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ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF CHILDREN OF WORKING AND NON-WORKING
MOTHERS
Article · January 2011
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33
ACADEM!C ACHIEVEMENT OF CHILDREN OF WORKING
AND NON-WORKING MOIHERS
l\4ahmood Ahmad Khan-
Asma Hassan'*
ABSTRACT
The study was under taken to study the academic achievement of children of working and non-working mothers. The
sample ofthe study cornprised of 100 children (50 children ofworking mothers and 50 children ofnon-working mothers)
selected randomly from allGovt. High and HigherSecondary Schools ofzone Shopian. Mcan ofprevious two examination
results 7th and 8th would serve as the index ofacademic achievement and't'test was used for the analysis ofdata. Bar
diagrams and Line graphs were drawn to make the results transparent. The results ofthe study highlight that children of
non-working mothers have shown academic excellence than the children of working mothers. The mean score of the
children ofworking mothers is lower than the mean scorc ofthe children ofnon-working mothers in the subjects English,
Mathematics. Social Science and Urdu.
lntroduction
Although women's employment is associated
with numerous outcomes of interest, the effect
Hoffman (1963) found that the children of
working mother has been rated lower in their
intellectual performance by teachers and their
of mothers entering into job market on the well-
scores on the school intelligence tests were also
being of children evoked significant interest.
Because of working women's continuing role of
child rearing and home management, her
entering into life has indeed affected homefront. When mothers enter the employment
market, their children face crisis just from their
lower. Bhatti & Bhattl (1971) found that
in
nuclear families, children's basic education
lowered in quality as the educated mother
is
early age. These children are reared usually by
servants who are a bit olderthan these children.
These servants usually cannot take proper care
ofthese children astheir mothers can. Another
danger is that children's basic education is
lowered in quality as the educated mother is
replaced by uneducated servants.
Employment of women has created number of
problems to their children and paved way for
controversies regarding maternal employment
is
replaced by uneducated servants. Gold &
Andres (1978) reveals that boys of middle class
working mothers score lower in intelligence and
academic achievement than boys whose
mothers do not work. Kala (1986) found that
the boys from the non-working group were
better adjusted to teachers than those of the
working group whereas the girls from both the
groups did not differ. Mody and Murthy (1988)
found that children of employed mothers
reported low intelligence scores at the early age
of 12 years. Blau & Grossburg (1992) have
that maternal employment has a
negative impact on child's cognitive
revealed
and child development. There is a Seneral
development. Belsky (1992) has found that
feeling that the maternal employment results in
securely attached child ren are more competent,
low academic achievement of their children. A
more independent
galore
of
studies have been conducted by:
+Professor. Dean & Hcad. Faculty ofEducation, Univcrsity
++Research Scholar
ofKashmir
in
school and are
academically better tha n insecurely attached
14
children. Meins (1998) found that
securely
ln early ch ildhood years or in the pre-school age,
attached toddlers have larger, more varied
vocabularies than those who are insecurely
attached. Associated Press (1999) The more
hours a mother works the lower the child's
language deve lopment and academic
achievement. Brooks-Gunn, Han & Waldfogel
(2002) in their longitudinal study found that the
a large amount of energy and a great deal of
attention, especially that of mother, is needed
three year old children of mothers who went to
work before the children were nine months old
had poorer cognitive outcomes and academic
performance than three year old children who
to
keep up with the rapid rate of child
development. The child at this age begins to
explore his environment and is curious about
things and starts taking an interest in his peers
and his extra-familial social groups. The preschool age is based for socialisation. Thus,
mothers and other care takers have a definite
role in moulding the personality and in creating
con
itions conducive to the
are at greater risk of truancy from school, stress,
balanced
development of the child particularly at the
stage when he is going through rapid change in
his physical, mental and social development.
Although women's employment is associated
with numerous outcomes of interest, the effect
receiving poor grades, risk taking behaviour and
of mothers entering into job market on the well-
substance abuse. American Academy of
Pediatrics (2004) According to the periodic
survey of fellows the majority of pediatricians
being of children evoked significant interest.
ofworking mothers have been found to
be less well adjusted than children of nonworking mothers. These children tend to be
had stayed at home with their mothers in the
first nine months ofthe child's life. Aizer(2004)
found that children who care for themselves
after school (referred to as latch key children)
surveyed found that mother's should not work
outside the home from their child's infancy to
early pre-school age. Ora, Einaya &, Ehlas
(2006) have found that the children of wgrking
mothers were having more
ifficulties and being
less adjusted to kindergarten. The adjustment
of their children to day care was also poorer
Verropoulou and Joshi (2006), have found that
reading is, significantly, slightly poorer where
less educated mothers work in the child's first
year of life. lt has also been found that mothers
d
employment has a negative effect on
vocabulary, math's and reading. Hangal,
Vijayalaxmi & Bowlby (2007) have found that
the adolescent children of home makers are
more anxious than their counterparts, they
have higher intellectual and school status and
are happier and satisfied.
d
Child ren
nervous and irregular in their work ha bits wh ich
affect their school adjustment.
With this background it
felt that the
academic achievement of the children of
working mothers can not be at par with the
children
of
non-working mothers
if
the
intervening variable of education of mothers is
controlled. Therefore,the presentinvestigator
makes a hum ble attempt to study the academic
achievement of children of working and nonworking mothers.
Obiectives ofthe Study
1.
