Parental involvement in education and students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Terego district Uganda

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to examine the effect of parental involvement on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Terego District and the objectives were; to assess the influence of parental financial support, examine the effect of parental communication, and assess the influence of parental involvement in students’ learning at home on academic performance in public Secondary schools in Terego District. The research adopted both qualitative and quantitative approaches with a sample size of 164. A cross-sectional study design was used. The data was obtained using structured questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics involving linear regression analysis. The findings indicated that parental financial support influenced students’ academic performance by 2.6% (R2 = 0.026). The findings show that parental communication affects students’ academic performance by 5.7% (R2= 0.057). Parental involvement in students’ learning at home influenced academic performance by 2.7% (R2 = 0.027). The study concluded that parental financial support, communication, and involvement in students learning at home affect students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Terego district. Based on the findings, the school administration should organize financial literacy workshops, sensitize parents on their roles, and establish clear communication channels between parents and schools. School administration should also send out regular newsletters to parents, encourage the use of digital platforms such as emails, and school websites, WhatsApp and engagement of parent representatives to help bridge communication gaps. It was further recommended that the school administration should encourage the families to establish a conducive room for studies and encourage study groups with neighbors’ children.