Parental involvement in the academic achievement of eight primary-school children

Abstract

This qualitative research 'Parental Involvement in the Academic Achievement of Eight Primary-School Children', aimed to explore if parental involvement, will have an impact on children`s attainment in education. Eight, year six students, their parents, and two teachers currently teaching year 6 classes were recruited from the same school. Semi-structured interviews enabled the participants to express themselves freely, and share their experiences. The results were presented under three main themes of 'Expectations', 'Bridging the gap between home and school', and 'The effects of family background and lifestyle'. Findings show that parental involvement is influenced by various factors including, the socio-economic status of the family, parents` educational background and parents` relationship with the school personnel. Different ways of how parents are helping their children at home, and how they are involved within the school are discussed. Analysis of data from interviews indicates that all participants view parental contribution as an essential element to children`s success.