History Of The Effects Of Parental Involvement

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02 Nov 2017

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The main purpose of this study is to analyse the effects of parental involvement in the academic achievement of secondary students. Four objectives were set to achieve this aim. This part, discusses the findings based on the data received from the survey and analysed through descriptive statistics.

The first objective was to identify the different factors contributing to parental involvement. As noted in the literature review, Epstein (1992) established that each single factor of his model plays a role in parental involvement and child academic performance. However, this study revealed the opposite which shows that from the parent's perspective, they attribute more importance to the communication and collaboration with the community dimension and the parenting aspect being seen as less significant. As a matter of fact, data explains that parents recognise the above two factors contributing more in their involvement and their child’s academic success.

Therefore, in the Mauritian context, one cannot apply the Epstein model (1992) fully because secondary schools do not work in close collaboration with parents to help in improving their child academic performance and data demonstrates that parents rely heavily on collaboration with the community than the child’s school. In addition, the findings also indicate parents do not volunteer in their child’s classroom and are not involved in decision-making. As a result, data obtained enable to comprehend which dimension contributes more to parental involvement and child academic achievement and hence, it is agreed that the objective one has been met.

With regard to the second objective which was to look at the benefits of parental involvement on the educational performance of secondary school students, it has been observed from the findings that parental involvement has a positive influence on the child’s academic performance. With reference to the literature review, this study is also similar to Richardson (2009) research, which emphasises that parental involvement is highly influential in a child academic accomplishment. Furthermore, the majority of the parents reported to have higher expectation regarding their child education that is alike to Johnston (1998) study.

In addition, most of the respondent’s child got an A or B grade in English, Science, and Mathematics and had an outstanding academic performance last year. Therefore, this study illustrates that students tend to perform better in English, Science, and Mathematics when they have positive parental expectations in the same way that Velez and Jones (1997) research showed, and this is applicable to the Mauritian milieu. The findings also expose that the parents agreed about setting educational goals for their child, talking about their own education and life experiences, having dinner or attending religious functions with their child. All these correspond to the literature review of the study and it can also be said the higher the level of parental involvement, this lead to decreased absenteeism amongst students. However, it has also been pointed out that parents do not perceive parental involvement as creating frustration between parents and child, which completely oppose Levin et al. study (1997). Therefore, based on the literature review, it can be established that the second objective was met and it has been seen that parental involvement is advantageous for the child in Mauritius.

While, the third objective was to find out the barriers that influence the level and aspects of parental involvement among secondary school students. Based on the results, most respondents were living with their biological child and did not identify the family structure as affecting their child academic performance. Hence, this support Flay (2002) finding, which implied parents tend to be more dynamically involve when they lives with their biological child and this may also impede their level of involvement when not living with their biological child. Moreover, due to fewer respondents from widowed, remarried, divorced and single-parent family, it is difficult to analyse the relationship between the family structure and child academic success efficiently.

Furthermore, the authority figures noticed that their educational qualifications influence their child academic performance that is the higher the educational level, the higher degree of assistance and motivation was provided to child. In addition, through the hypothesis testing, it has been found that there is a strong relationship between educational qualification of the parents and good relation with child’s teacher. Therefore, this back Depleanty (2007) study, which confirms that parent education, is responsible for their level of involvement.

Respondents assigned high response of not knowing how making their child performance better. The hypothesis testing confirmed the existence of a strong relationship between the income level of parents and knowing how to improve grades of their child which supports Friedman 1990 study. Hence, income is a crucial factor when it concerns the progress of child’s grades. Therefore, the data ascertain that socioeconomic status and lack of skill of parents being the major factors that limit their involvement in their child achievement and thus, this show that the objective was met.

Finally, the last objective was to identify strategies to make parents become more involved in educational accomplishment of their child. Through the findings, it was observed that most respondents admit that involvement should be home-based, in school and with the teacher. Therefore, it can be seen that these strategies are mentioned in the literature review and parents want to adopt them to increase their level on participation. Hence, these approaches can be used in the local setting to boost up both parental involvement and child academic achievement in the secondary level.

Chapter 5: Conclusions and recommendations

5.1 Conclusion

Parental involvement is a complex phenomenon. The study aim was to evaluate the effects of parental involvement on academic accomplishment of secondary school students in Mauritius. Many factors were identified contributing to parental involvement. These aspects can manipulate parental participation to handle secondary student in this modern era. However, the outcome of the present study supports that parents recognise the communication and collaboration with the community dimensions as playing the major part in their level of involvement.

