Parent Teacher Association Research Articles

Prevalence of Primary School Dropout in Bale Zone Pastoralists of Oromia Region, Southeastern Ethiopia

Primary school dropout in the area of pastoralists is a complex issue in Ethiopia particularly in Oromia Region, Bale Zone. However, the problem has not been addressed yet. Thus, this study is conducted with the aim to assess the prevalence of primary school dropout in Bale Zone of Oromia Region, Southeastern Ethiopia. Cross-sectional research design was used to attain the objective of the research. School principals, supervisors, members of parent teacher association and Kebele education and training board, woredas and zonal education office heads were participated in this study. Varity of data collection tools were employed namely, interview, focus group discussion guide and document analysis. The analysis was made both quantitatively and qualitatively as per the nature of the data. The results show that the overall dropout rate was 13%. More specifically, the highest dropout rate was found in grade seven for boys and in grade five for girls. In the schools which have food support the rate was low and vise versa. Out of the four woredas of the study area the rate was high in Sewena.

An Analysis of School Culture from the Symbolic Perspective: An Ethnographic Study

The main purpose of this study was to examine symbols and meanings that interpreted by individuals living within the culture of a school while they’re acting. The data of the study that was designed in ethnographic way was collected through observation, interviews, field notes and documents from the principal, teachers, students, security guard, a member of parent teacher association and graduate students in a school located in Eskisehir. Five categories towards school culture were obtained from analyzing of the symbols. These categories were defined as “success is the development of individuals in accordance with their interests and abilities; we are a family; school principal is the initiator and manager of change; individual must be controlled and disciplined; the sources of the conflict are power and the differences.” Some suggestions were presented to practitioners and researchers in the context of results obtained from the study.

Relationship between Factors Contributing to Teachers’ Job Satisfaction and Academic Achievement among Secondary Schools in Homa-Bay County, Kenya

The study analyzed the relationship between factors contributing to teachers’ job satisfaction and academic performance among public secondary schools in Homa-Bay County. The study emanates from a background of dismal academic performance of secondary schools as alleged by Ministry of Education Report (2011) and constant complaints of working conditions by teachers. A sample of 32 secondary schools was randomly selected from the population of 300 public schools for the study. Data was collected by a Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) and was analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential statistics.  The analysis of variance tests was done at 0.05alpha level of significance. Findings revealed that factors of job satisfaction were job security, work environment, nature of work, technical supervision, recognition, and further training opportunity. It was also found that academic performance is pegged on teachers’ job satisfaction. From the findings of this study the researcher recommends improving teachers’ job satisfaction and academic performance in Homa-Bay County; the government should improve salary and allowances of teachers, the result shows that most of the teachers still work in a deplorable conditions, the ministry of education should encourage strong parental and community support through parent teacher association and Board of Management,  These bodies should ensure that secondary schools are well equipped with necessary learning facilities for quality education and improved academic performance. It is hoped that the findings of this study may be useful to the Ministry of Education, personnel involved in decision making, policy formulation and implementation, and secondary school principals towards making sure that teachers are satisfied for schools to perform highly and towards realizing the vision 2030 in education sector.

Parent-Teacher Association, Soup Kitchen, Church, or the Local Civic Club? Life Stage Indicators of Volunteer Domain.

Gaps in existing literature hinder our knowledge of how life stage-related identities (e.g., worker, parent, student, etc.) influence individuals' decisions about whether and how to get involved in community service. Interventions to increase volunteerism throughout the life course require a more nuanced understanding of this relationship. We use multinomial logistic models to analyze how life phase factors relate to involvement in different types of voluntary organizations across the adult life course in the Chicago Community Adult Health Study. Half of the adults did not volunteer. Those who did volunteer were categorized as charitable, youth-oriented, religious, civic, or multidomain volunteers. Age, employment, family structure, demographics, and self-rated health differentially predicted volunteering in specific domains. Findings from this study suggest that recruitment and retention efforts employed by different nonprofit organizations may be more effective if they take into consideration the life phase factors that enhance or detract from likelihood of engagement.

