Ally, Zahara2019-11-292020-01-082019-11-292020-01-082014Ally, Z. (2014) Factors hindering effective parental involvement in children’s schooling in public primary schools in Kinondoni municipality, Tanzania, Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. Dar es Salaam.http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/4542Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark (THS EAF LC225.33.T34A44)The study investigated factors that hinder effective parental involvement in their children’s schooling in public primary schools in Kinondoni Municipality. The objectives were to investigate school and parents’ factors that hinder their effective involvement and to investigate strategies that can be employed to improve it. The study was conducted in Kinondoni Municipality in Dar es Salaam region in one school as a case study. The sample constituted 56 respondents categorized into 15 teachers (including the head teacher), 18 parents, 18 pupils and 5 school committee members. The study used qualitative research approach which allowed interaction among the participants and employed a case study design which enabled the researcher to understand the study in detail. Data were collected through observations, interviews, focus group discussions and documentary review. The study used purposive and probability sampling techniques. The collected data were qualitatively analyzed through content analysis strategy. Results indicated that the school factors that hinder parents’ involvement in their children’s education are poor time management, lack of a transparent financial management system, failure by the school management to implement meetings’ resolutions, inactive school committee, misunderstanding of the government’s policy on school fees, and teachers’ blames to the parents. Parents’ factors included poverty, illiteracy, conflicting schedules and poor attitudes towards education. On the other hand, the study established that the following strategies could improve parents’ involvement. These are education to parents on the extent of their involvement, proper training to head teachers, teachers and school committee members on various school issues and on how to work together harmoniously. Based on the study findings, the study concludes that school and parent factors equally affect the parents’ involvement in school matters. However, it is possible to improve the parents’ involvement if the following are done: training to all stakeholders on how to work harmoniously, provision of emoluments to committee members, a clear education policy on the extent of parents’ involvement, government’s subsidy to impoverished families and transparency on financial management. For future studies, it is recommended that a similar study be extended to community secondary schools to see if similar circumstances prevail as most of them are just extensions of local primary schools. Also there is a need for comparing parents’ involvement between public and private primary schools and see if there is any lesson to be learnt from the private schools.enEducationParent participationPublic schoolsPrimary schoolsChildrenKinondoni municipalityTanzaniaThesis