FAMILY-OF-ORIGIN CONFLICT RESOLUTION PRACTICES AND QUALITY ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS AMONG TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS’ STUDENTS IN UASIN-GISHU COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of family-of-origin conflict resolution practices on the quality of romantic relationships among students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Specifically, the research addresses the ongoing relationship challenges faced by students, including trust issues, ineffective communication, and inadequate conflict resolution strategies. Grounded in family systems theory, the study employs a convergent parallel mixed methods design, integrating cross-sectional surveys as well as phenomenological approaches. The target population comprises 11,306 individuals, from which a sample of 392 respondents was derived using stratified, simple random, and purposive sampling techniques. Furthermore, data collection involved structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews, with validity ensured through both construct and content measures, while reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. In addition, the analysis encompassed descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, alongside linear regression to evaluate hypotheses. Overall, the findings reveal a statistically significant relationship between family-of-origin conflict resolution styles and the quality of students’ romantic relationships (R = 0.612, p < 0.001). Consequently, the study concludes that conflict resolution practices acquired within families of origin substantially influence romantic relationship outcomes among TVET students. Therefore, it advocates for targeted psychosocial support and counseling interventions for students from conflictual family backgrounds to mitigate the intergenerational cycles of maladaptive relationship behaviors.