Challenges in the Teaching and Learning of Agricultural Science in Selected Public Senior High Schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis

The study was conducted in selected Public Senior High Schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis aimed at investigating the challenges in the teaching and learning of Agricultural Science. In all a sample of 78 respondents involving 60 Agricultural Science students and 18 Agricultural Science teachers were involved. The research instrument used for the data collection was questionnaire which was developed by the researcher in two different forms, one for the Agricultural Science students and the other for the Agricultural science teachers. Research findings from the study indicated that the major challenges facing the teaching and learning of Agricultural Science include frequent use of lecture method in teaching, large class size and poor remuneration of teachers. Others include inadequate teaching and learning materials and their availability, difficulty in planning field trips as well as laziness and truancy on the part of teachers. However, it must be emphasized that motivational factors such as one’s own interest, having a role model, future ambitions and the supply of adequate textbooks positively affect the teaching and learning of Agricultural Science in Public Senior High Schools in the Metropolis. The study recommends that parents must be educated to understand the important role and prospects the learning of Agricultural Science contributes to the development of a country. Also the Government, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and other stakeholders must help to improve the service of Agricultural Science Teachers.

Challenges Faced by the School Administration while Carrying out Various Welfare Practices on Secondary School Teachers in Bondo Sub-County, Kenya

The study sought to determine the teaching staff welfare practices and their effect on work performance of secondary schools teachers in Bondo Sub-County. The study was necessitated by discrepancy in work performance out put of the teaching staff as observed in achievements in curricular and co-curricular activities in secondary schools in Bondo Sub-County. The objectives of the study were to: assess the challenges faced by the school administration while carrying out various welfare practices and establish coping strategies employed by school administration to solve the challenges faced in offering the practices. The study was based on Social Action Theory which postulates that if a worker is not satisfied with the work environment, it will affect the services the worker renders to the institution. The research design for this study was descriptive survey design. A total of 330 respondents comprising of 240 teachers, 30 principals, 30 Board of Management chairpersons and 30 Parents Teachers Association chairpersons formed the population of the study. In each school, in the 30 chosen schools in Bondo Sub-county, eight teachers – two from each of the four departments, the principal, chairpersons of Board of Management and Parents Teachers Association were chosen for the study. The study used a combination of purposive sample and simple random technique to select the respondents. In conducting the survey, document analysis, three sets of questionnaires and interview schedule were drawn up. One set was administered to the Board of Management chairperson, the principal and the other set to the teaching staff. Information from Parents Teachers Association chairperson were obtained using interview schedule only. Research experts in the Department of Curriculum and Management at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology evaluated the instruments to ascertain their content validity. A pilot study was conducted in 10 percent of the population to test the reliability of the instruments. Simple descriptive statistics in form of mean rating, pie-charts and frequency counts using Statistical Package for Social Sciences was employed to analyze the data in order to establish relationship between the variables. The study was significant to educational practitioners and stakeholders and challenged them to adopt staff welfare practices that purely motivate the teaching staff hence enhancing their efficiency and effectiveness in discharging their duties. The study found out that welfare practices affect performance and productivity of teachers. From the findings, there emerged the need for welfare practices that purely motivate the teaching staff. The following were recommended for further research; government financial support & its effect on school management and scheme of promotion & its effect on teacher’s performance. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n2p479

Особливості реалізаціі державних програм залучення батьків до формування здорового способу життя у школах США.

Статтю присвячено дослідженню особливостей реалізації державних програм залучення батьків до формування здорового способу життя учнів американських шкіл. З’ясовано, що головними засобами реалізації цих програм є: спілкування колективу школи з батьками учня, підтримка навчання учнів у сім’ї, підтримка виховного впливу батьків, участь батьків у прийняття рішень у школі, надання різноманітних волонтерських можливостей батькам, співпраця школи та батьків з місцевою громадою. Виявлено, що програм та заходів з покращення здоров’я учнів позитивно впливало на дотримання дітьми (та їхніми батьками) здорового способу життя, а також налагодження партнерських стосунків між школою, сім’єю та громадою. Обґрунтовано перспективи подальших розвідок у цьому напряму. Статья посвячена сравнению особенностей, характерных для скаутского образовательно-воспитательного идеала и идеала демократического лидера в США. На основании проведенного анализа на матеріалах опроса 100 респондентов сделан вывод о том, что качества демократического лидера не являются прирожденными, они приобретаются в процес се воспитания и социализации. Подчеркивается мысль о том, что приобретение качеств демократического лидера начинается не в процессе трудовой деятельности и карьерного роста, а в детско-юношеский период. Качества демократического лидера формируются в процессе совместной деятельности в атмосфере ответственности и доверия. Неполитические неформальные организации являются мощным инструментом формирования качеств демократического лидера у детей и молодежи школьного возраста. The article is devoted to the research of the features of realization of the National Standards for Parent Involvement Program in school health promotion in American schools. The analysis and generalization of special literature are conducted. The National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Program consists of the following elements: Communicating, Parenting, Learning at home, Volunteering, Decision making, Collaboration with Community. The National Standards for Parent Involvement Program were developed in 1997 by experts of the National Parent Teacher Association and the National Network on Partnership Schools. The first Standard, Communicating, combines the traditional and innovative forms and methods of socialization with parents, such as: school conferences; personal teacher-parents meetings; providing printed and electronic information on the realization of the school health programs. Parenting provides opportunities of pedagogical education for parents in relation to the importance of healthy lifestyles and helps in creation of family atmosphere that would support the student's potential and health. Learning at home is realized through provision of home work that combines interactive work of students with family members. Volunteering consists of parent involvement in school life such as assistance of the group of children during breaks on fresh air, playing games with kids on the school territory at weekends, participation in sport programs (dances, aerobics), work in a school garden (vegetable garden). Decision making is understood as participation of parents or any other family members in school health councils that focus on obesity and depression prevention, bullying issues, etc. Collaboration with community is implemented during the collaborative work of school, family and community in cultural, social, entertaining, health promotion public programs and events. The implementation of the above mentioned elements positively influenced the students’ health as well as healthy lifestyles of family members and built the partnership between school, family and community. The necessity of prospects of the future research in this direction is proved.

