Abstract
Although parent involvement is fundamental for school functioning, the nature and extent of such involvement is debatable and contested amongst stakeholders. A qualitative based study underpinned by the interpretive paradigm was undertaken to explore the voices of educators regarding parent non-involvement and its implications for learner experiences and performance in a disadvantaged community in South Africa. Data was gathered through individual and focus group interviews, involving 3 principals and 12 teachers respectively. The paper is buttressed by Epstein’s model of school-family-community partnerships that advocates for genuine collaboration between stakeholders. The findings show that educators’ perceptions concerning parent non-involvement do not take into consideration the contextual realities that restrict involvement, and this serves to alienate parents further. The paper also reveals the gap that exist between policy and practice in terms of school-parent relationships. Existing relations, especially in disadvantaged communities emphasizes the need for schools to initiate and implement strategies that are context friendly, taking into consideration challenges experienced by parents. In this regard, empowering teachers on school-parent relationships is a vital ingredient to ensure the initiation and implementation strategies towards a sustainable parent involvement.
Highlights
IntroductionResearchers around the world acknowledge the importance of parent involvement in their children’s education (Bakker, Denessen & Brus-Laven, 2007; Chowa, Ansong & OseiAkoto, 2012; Johnson & Hull, 2014; Luxomo & Motala, 2012; McDowall & Schaughency, 2017; Mncube, 2010), and the desire to ensure that these children succeed in school (Kemal, 2011)
Parental involvement in the education of learners in South Africa is an ongoing discourse, especially in poor schools where learners are in dire need of support to improve persistently low levels of performance (Coetzee, 2014)
He lamented that parental laxity contributed to waywardness among learners, unruly behaviour, poor responses in class, exacerbating substandard performance when he said: I want to disagree with that...if we look at the children that are in school in Grade 7, their parents were born late 70s, and beyond
Summary
Researchers around the world acknowledge the importance of parent involvement in their children’s education (Bakker, Denessen & Brus-Laven, 2007; Chowa, Ansong & OseiAkoto, 2012; Johnson & Hull, 2014; Luxomo & Motala, 2012; McDowall & Schaughency, 2017; Mncube, 2010), and the desire to ensure that these children succeed in school (Kemal, 2011). Educators in schools serving disadvantaged communities are more likely to have a negative perception of parental involvement; often classifying it as less encouraging and less rewarding in terms of advancing children’s learning (Koutrouba, Antonopoulou, Tsitsas & Zenakou, 2009; Luxomo & Motala, 2012; McDowall & Schaughency, 2017), while ignoring the potentials of parents to supervise learners and partake in school activities (Edwards, 2004) This clearly indicates that teacher education curricula and teacher training institutions do not prepare educators to deal with issues related to family-schoolcommunity partnerships (Epstein, 2018; Jacobs, 2008; Lemmer, 2007). When parents and educators come together and work holistically towards learners’ education, by focusing on the academic, social and emotional needs of the latter, success is bound to happen naturally (Epstein, 1995; Epstein, 2018) – this, while recognising all children’s rights to quality basic education (Mansfield-Barry & Stwayi, 2017)
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