To identify children of working and nonworking mothers.
2.
fo find out academic achievement of
the children of working and non-working
Insight - Journal of Applied Research in Mucstion Vo[ 16, No.1,
--
is
20I
*.*.g,****
35
only one educational zone was
mothers.
selected
mothers on academic achievement. (Composite
randomly by the investigator. Allthe children of
working mothers (N=50)ofthe age group 1'4 15
years reading in 9th class of Government High
and Higher secondary Schools were contacted.
Equal proportion of children of non-working
score)
mothers was taken by the investiSator for the
NullHypotheses
L.
There
is no significant difference
between children of working and non-working
2.
There
is no significant difference
sample (N=50).
between children of working and non-working
mothers on academic achievement. (subject
Tools:
Mean of the previous two examination results
wise)
7th and 8th would serve as the index of
Definition of Variables
academic achievement.
The differentvariables used in the present study
Data Analysis:
are defined as under:
1.
ln
Working women:- Working women in
the present study shall refer to
as
used. Bar diagrams and Line graphs were drawn
to make the results transparent.
educated
women with educational qualification
graduation and above and is engaged
in any government, semi-government
or private salaried job.
Non-working women: - Nonworking women in the Present study
shall refer to educated women with
2.
educational qualification as graduation
and above but not engaged in any
government, semi- Sovernment or
orderto analyse the data,'t'test was
Table 3.0
Significance ot mean difference between children of working and
mothers on academic achievement
Group
Children of
working mothers
Children of non
working mothers
Note:-
..-
N
Mean
SD
50
389.56
6.20
50
393.24
6.25
t
-value
2.S6*.
Significant at 0.01 level.
private job.
Teble 3.7
children of working mothers (CWM)
Academic achievement: - Significance of mean difference between
3.
N+O and children of non-working mothers (CNWM) N=50 on academic
Mean of the previous two achievement subiect-wise. ,
, == ,
, =, ,,.
examination results 7th and 8th
would serve as the index of academic
achievement.
Methodology and Procedure
sample:
The Shopian District comPrises of
fou r ed ucationa I zones. outof them
Sidnificant
**- +llEilru;;'i;.b;ffi.
at 0.01
S
- Significant.
NS
-
Not significant
l/ahmood Ahmad Khan, AsthmA Hassan, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEIVIENT 0F CHILDREN
-
e
36
450
400
350
ut
0
r,
E
lrl
E
300
250
2oo
150
100
50
0
Children ol iir orkin g [,lsthers
Children of
Flo
n-
,,^,if,
r l,t n
g
f'lotheIs
\comparison between children of working mothers (N
= 50) and children
of non-working mothers
= 50) on academic achievement (Composite score).
0t
flt
3re
E6
G
Ett
72
7D
3
Eas
-
-
Insight - Journal of Applied Research in Educatinn Vol. 16,
No.l, 20I
-s!-
(N
3'7
The Table also makes it clear that the mean
score of children of working mothers (80) is
lower than the mean score of the children of
non-working mothers (80.40) on academic
achievement(Science). Theobtained't' value is
not significant. The mean difference fails to
arrive at any significant level. Therefore, no
decisive decision can be taken about this facto
r.
The perusal of the Table 3.1. makes it clear that
the mean score of children of working mothers
(81.11) is lower than the mean score of the
children of non-working mothers (81.80) on
academic achievement (Social Science). The
obtained 't' value is significant at 0.01
level.
The details of the Table 3.1 makes it clear that
the mean score of children of working mothers
(75) is lower than the mean score ofthe children
of
non-working mothers (76) on academic
achievement (Urdu). The obtained 't'value is
sign ifica nt at 0.05 level.
of
non-working mothers get better
scores in the subjects English, Mathematics,
Social Science and Urdu. The reason for their
academic excellence is that these children
obtain every sort of help from their parents. As
their mothers are equally qualified, whenever
and wherever they are in trouble the mother as
Children
hypothesis:
L.
"There is no significant dlfference
between children of working and non-working
mothers on academic achievement (composite
score)" is rejected.
2.
"There
is no
significant difference
between children of working and non-working
mothers on academic achievement (subject
wise)"
is
partially rejected.
Conclusion and Suggestions
Conclusion:
1.
lt
has been found that children of
working and non-working mothers
mothers.
2.
The study has revealed that the mean
score of the children of working mothers is
lower than the mean score of the children of
non-working mothers in the subjects English,
Mathematics, social Science and Urdu.
Suggestions:
1.
There should be proper arrangement of
crdches for the children of working mothers.
for the children of
working mothers so that their proper
easily available teacher is always before them.
Crdches are necessary
With the result their children suffer for want of
timely suggestions and care which proves very
development will take place.
fatal in their future life. On the other hand
children of working mothers suffer for want of
timely suggestions and care which proves very
fatal in their future life. The results of table 3.1
have been further substantiated by figure 3
where lines run apart from each other showing
significant difference. Therefore the null
are
significantly different on composite score of
their academic achievement. The children of
non-working mothers have shown academic
excellence than the children of working
2.
The children of working mothers don't
get proper care from their mothers even when
they return home after completing days work.
They are usually exhausted and hardly get time
to care for their children. lt is therefore
necessary that working mothers should take
care of their children for at least some period of
38
time, otherwise their children would face crisis.
Study should be conducted to see the effect of
counselling on the academlc achievement of
children of working mothers.
Studies may be undertaken
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