Influence Of Parents’ Involvement In Education On Their Children’S Performance At The Kenya Certificate Of Primary Education In Nyakach Sub-County, Kisumu, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the influence of parents’ involvement in education on their children’s’ performance at Kenya certificate of primary education in Nyakach Sub-County, Kisumu, Kenya. Four objectives were formulated to guide the study: to examine how parents’ involvement in supervision of their children’s homework influence their performance, to establish how parents’ involvement in attending school meetings influence their children’s performance, to determine how parents’ initiative in the academic follow up of their children influences their performance and to examine how parents’ involvement in provision of supplementary learning materials influences their children’s performance. The research used descriptive survey design. The target population of this study was 144 public primary schools in Nyakach Sub county. The research came up with the following findings: Majority of the parents (88%) were not supervising their children’s homework as expected and this affected their academic performance negatively. On attendance of school meetings, most of parents (65%) created time to attend AGM and PTA meetings, though it did not significantly influence their children’s performance, but low attendance of parents (15%) was realized during academic clinic days, which greatly led to low academic performance of their children. Majority of the parents (77%) did not make initiatives to follow up the academic progress of their children, which negatively influenced their academic performance. Most parents (65%) provided their children with proper uniform, but majority of the pupils (75%) still lacked supplementary books and stationaries, which led to the low academic performance noted in Nyakach subcounty. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the parents in this subcounty have not been supervising their children’s homework and this has led to low academic performance witnessed. Parent’s attendance of school meetings did not show a significant influence on their children’s performance. Parents lack of initiatives in the follow up of their children’s education had a significant negative influence on their academic performance. Lack of provision of supplementary learning materials by parents has a significant negative influence on their children’s performance. The researcher recommended the following: Parents should make it their responsibility to supervise their children’s homework; measures should be put in place to ensure parents attend academic clinic days and the school administration should organize trainings to advise parents on ways to initiate follow up on their children’s education. The researcher suggested that a study of other factors influencing pupils’ performance other than parent’s involvement should be studied and the same study should be done in other sub counties.