The influence of parental socioeconomic status, involvement in learning activities and its influence on children’s academic performance in urban informal settlements in Westlands division - Nairobi county

Abstract

The purpose of this study sought to investigate how parental socioeconomic status and involvement in students’ learning activities can influence academic achievement of students in selected secondary schools in urban informal settlements of Westlands Division in Nairobi County. The study was premised on the classical Liberal Theory of Equal Opportunity and social Darwinism proposed by Charles Darwin. A descriptive survey design using a sample of 125 respondents comprising of 91 students, 18 teachers and 16 parents was used to execute the study. The main tools for data collection were questionnaires for students, Focus Group Discussions for teachers and Interview schedules for parents. The quantitative data from the questionnaires was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics while the qualitative data from interviews was managed through thematic techniques. The major findings of the study indicate that parental socioeconomic status and school involvement has a powerful impact on students’ academic achievement. After the statistical analysis it was concluded that parents’ socioeconomic status and involvement in learning activities were facilitating factors towards good academic achievement among students. It was therefore recommended that schools should strengthen the collaboration between home and school in Westlands informal settlements. Key words: Academic achievement, urban informal settlements, Parental involvement, Parent-teacher relationship, Socio-economic status