It has also been found that home and school collaboration were missing which is imperative for the child's success at the secondary level. Lack of parental involvement in the child’s school, therefore, results in poor relationship between parents and teachers, which lead to less volunteering on the part of parents. Furthermore, the data also confirms that parents are unwelcome in school, which shows a lack of partnership between parents and school. Hence, it is vital for secondary academic institutions to take firm actions to make parents involved in the educational activity.

The key results from this study also offer insight into the benefits of parental involvement on the academic achievement of secondary student. The results obtained corresponds with other studies, which imply that successful students come from a fostering, biological and helpful environment. It has been observed that parents who have higher expectations regarding their child’s education and this impact the academic performance of their child in a positive way. This is the reason why most respondents child’s had outstanding results last year.

The data also demonstrates that parents have a strong power to influence their child's educational success. Parents have the capability to form and develop their child as active and hard-working pupils by explaining them the advantages of their participation in their academic pursuit in general. It has also been noticed that parental involvement leads to less or no absences and no frustration on between parent and child.

The study also highlighted the barriers that impede parental participation in child academic performance. The main findings conclude that the financial, human, social capital and knowledge about improving the child's grade are the main obstacles that prevent parental involvement. Therefore, the greater the social-economic positions in the family, the better the parental involvement in the child education. A family who has financial difficulties has problems to become involved.

From the parent perspectives, it has been revealed that there are many factors that are responsible for the child achievement. Most elements of their child's success were home-based. However, it has been observed that the Internet is also vital in academic accomplishment of a student. Therefore, it can be assumed that the Internet is replacing the child's parent in some way thus, providing the assistance that the parent would have offered to the child. As a result, it can be argued that the Internet is now a member of the family in this modern era, which aid in the educational success of most students across the globe.

The paper also showed certain strategies of parental involvement, which can increase parental involvement at home, school and better relationship with the teacher. When parents adopt these strategies, they can become more involved in their child academic performance. On balance, this study supports the literature regarding the benefits of parental involvement. However, on the other side of the coin, it does reject the claim that parental participation is detrimental for the child and parents as mentioned in the literature review and also regarding the factors that are considered to be part of parental involvement.

Due to the existence of limited data regarding parental involvement in secondary school, further research is needed to explore the different factors leading to parental involvement and to understand the extent to which parental participation is advantageous to the child's academic success. These researches should be studied more intensively quantitatively as well as qualitatively for better insight. It should focus on how parents should adapt themselves and get involved during the transition years of their children. Finally, employing a holistic approach to understand the concept of parental involvement and bring necessary modifications to the concerned topic because many things are replacing parental participation, such as the Internet itself. Therefore, studies should concentrate on what parental involvement encompasses as well nowadays.

5.2 Recommendations

Educators, policymakers, researchers, the family unit and social workers are all responsible to bring changes in the academic system. The recommendations for this study are based upon the data obtained, which is about the provision of support and counselling services, training sessions for teachers, changes in legislatures, community involvement, increase communication between home and school and parents must feel welcomed in school.

The most challenging technique of promoting parental involvement in secondary level is to involve parents who are not engaged in the academic achievement of their child’s. Programs should be designed to aid those authority figures who are not able to contribute in their child’s education. The state and non-governmental agencies can assist parents who are not able to participate because of the socioeconomic status, marital status and others. The concerned organisation can help to provide education and activities to parents.

There can be training sessions organised for teacher that encourage and increase teacher’s abilities to work efficiently with parents. The training programs can consist of discussing how making parent involve, developing strategies for successful parental participation and acquiring the knowledge how to involve parents at home with homework of the child.

Laws can be passed in Mauritius to encourage families to get involved in their child’s education such as at work parents getting time off to get involved in school activities, allowing workers the rights to make use of their leaves to attend school functions. Furthermore, academic institutions have the obligations to hold parent/teacher conferences each year, programs on child development, developmental intense training session taking place over a period of six months and provide all required information to parents pertaining to their child’s education.

On a regular basis, seminars and workshops can be held by the state and non-governmental institutions in order to help parents to comprehend the importance of parental involvement at secondary level and laying emphasise on the different ways in which they can help their child’s in their education. These can be held in community centres nearby their home so that parents do not have to travel.

Communication is an important aspect. There should be two-way communication between parents and teachers at secondary level. The telephone can be used as a medium of communication. This can be used to contact the school and the teacher. Given that, more than 90% of parents have access to a telephone; this would help parents feel more confident about contacting school and teacher regularly concerning the education of their child even though they do work.

It is vital for secondary school and teacher to develop policies and attitudes that are reflective of and sensitive to the community they serve. When doing so, more parents become involved and they recognise their importance of being involved in school activities. Parents must feel at ease with the school environment and staff.



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