Influence Of Parental Involvement on Learners’ Academic Performance in Junior Schools in Imenti North Sub County, Meru County, Kenya

Abstract

The Kenyan Competency-Based curriculum has continued to demand a lot of parental involvement in children’s education for better performance. However, the academic performance of learners in junior schools has been low while, the extent to which academic performance of junior learners is influenced by different parameters of parental involvement is not clear. This study aim was to evaluate the influence of parental involvement on the academic performance of learners in junior schools in Imenti North Sub-County, Meru County. The specific objectives were to assess parents’ provision of basic needs, parents’ participation in school meetings; academic and homework supervision and involvement in school decision-making on the academic performance of learners in junior schools in Imenti North Sub-County. The study was informed by the Epstein’s Model of Parental Participation. It also employed a descriptive survey research design. The research targeted 26 head-teachers, 26 class-teachers, 1170 JS learners and 1170 parents totaling to 2392. A sample size of 158 consisting of 8 head-teachers, 8 class teachers, 71 learners and 71 parents in Imenti North Sub-County facilitated the research. A Stratified sampling procedure was used sample schools from two strata and simple random sampling was adopted to obtain learners and parents’ participants. The head-teachers and class teachers from each sampled school included using purposive sampling. Data was gathered using questionnaires, interview guide and focus group discussion. Piloting of the research tools was done at Tigania west sub county, Meru County. Data validity was ensured by checking construct, content and face validity, while reliability by computing Cronbach alpha values where an alpha value of 0.7 or greater than indicated reliability. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 26. Thematic analysis was utilized to analyze the qualitative data. Quantitative findings were presented using tables and figures. For the qualitative data, narration was adopted. The study noted that provision of basic needs was necessary for realizing learners’ performance. Better communication strategies, leadership styles that encourage parent involvement in meetings and parents’ education are also major support systems to child’s education. The study recommends the government to provide learning resources, facilities and healthcare strategy to address the threat to the provision of basic necessities. Also, NGOs and Churches to intervene to support school food program. JS head-teachers should strengthen communication by speaking the needfulness of meetings, timely relaying the messages, establish how parents will be engaged, participate and give feedback concerning what is discussed in the meetings. The findings implicate junior school policies, best-practices, guidelines and measures to guide parent retooling, heads participatory leadership styles, comprehensive communication strategies and diversifying avenues of parent involvement.