Extent Of Parental Involvement In Their Children’s Learning Activities In Oshimili South

Abstract

This study investigated the extent of parental involvement in their children’s learning activities in Oshimili South. Three research questions were formulated to guide the study. The population of the study was all primary four pupils in the local government. The sample of the study was 135 primary four pupils drawn through random sampling technique. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire which was structured by the researcher and validated by two experts (one from Primary Education Department and one from Measurement and Evaluation). The validated questionnaires were administered to the pupil and collected after which data was analyzed using mean statistics. Based on the analysis the study revealed that parents are involved in their children’s learning activities in areas such as guiding them in homework, giving suggestions to schools, encouraging them to learn at home and communicating with class teachers and that parental involvement in their children’s academic activities is gender based because mothers are revealed to be more involved in their children’s learning activities and spend more time with the children compared to the fathers. Some challenges to effective parental involvement includes unfriendly school heads, lack of encouragement from teachers, over engagement of parents in business and unhealthy relationship between school rules and parents desire to be involved in their children’s learning activities. On the basis of the findings, it was recommended among others, that fathers should as much as possible be actively engaged in their children learning activities for improved academic performance; parents should ensure that they give their children equal opportunity of being educated; school heads should as much as possible to partner with parents and liaze with to be more involved in their children learning activities and teachers should encourage the parents to develop interest in getting more involved in the learning activities of their children.

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background to the Study

Children are the future of any nation and the progress of any nation depends upon the education that they acquire today, the same kind of education they will apply on themselves or their nation future. So, it is necessary for any nation to take special care of children by providing them an excellent education. No doubt, the education is a power that influences individual’s life.

The involvement of parents is vital for child grooming and they are their first educator. Parenting is the process of uprising and educating the child frombirth till adulthood this is usually done in a child’s family (Keith, 2012).

The involvement of parents means that parents participate in one or more school associated activities, such as parent-teacher meetings, volunteering at school, stimulating their child with homework, encouraging the child to upgrade achievement and so on. The involvement of parents in each stage of child’s education is necessary and the parents leave imperishable prints on the life of their children. (Singh, 2013)

Parents are central figures in their children’s socialization and education (both formal and informal) to become responsible and productive members of the society.This is because the training of the child begins at home, before the school and the larger society come in to continue the education of the child to make him or her, the best he/she could become.

The type of child upbringing practiced in a home, has a major impact on the child’s life, including his/her academic performance in school.

Parental school involvement, like many other variables, such as the student, teacher and school variables, is an important determinant of students’ academic performance.

Driessen and Sleegers (2010) reported that parental school involvement improved student’s academic performance.

The positive impact of parental involvement is understandable because it helps to maintain the much-needed bridge for effective learning between the home and the school.

Parents, in the context of this study, are students’ biological parents, adoptive parents and guardians.

The importance of parental school involvement cannot be overemphasized since it is the home that first socializes the child before he or she is sent to school.

A healthy family background with good child-upbringing practices offers the child emotional stability (Barry, 2016) and helps maintain the much -needed bridge between the home and school for effective learning and improved students’ academic performance.

Henderson and Mapp (2014) in their analysis of parental involvement and student achievement reports that when schools, families and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to better in school, stay in school longer and like schooling more.

Regardless of the level of family income and background, students whose parents are involved, are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores, be promoted, enroll in higher level programmes, pass their classes, earn credits, attends school regularly, have better social skills, show improved behavior, adapt well to school and graduate to post-secondary education.

In a learning community grounded in constructivism, learners mediate knowledge within the social context. Learners move forward through stages of cognitive development through socially mediated situations. Culture is the product of social life and human social activity (Vygosky, 1986, cited in Hedges, 2012). Therefore, when learners actively construct knowledge in a social context, they mediate through language situated in a framework of problem posing. It provides not only an optimal learning environment, but the potential for cultural reality (Vygotsky, 1986, cited in Hirtle (2013). Often parental involvement with the school helps learnersto understand the social context to construct knowledge based on the social values and norms.

