NAME OF CANDIDATE: ABIGAIL MCLEAN

CANDIDATE#

SCHOOL: MAVIS BANK HIGH SCHOOL

SUBJECT: SOCIAL STUDIES

TERRITORY: JAMAICA

TEACHER: MS, AFFLICK

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Problem statement

Reason for selecting the topic

Method of investigation

Instrument used to collect data

Procedure for data collection

Presentation of data

Analysis and interpretation of data

Findings

Recommendation and implementation strategy

Bibliography

I would like to give special thanks and gratitude to God in heaven who made it possible for me to
complete this task.

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What are the problems encountered by single parents in the community?

What are the causes of single parenting in the community?

What are possible solutions to decrease single parenting in the community?

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The researcher has chosen this topic because I have been living on the community for all my life
and I have noticed that there are a number of single parent families in my community and having to
submit a SBA I have decided to do an investigation into the challenges faced by single parent in my
community.

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In order to collect data for this survey printed questionnaires will be used. Questionnaire requires
little time to be completed, it can be done at the convenience of the person required to have it
completed and guaranteed confidentiality since respondents are required attach their names to
questionnaire.

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Dear Residents,

I have prepared a survey which is being carried out our community, to find out the causes of
single parenting in the area. This survey is being conducted as an assignment for my social studies
SBA that I am currently undertaking. I have decided to use questionnaire, which requires no
personal information from citizen. You are advised to answer the following questions honestly,
since you are not required to write any names anywhere, no one will ever know what your answers
are. There are no wrong or right answers. All of the questions can be answered by a simple tick in
the box. Example. Sex. Male

Yours Truly

Abigail Mclean

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TOPIC:

INSTRUCTION: please place a tick in the box (i.e.

1. Sex?

Male Female

2. What is your occupation?

3. How many children do you have?

1-2 5-6

3-4 over 6

4. Are you a single parent?

yes no

5. What caused you to become a single parent?

Divorce Migration

separation death

6. At what age did you become a single parent?

19 years and under

20-27

28-35

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36-44

7. How do you support your family?

employed family support

self-employed friends

8. Do you get any financial help from other parent?

yes no

9. How frequently do you get support?

Every week

Every two weeks

Every month end

other

10. How long have you been a single parent?

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-6years

Over 6 years

11. Does your income effectively support your family?

yes

no

12. How long do you spend with your child/children per day?

Under 1 hour

1-2 hour

3 hours or more

13. How often do your child/children attend school?

1 day per week

2 days per week

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3 days per week

4 days per week

5 days per week

14. What is your child/children’s average in school?

A c

B d

15. Do you support your child/children with school work?

Yes
No
Sometimes

16. How does being a single parent affect you emotionally/psychologically?

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The instrument that was used was printed questionnaires and consisted of16 brief questions.

Twenty instruments were distributed to males and females in the community between the ages of
19-48.

The investigator along with the help of a family member collected the data.

Random sampling was done at every house until the questionnaires were finished.

The data was collected during the period of two weeks from October 4-17.

The data was collected from a rural community in mavis bank st. Andrew.

The investigator distributed and collected data by hand.

This procedure was necessary as it ensures accurate data.

A total number of 25 questionnaires were distributed to community members of these

respondents, 90% were females and 10% were males.

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Pie charts showing causes of single parent family.

Figure 1

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 causes of single parent families.

death
divorce
separation
migration

Figure 1 shows the causes of single parent family in my community. It can be seen that 50% have
become single parent due to separation, 25% due to migration,20%due to divorce and 5% due to
death.

Table showing frequency of the support giving by the other parent.

Table 2

OPTIONS NO. OF PERSONS PERCENTAGE

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 The end of the week 3 5%

The end of every two 7 25%

weeks
The end of every 5 20%
month
others 10 50%

Table 2 showing that the end of every week 5% of respondents receive financial help from the other
parent, at the end of every two weeks 25% of respondents receive financial help from the other
parent, at the end of every month 20% of respondents receive financial help from the other parent
and 50% of the respondents receives financial help from the other parent whenever they bring it.