Teachers’ and Parents’ Perceptions and Involvement in the Parents-Teachers Associations (PTAs) for Students’ Academic and Social Development

Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is a voluntary association of parents and teachers in a particular school established for its students’ development. This study aims to focus only on the perceptions of the teachers and parents and their involvement in the Parents- Teachers Associations (PTAs) for the students’ development specifically the academic and social aspect. The quantitative research design was employed to reveal the parents and teachers’ perceptions of the roles, relationship of teachers and parents and involvement of the PTAs with specific reference to parental involvement in the school activities which may develop the students’ academic and social aspects. The participants composed of 574 parents, 820 students and 266 teachers of public secondary schools in the division of Misamis Oriental. The inferential statistics was utilized to analyze primary and secondary data. Findings revealed that the Parent Teacher Association was functional in the Division of Misamis Oriental. It has been said that the children whose parents are convoluted in their education have an above degree of academic performance than children whose parents are convoluted to a lesser degree. It also showed that the students’ social and emotional well-being, only teacher relationship with parents, and their role in their students’ development have a significant relationship with it. Keywords – Education, PTA, students’ academic and social development, descriptive method, Philippines

Social mobilization for school sanitation and hygiene education

This research has the following main purposes: to achieve sanitation fosters will take; to raise community awareness of sanitation and hygiene education; to encourage the participation of the entire community (students, teachers, school heads, Parent Teacher Association, School Board of Trustees) in sanitation and hygiene education; to improve unsanitary schools; to encourage the ‘4 cleans’ behaviors through community-planned grassroots projects and improve health and quality of life through these behavior changes; to prevent contamination of water from source to mouth.

Understanding teachers' perspectives of factors that influence parental involvement practices in special education in Barbados

Parental involvement has been defined in various ways by researchers and is reported to have many advantages for children's education. The research utilises a case study strategy to investigate teachers' perspectives of parental involvement at four case sites in Barbados. In‐depth interviews were done with teachers and analysis utilised content analysis of transcripts and open and axial coding frameworks. Findings suggest that one needs to understand the layered realities that dictate and influence the nature and level of parental participation in children's education. In‐school factors such as a lack of democratisation of parent consultation processes, discontinuation of programmes, how active Parent Teacher Associations were and out‐of‐school factors such as parents' levels of collaboration and coping influenced parental involvement at the case sites. More research is needed to understand how these factors shape and influence parental involvement in special education settings in Barbados.

Factors Affecting the Primary School Participation of Pastoralists: A Case Study from Ethiopia

The study investigated the status of primary school participation of pastoralist children. It was conducted in Bench Maji zone of the S/N/N/P/R/G in Ethiopia. The main focus of the study was to identify the major constraints that hinders the participation of pastoral Suri children. To this end, case study method was employed. Data were gathered from 20 teachers, 16 PTA’s, 20 community elders, 5 educational experts, and 2 administrators through in-depth interview and focus group discussion. Community elders, educational experts and administrators were selected by purposive method. Teachers and Parent Teacher Association [PTA] were selected by availability sampling. The data from documentary analysis indicated that the status of pastoral Suri children participation in the primary school is extremely low. Based on findings, school related constraints, socio-economic constraints and Socio – cultural constraints were found to be the major barriers to the educational participation of pastoral Suri children. Hence, it is concluded that the participation of pastoral Suri children in the primary schools was a function of school related constraints, socio – economic and socio – cultural constraints. Depending on the result of the findings, formulation of policy and strategy to pastoral Suri children was recommended. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p1386