Macfarlane (2010) argues that neither home nor school can operate to the optimum isolation in the context of education and therefore,school and home must work together for a healthy environment of learning for students.

Parental engagement in educational activities allows students from diverse backgrounds to feel more comfortable with their own identities in the school, which contributes to better educational outcomes (Macfarlane, Glynn, Cavanagh & Bateman, 2012).

Thus, the value of home-school relationships is that they can help the educators to understand family perspectives of the studentsand reduce the gaps between students, parents and teachers(Macfarlane, 2014).

Over the last few decades reforms have been made in schools worldwide in order to consolidate the different views of significant players–students, teachers, principals, board of trustees, parents and the community–in the school setting(Baker, 2012).

Likewise, partnerships between schools and their communities have strengthened the school activities, and helped to create spaces for stakeholders to understand each other, particularly to understand the key aspects of partners’ views (Timperley & Robinson, 2012).

In this context, schools are not just made up of teachers and students; parents and the wider community are also significant actors.

Consequently, students have the opportunity to develop their skills and talents by forming partnerships with different stakeholders of the schools, particularly parental involvement (Epstein &Salinas, 2011).

When schools, parents, children and other stakeholders come together and build a good relationship where they will support each other in order to achieve a common goal, namely effective teaching and learning, then children can succeed in school. Parents’ involvement in schools helps parents to discover their potential, which they can use for the benefit of their children.

Parental involvement in their children’s education appears to be a constant in children’s academic achievement and social adjustment. Although many parents may not be certain how to help their children with assignments, guidance and support, they can be actively involved in home learning activities, as well as having an opportunity to teach, be a role model, and guide their children (Dekker et al., 2012). According to Keane (2013), parental involvement improves the chances of children’s success at school. A recent report conducted by the National School Public Relation Association (2015) showed that enhanced parental involvement leads to better academic performance, better school attendance, and improved behavior of children at home and in school.

 1.2Statement of the Problem

Parental involvement in their children’s learning is one factor that has been consistently related to a child’s increased academic performance.

The lack of concern by parents in the running and management of schools is worrisome. As a result 0f their impact on nurturing students towards academic achievement is minimal.

While this relation between parents’ involvement and a child’s academic performance is well established, studies are yet to examine how parental involvement increases a child’s academic performance. Moreover, few studies have examined parental involvement as a primary socializing agent, as direct predictor(s) of learners’ senses of self-efficacy, engagement and intrinsic motivation, hence the need to carry out this research. It is against this background that this study is aimed at investigating the extent of parents involvement in their children’s learning in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to find out the extent of parents involvement in their children’s learning activities in Oshimili south local government Area of Delta state. Specifically, purposes are to:

1. Find out the various ways parents get involved in their children’s academic activities in Oshimili South.
2. Find out the challenges to effective parental involvement in their children’s learning in Oshimili South.
3. Determine the extent to which both parents are involved in their children’s academic activities in Oshimili South.

1.4 Research Questions

The following questions were formulated to guide the study:

1. What are the various ways parents get involved in their children’s academic activities?
2. What challenges do parents face in getting involved in their children’s academic activities in Oshimili South?
3. To what extentis parental involvement in their children’s academic activities gender based in Oshimili South?

1.5 Significance of the Study                                            

The study would be useful to teachers, parents, school management and the government.

The findings of the study would help teachers to encourage parents to get involved in their children’s learning activities for improved academic performance.

It would also help the parents to know the importance of getting involved in their children’s learning so as to bring about good relationship between them and the school for the benefit of their children.

The study would be of great help to school management in Oshimili South to make programmes that will enable the parents to be active participants in their children’s learning. It would also help the government to look for ways of working with schools through the ministry of education to strengthen parent-teachers relationship.

1.6 Scope of the Study

This study islimited to the extent of parents’ involvement in their children’s learning activities in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. The form and extent of involvement of parents in their children’s academic activities will be investigated. Furthermore, the challenges to effective parental involvement in their children’s academic activities will also be examined.

Pages:  50

Category: Project

Format:  Word & PDF               

Chapters: 1-5                                          

Source: Imsuinfo

Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.