The contribution of family in supporting students’ learning in public secondary schools in moshi district

This study intended to examine the contribution of family in supporting students’ learning in public secondary schools in Tanzania. Specifically, it aimed at investigating the nature and patterns of family support to students’ learning, examine the motives for family support to students’ learning, and explore factors that can promote or inhibit the family support to students’ learning. The study employed the qualitative research approach and single case study design. The area of study was Moshi District in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. The sample was obtained from four public secondary schools with a total of 56 respondents who were 4 heads of schools, 4 academic teachers, 8 teachers, 8 class teachers, 16 students and 16 parents. These respondents were obtained through purposive and random sampling techniques. The data for this study were collected by using interview, focus group discussions and documentary review. The collected data were analyzed by using Miles and Huberman (1994) model of qualitative data analysis using content analysis. The findings revealed that, families were supporting students’ learning through ways like payment of school fees, buying of learning materials, and making sure that students were regularly attending school. The study revealed motives for family support to students’ learning which include nature of the family, student’s personal characteristics and parents’ beliefs and expectations. Finally the study revealed the factors that promote or inhibit family support to students learning such as parents’ income, parents’ level of education marriage conflicts and parents perception toward education. It was concluded that contribution of family in supporting students’ learning seem to be important for effective students learning, the segregation of any kind in supporting students learning must be avoided, and challenges that obstruct families from full support of students learning must be addressed. The study recommends that, schools should educate parents on the importance of education and different ways of supporting students’ learning, parents to make close follow up of students learning, and students to seek learning support out of family when family members are unable to support them due to low level of education.