Browsing by Author "Samson, Pendo"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The influence of parents’ involvement in school activities on academic achievement of community secondary school students in Mbeya city, Tanzania
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2015) Samson, Pendo
    The study assessed the influence of parents’ involvement in school activities on academic achievement of community secondary school students in Mbeya City in Tanzania. Specifically it sought to i) examine the pattern and extent of parents’ involvement in school activities and how that may influence students’ academic achievement; ii) investigate the teachers’ conception on the nature and desirability of parent-teacher communication that may help students’ schooling; iii) investigate the teachers’ conception on the nature and desirability of parents’ participation in school activities that may help students’ schooling and iv) explore the problems and challenges that affect parents’ involvement in school activities. The study was guided by the Model of Spheres of Influence of the Family, the School, and the Community which was adopted from Epstein. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and documentary review. A sample of 288 students, 125 teachers, 6 heads of schools, 50 parents and 6 members of school committees from six public secondary schools was drawn for the study. The study was carried out in Mbeya city and employed. Qualitative data were content analyzed while quantitative data were classified and presented in tabular form from which percentages and frequencies were computed. The study revealed a significant and positive relationship between parents’ involvement in school activities and students’ academic achievement, (r= .773, p˂01) respectively. Moreover, parents teacher face-to-face contacts were perceived to be desirable modes of communications that improves students’ schooling outcomes. Similarly, parents’ participation in school activities such as deciding on rewarding students who perform well, and deciding on strategies for handling students’ problems, were perceived to be desirable aspects of parents get involved in their children’s educational stakeholders should design effective and desirable interactive homes-school partnership programs to encourage more parents to be involved in their children’s education. Further studies have been recommended to investigate the correlation, if any, between parental attitudes towards their involvement in school matters related to their children schooling, parents’ level of education and poverty in Tanzania.