Dr. Mrs. Kristine Marbell-Pierre, Head of Guidance and Counselling at the Ghana International School, led a new study with researchers at Clark University to look at approaches to parenting adolescents in Ghana and the United States.The study appears in the journal Child Development.
The study found that across very different cultures, when parents acknowledge the perspectives of their adolescent children and encourage them to express themselves, the youths have a stronger sense of self-worth, intrinsic motivation to work hard in school, academic engagement, and also have less depression.
Yet having the latitude to make decisions appears to function differently in the two cultures, with positive outcomes for youths in the United States but not in Ghana.
In the conclusions of the study she explains that, “A parenting approach that allows teens to feel they are being heard has been linked to youths being happier, more self-motivated in school, and more confident. For Ghanaians, merely acknowledging the child’s perspective has a positive impact even if the parent makes the final decision in the end. ”
Dr. Mrs. Kristine Marbell-Pierre interacting with some lower secondary students
Following this research study, She was interviewed on BBC’s World Service radio programme, the Newsday, where she further deliberated on the conclusions of the study on the similarities between US and Ghanaian kids.
For more on the story visit BBC Africa Highlights:
We at Ghana International School are proud of you, Dr. Mrs. Kristine Marbell-Pierre! We say Congratulations!