence teen use of contracepti&es
e&en though other studies ha&e established no correlation bet$een
co##unication of parents and their teens $ith respect to se(ual acti&ity.
4isher !58IH"' 4urstenberg' 1erceg><aron' Shear and /ebb? Boore' =etersen
and 4urstenberg 58IH.
Se( educationC =oor se( education is belie&ed to be one of the causes of
teenage pregnancy. n Ghana for instance' se( education in the curriculu# of
for#al schools does not start early enough. So#eti#es' the teenager is
already se(ually acti&e before any atte#pt is #ade to pro&ide for#al se(
education. Bontane+' Riera and *ohn 58GI argue that se( education in
schools ha&e not been enough to pre&ent teenagers fro# early se(uality
because of their enculturation into per#issible se(ual practices' they are
al$ays subjected to outside the school en&iron#ent. According to Durant'
=endergrast and Say#ore 5889 do not only belie&e that cultural bac)ground
of adolescent inKuence their ability to adhere to for#al se( education but
also thin) that se( education in schools are just not enough.
Aac) of 4inancial support is also considered as one of the causes of teenage
pregnancy because the social econo#ic bac)grounds of the parents are
belie&ed to ha&e signifcance i#pact on the teenager3s ability to #eet their
basic needs.
Salguero 58IF? Auerbasch' .athan and -hara 58ID argue that the t$o
e(planatory de&ices used for blac) teen pregnancy and early se(ual acti&ity
rates are &alues and po&erty.
EFFECTS OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY ON TEENAGE MOTHERS
E#otional e2ects/stig#ati+ationC Eicti#s of teenage pregnancy are often
stig#ati+ed by society especially $hen they are still $ithin their for#al
educational institution. This leads to &ariety of e#otional e2ects.
=eter Sa#s !699I" a teenager girl gets scared $hen she co#es to )no$
about her unplanned teen pregnancy. This could be hard to belie&e and
diNcult to e(press. She cannot disclose this serious #atter to anyone and in
so#e cases not to e&en her boyfriend because of $ho# she beca#e
pregnant. She cannot decide $hether to )eep a baby or drop it. The teenage
girl beco#e #entally disturbed and #ay start so#e addiction. There $ill be
fear of losing social i#age a#ong friends and relati&es. 1e further argues
that so#e of the e#otional e2ects teenage pregnancy can ha&e on a
teenage #other include frustration that she cannot on any subject' confusion
that she cannot #a)e positi&e decisions' fear that she cannot disclose the
#atter to anyone and stops tal)ing' resent#ents that she gets angry triKe
#atters.
E9:#s,e t# )ea-t) )a;a,!s
The teenager $ho beco#es pregnant in #ost cases either for fear of
stig#ati+ation or scolding result to abortion. So#eti#es the #ethod e(poses
her to a lot of health ha+ards. =eter Sa#s 699I suppose this &ie$ and adds
that abortion is illegal in #ost de&eloping countries.
;ntil abortion beco#es legali+ed' stig#ati+ation reduces' use of unappro&ed
#ethods of abortion by teenage #others often e(pose the# to health ris)s
such as da#age uterus' death' infertility etc.
EFFECTS OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY ON THE TEENAGERS CHILD
So#e of the e2ects of teenage pregnancy on the child of a teenager
according to =eter Sa#s !699I" are health proble#s' higher rates of abuse
and neglect' failure in school' co##itting delin%uent act and adult cri#es'
incurring failed adult #arriages and beco#ing teen #others the#sel&es.
;nless the parents of a teenage #other supports the upbringing of both the
teenage #other and the child in their for#al educational pursuit other ripple
e2ects are inherent.
=eter Sa#s further argues that in general teen #others ha&e #uch lo$er of
educational achie&e#ents than other $o#en' $hich se&erely li#it their
career options and sharply increase their li)elihood of econo#ic dependency.
This auto#atically i#pacts on their ability to bring their children up
e2ecti&ely
SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS OF PREGNANT TEENAGERS INABILITY
TO ACCESS HIGHER EDUCATION
t is $idely belie&ed that if one is able to sol&e the proble# of teenage
pregnancy then its conse%uences on the teenager and or her child3s ability to
continue or access for#al education e%uitably $ill either be re#o&ed or
di#inished.
/ilhel# Reich argues that se( education either for#ally through the schools
or infor#ally through a co##unication either a friend or a fa#ily $ill go a
long $ay to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy. 1o$e&er' according
to Gordon and Doc)#an !58GG" e&en though parents do not typically pro&ide
their children accurate se(ual infor#ation or any se(ual infor#ation #any
feel that they should be the ones responsible for educating their children
se(ualities.
-n the other hand t$o schools of thought according to /illia# J. <ennett
!5886" has e#erge fro# the use and unused of contracepti&esC Those $ho
contents that teen can be taught to delay initiating se(ual intercourse until
adulthood by confor#ing to popular OJ;ST SAM .- DEAP' and those $ho
belie&e that contracepti&es be #ade a&ailable to the children since they are
already a$are of issues of se(uality.
Ellen' =hiliber and 1oggson 5889 do not thin) that pre&ention progra##es
#ust not only be a choice bet$een use and non use of contracepti&es and
abstinence but also co#pli#enting the t$o of school days progra##es. They
pro#ulgate school days outreach progra##es $hich encourage students to
perfor# &olunteer ser&ices in their co##unities.
4inally' e&en though there are nu#erous progra##es by the go&ern#ent of
Ghana through the #inistries of $o#en and children3s a2airs in o2ering
social inter&ention progra##es such as fnancial support for brilliant but
needy children' scholarship sche#es' non for#al child education
progra##es and etc. .ot #any $riters ha&e indicated as a good solution to
the proble# of teenage pregnancy.
,-.,A;S-.
Educating your teenager about the conse%uences of pro#iscuous beha&iour
and gi&ing hi# or her a lo&ing balanced ho#e at#osphere' can actually go a
long $ay in curbing un$anted teenage pregnancy in the future. This along
$ith stern steps ta)ing by both the school and go&ern#ent $ill surely help
nip these proble#s in the bud. ! Belissa 4o(" a health professional !699I".
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE?: Some Voted Jonathan on Ethnic Grounds:- I am SS, he is SS, so I i!! "ote #or him$ Others "oted #or him on
re!i%ious %rounds:- I am &hristian, he is &hristian, so I i!! "ote #or him$ Yet others "oted #or him on su'erstitious %rounds:- (e )ee's ma)in%
%ood out o# others 'eo'!e*s mis#ortune so, I i!! "ote #$$$or him ma+,e such !uc) i!! ru, o## on me too$ Yet others "oted #or him on s+m'ath+
%rounds:- -he nation*s ea!th deri"es #rom his re%ion and his 'eo'!e ha"e ne"er ,een .resident, so I i!! %i"e him m+ s+m'ath+ "ote$ Others "oted
#or him as a .rotest "ote:- /uhari and Ri,adu are 0ortherners, is it on!+ them, I i!! "ote #or a Southerner instead$ 0o "er+ #e, i# an+, one "oted
#or him on the %rounds o# his record in /a+e!sa state, his 'er#ormance as .resident, nor ith #u!! account ,ein% ta)en o# the 'ast 12 +ears o# his
'art+*s 'oor 'er#ormance$ A nation that "otes on such su,3ecti"e rather than on e"en a modicum o# o,3ecti"e %round is in rea! trou,!e indeed and
ou!d ,e ru!ed as the+ ri%ht!+ deser"e$4 - ERI& AYOO5A$