A study on parenting styles, parental involvement, children's well-being and resilience in view of PSLE preparation in Singapore

This mixed methods study sought to understand how different parenting styles affect the levels of well-being and resilience of children who were taking the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and how parental involvements enhanced the children’s ability to take the PSLE. Results from the online survey of a sample of 74 mother-child dyads suggested that the authoritative parenting style was the most prominent parenting style. Children whose mothers had the authoritative parenting style displayed the highest mean well-being score of 4.20 (SD = 0.59) and had a significant and positive correlation of well-being with authoritative parenting scores (r = 0.41**, p < 0.01), while children whose mothers had authoritarian parenting style reported a mean well-being score of 3.73 (SD = 0.59) and exhibited a significant and negative correlation of well-being with parenting style (r = -0.25*, p < 0.05). Permissive parenting was significantly and negatively correlated with well-being of the children (M=3.71, SD=0.65; r = -0.32**, p < 0.01). Interestingly, permissive parenting was found to be significantly correlated with resilience of the children. Resilience was also found to partially mediate the impact of permissive parenting, but it did not significantly mediate authoritative, authoritarian, or helicopter parenting styles.

To delve further into mothers’ involvement during their children’s PSLE years, interviews with ten mother-child dyads were conducted. Findings revealed that mothers were involved in both academic and non-academic activities of their children, with themes such as stresses felt by both mother and child, the provision of tuition for the children and the children’s gratitude for their mothers’ involvement. Mothers started their intervention with the children at an early age by enrolling them in extra classes as well as private pre-schools. Children had timetables and schedules set out for them to ensure they stayed on track with their educational journey. Despite having to adhere to rules and timetables set by their mothers, children indicated that they appreciated their mothers’ enhanced involvement especially during the PSLE year.