The Rise of School-Supporting Nonprofits

This paper examines voluntary contributions to public education via charitable school foundations, booster clubs, parent teacher associations, and parent teacher organizations. We use panel data on school-supporting charities with national coverage from 1995 to 2010, which we geocode and match to school districts. We document the meteoric rise of school-supporting nonprofits during this panel, and then estimate a series of regression models to examine the distributional consequences of voluntary contributions. We find relatively large districts have higher probabilities of receiving revenues from a school-supporting nonprofit but the level of per-pupil voluntary contributions declines with student enrollment. In addition, we find school districts with higher endowments have higher probabilities of being served by at least one school-supporting nonprofit and higher levels of per-pupil contributions. Finally, we find no evidence that impressive recent growth in the number and financial size of these school-supporting charities relates to reductions in the public financing of schools.

Introduction to Special Issue on the Property Tax and the Financing of K–12 Education

reschovsky@lafollette.wisc.edu The property tax is the mainstay of local K–12 education revenue. Public schools derive over 80 percent of their local own-source revenue from the property tax (Reschovsky 2014). At the same time, nearly half of total property tax dollars collected in the United States is used to finance public elementary and secondary education (U.S. Census Bureau 2013, 2014). This close link between property taxation and school finance is one motivation for this special issue. Another motivation is the state and local fiscal aftermath of the Great Recession. Over the past few years the financing of public elementary and secondary education has become particularly challenging. In real per pupil terms, total revenues devoted to public education fell by 6.2 percent between the 2008–09 and 2011–12 school years.2 Although comprehensive revenue data are not yet available for the most recent years, existing evidence points to a continued decline in financial support for public education. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Quarterly Summary of State and Local Tax Revenue indicate that per capita real local government property tax revenues (for school and non-school purposes) declined by 3 percent between fiscal years 2011 and 2013 (Collins and Langley 2014). And a survey conducted by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that in 33 states, real

‘Education at our school is not free’: the hidden costs of fee-free schooling in Rwanda

As primary school enrolment rates in Rwanda near ubiquity, completion rates remain low and repetition rates remain high. This study investigates the impact of the ‘hidden costs’ of schooling in the context of Rwanda’s fee-free education policy. Using a social-science case study, focus groups and interviews were undertaken with 200 participants, including local leaders, school administrators, children and caregivers. Findings suggest children continue to contend with a range of school-related costs that impact attendance, performance and completion. Examination fees, after-school coaching and ‘voluntary’ parent-teacher association dues were found to have serious consequences for children’s educational experience. Findings illustrate how these ‘hidden costs’ may be a key factor explaining why children do not complete their schooling once enrolled. A series of policy recommendations are offered and broader implications for children’s rights and Education For All are discussed. Further in-depth and comparative study is required.

Views of School Managers, Parent-teacher Association Board Members and Parents on Why Parent-teacher Associations Fail to Raise Donations

This study aims to identify the reasons why parent-teacher associations are not able raise donations according to the views of school managers, parent-teacher association board members and parents. The financing of kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools occur through parent-teacher associations. It is a well-known fact that as the sources listed by item 15 in the Parent-Teacher Association Regulation are not enough to meet the needs of schools, they try to raise donations and this creates many problems. This study intends to reveal these problems. The population of the study comprises 6,078 parents and 63 managers and parent-teacher association board members from 7 schools selected from among the school located in central Elazığ by considering the socioeconomic level of parents and the cultural environment of the schools. The sample included 833 parents and the above number of school managers and parent-teacher association board members who were selected randomly. The study used questionnaires to collect data.

English

Basic HIV/AIDS education in schools remains fundamental to the global effort to combat HIV transmission. Although HIV/AIDS education is targeted at all ages, it is most important for young people because they experiment with risky behaviours due to the demands of their developmental stage. This descriptive survey study was carried out to examine the perspectives of parents on the inclusion of HIV/AIDS education in schools, in Oshimlli North/South Local Government Area of Delta State. Two research questions based on eight (6) independent variables which included: religion, sex, socio economic status, level of education and occupation were set. The qualitative finding indicated that parents will want to be more involved in the HIV/AIDS education of their children and possibly learn more in order to buttress what is taught in school. They also indicated that their children should be taught sex and HIV/AIDS education to prevent further spread of the disease. The researcher recommended that the school should involve parents in the HIV/AIDS education of their children through Parent Teachers Association (PTA) where talks on HIV/AIDS can be given and the curriculum discussed before been taught to children. Key words: HIV/AIDS education, socio economic status, level of education, occupation.