Bar graph showing frequency of students attendance at school

Figure3

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 days per week
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
days per week
15%
10%
5%
0%
k k k k k
ee ee ee ee ee
r w rw r w r w r w
e
pe sp pe pe pe
da
y y ys ys ys
1 da da da da
2 3 4 5

Fig3shows how frequently the child/children attend school. 40% of the the respondent
child/children attend school 1 day per week, 30% of the respondent child/children attend school 2
days per week, 15% of respondents child/children attend school 3 days per week, 10% of
respondents child/children attend school 4 days per week, 5% of respondentschild/children attend
school 5 days per week.

Table showing average grade of child

Table 3

OPTIONS NO. OF PERSONS PERCENTAGE

A 3 15%
B 2 10%
C 6 30%
D 8 40%

Table showing the average grade of the child/children. It can be seen that 15% of the child/children
have A average,10% has B average, 30% has C average and 40% has D average.

Bar graph showing age group of respondents

Figure 4

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 Chart Title

50%
45%
40%
35%
30% Series 3

25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
19-23 23-30 30-38 38-48

Figure 4 shows the age group of single parents within the community. Between the ages of 19-23
years old 50%,35% of the respondents are between the ages of 23-30 years, 40% were between 30-
38 years and 10% were between 38-48 years old.

Table showing the number children single parent have.

Table 4

OPTIONS NO. OF PERSONS PERCENTAGE

1-2 3 15%
3-4 5 25%
5-6 10 50%
Over 6 2 10%

Table 4 shows the number of children the parents has. 15% has 1-2 children, 25% has 3-5 children,
50% has 5-6 children and 10% has over 6 children.

Bar graph showing how single parents support their family

Figure 5

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 Chart Title
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
Series 3
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
employed self-employed family support friends

Fig 5 shows how these respondents support their family. 10% of the respondents are employed,
45% are self employed, 35% gets support from family members and 20% gets support from
friends.

Pie chart showing whether or not parent support children with school work.

Figure 6

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 support with school work

whenever they have time

sometimes
yes
no

Fig 6 shows the parent supports their child/children with school work. 65% says whenever they
have time, 20% says sometimes, 10% says yes and 5% says no.

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OFDATA

In doing my survey in my community in Mavis Bank St.Andrew

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STATEMENT OF FINDINGS

 The ex-partners supports the other parent financially, however it’s the single parent that’s
left on their own to see the emotional and psychological side of the child’s development.

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  Results of the survey shows that problems associated with separation indicates that not
only are large numbers of children involved but also that single parenting has great effects
on the children and the parent.

 Many single parents has a hard time balancing their personal life and that of their child,
most times the children lacks adequate attention and this can cause these children to get
involved in unwanted situations.

RECOMMeNDATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

After several hours of carefully analizing the data collected, the researcher is now making
recommendations to help in the reduction of single parenting in mycommunity.

Firstly the researcher recommends that there bea boost in the teaching of consequences of being a
single parent. Also the needs to be a parenting association within the community which can be

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joined with the National Family Planning Board to educate these residents on how to plan for a
child, or always try to use a contraceptive if they are not ready for a child.

Social workers could also visit the community from time to time to make sure all is well with the
children, making sure that they are attending school, that they are being properly fed and also
educate the parent about the PATH program.

The child development agency in enforcing the child care protection act can take greater actions
towards theparents not supporting the child, by placing the parent in the court system.

Ramasack R. & Umraw (2010) Modules in Social Studies with SBA and CXC questions.

http://www.singleparentshelp.org

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https://www.google.com/search?
q=single+parent+family&rlz=1C1AVNE_enJM687JM688&oq=single+parent+family&aqs=chrome..6
9i57j0l5j69i60l2.8173j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

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