Philippine E-Journals

Parental Attachment, Teacher Attachment, and Attachment to God of Adolescents with Broken Families

Christian Khiel Unto | Patricia Anne Sotto | Laurence Arvin Quintos | Jannah Janelle Sangalang | Elvira David

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

Various researches about the attachment of adolescents with broken families contradict each other. Despite the growing number of researches about this matter, using attachment theory to examine the attachment level of adolescents with broken families is rarely used. To delve in deeper about the attachment of such adolescents, a sequential mixed-method design was used for this study, to assess and explore the parental attachment, teacher attachment and God attachment of the participants. Using Pearson correlation, it was discovered that a significant relationship exist with the three variables. Participants have average attachment with their parents, teachers, and God. Results from the quantitative part of the study is explained by the variety of experiences and individual differences of the participants. Qualitative findings imply support with the quantitative results. Using thematic analysis, it was discovered that participants have closer relationship with their teachers than their parents. The respondents also find more significant similarities and association between their teachers and God, than their biological mothers and fathers. The teachers’ proximity to students may be pointed as a reason why adolescents have more intimate relationship with their teachers. With these, the teachers’ roles shifts from being a secondary attachment to a primary attachment.