Investigating the Effectiveness of Parent - Teacher Association Activities in Elementary Schools of Region 8 of Tehran

The current research aimed at investigating the effectiveness of Parent-Teacher Association activities in elementary schools of Region 8 of Tehran. This is a descriptive research type and has been carried out by survey method. The statistical populations of this study are 7320 persons including all parents of the students who were enrolled in elementary schools of Region 8 of Tehran in the school year 2013-2014. The required sample from the studied statistical population was considered 400 persons using phased random sampling method and the questionnaires were distributed among them. The measuring tool was a researcher made questionnaire. Hypotheses were also compared with single-sample T-test, average of the group and theoretical average of the test as a whole and in each of the dimensions. Research results showed that in parents’ view the activities of PTA have the necessary overall effectiveness significantly. On the other hand, in their view PTA activities have a proper and necessary effectiveness in the financial and service dimension significantly. In their view, PTA activities do not have a necessary effectiveness in the recreational dimension significantly. In their view, PTA activities have a necessary effectiveness in the educational dimension significantly. In their view, PTA activities have a necessary effectiveness in the training dimension significantly. Parents believe that there is not a significant difference between a member and non-member in the PTA activities. In other words, membership or non-membership has no effect on their attitude. Keyword: effectiveness, PTA activities in elementary schools

Individual- and community-level influences on the timing of sexual debut among youth in Nyanza, Kenya.

Delaying sexual debut is an important HIV prevention strategy, yet few studies have examined associations between both community- and individual-level characteristics and sexual debut among youth in Sub-Saharan Africa. Cross-sectional survey data collected from 8,183 youth aged 11-17 in 160 schools in Nyanza, Kenya, were used to examine the relationships between individual and community measures and the timing of sexual debut. Multilevel discrete-time hazard models were used to identify bivariate and multivariate associations. At the individual level, youth were more likely to have initiated sex (or had done so at an earlier age) if they had felt pressure to engage in sex from a greater number of sources (odds ratios, 1.3-1.8); perceived that they had a small or (among females) moderate chance, rather than no chance, of contracting HIV (1.2-1.3); or endorsed a greater number of HIV transmission myths (1.1 for both sexes). In addition, males with higher abstinence selfefficacy had a reduced risk of sexual debut (0.95). At the community level, males and females had a reduced risk of sexual debut if they lived in a community where AIDS deaths were publicly acknowledged (0.6-0.8) or the Primary School Action for Better Health program had been implemented (0.8-0.95); risk was also reduced among young men who lived in communities where HIV was discussed at a greater number of parent-teacher association meetings (0.9) or where abstinence was the primary AIDS prevention message conveyed to youth (0.9). Community-level variables are frequently associated with sexual debut and should be included in future research.

Children with Disabilities in Early Care in Ghana

This study examined the experiences of teachers who teach 4- to 8-year-old children with special needs in Ghanaian public school classrooms. Also examined were the management strategies put in place to assist the children in dealing with their unique situations. A team of five researchers interviewed 68 teachers who teach children with special needs. Results indicate that a majority of the teachers support inclusion of children with special needs in their classrooms but were concerned about the lack of appropriate resources for proper instruction. In addition, participants indicated that about 60% of children with special needs did not want to participate in group work. The most challenging issues for the teachers involve difficulty getting some of the children to follow basic instructions and also getting parents to participate in the education of their children with special needs. This study recommends parent-teacher associations advocating for the participation of parents in schools in Ghana. The study additionally recommends employing special education teachers, nurses, and social workers to assist teachers in Ghanaian classrooms.

Creative Funding Ideas for Your Physical Education Program

Physical educators often find it difficult to secure funding for their program in these tough economic times. However, there is funding out there, if one knows where to look and how to ask for it. This article describes how physical education teachers can make a funding action plan, who to contact, where to write to, and how to get equipment for students. Sometimes the people who can help the teacher are directly in front of them. Other times, the teacher will have to do some research through websites, national organizations, grants, professional sports teams, local school districts, local civic organizations, and even the school's parent-teacher association.