Abstract

The present research aimed at exploring parental involvement as a correlate to students’ educational adjustment in some secondary schools in Santa Sub Division. Three schools were selected through the simple random sampling technique from technical, grammar and lay private schools in this sub –division.  To proceed with the study, six research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. Epstein’s Parental Involvement Theory, and Bronfrenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory gave the work a theoretical base. The researcher also reviewed the works of other authors. The questionnaire was used as a tool to collect data from students and parents.  The sample size of the study constituted 348 respondents (parents 154 and Students 194 of forms three and four of Government Bilingual High School, Santa, Government Technical High School, Santa and Santa Memorial Comprehensive High School, Santa). The descriptive survey research design guided the study. Descriptive and inferential statistic precisely tables were used to answer the research questions and the Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation to verify the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. From the findings, it was founded that home parenting, parental provision of a secured environment, parental intellectual stimulation and high parental aspiration, significantly influence students’ educational adjustment in schools. From the above, the research made recommendations to parents, school administrators, counselors, policy makers and students on their contributions in involving parents in students’ educational adjustment. The researcher finally suggested that other researchers should continue research why certain aspects of parental involvement, particularly those that involve creating an educationally oriented atmosphere, are more noteworthy than others.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Parental involvement is an important issue in children’s functioning in school.  In general, parental involvement in children’s education is a major indicator of success and exerts a powerful impact on school adjustment (Desforges and Abouchaar 2003). In addition, it is widely recognized that if students are to maximize their potentials from schooling, they will need the full support of their parents. Pupil’s achievement and adjustment are influenced by many people, processes and institutions. Parents, the larger family, peer groups, neighborhood influences, schools and other bodies (for example churches, clubs) are all implicated in shaping children’s progress towards their fulfillment.  The children themselves, of course, with their unique abilities, temperaments and propensities play a central role in building and rebuilding their behaviour, aspirations and achievements.

Children have two main educators in their lives; their parents and their teachers.  Parents are the prime educators until the child attains school going age and they remain a major influence on their children’s learning throughout school and beyond. Parents know best the needs of their children, certainly better than educational administrators. Parent’s involvement helps as a bridge on the continuity gap that exists between the school and the home which helps in the adjustment of a child.  School adjustment indicates how well a child has been able to situate himself in school and in the social environment.   From the beginning of late childhood children spend most of their time in school and on school related activities.

Therefore, it becomes necessary for children to adjust in the school environment.  A good adjustment in school means the child is capable to make progress in all the activities in which he is placed in school. But the poorly adjusted child becomes the complainer, the troublemaker and the underachiever. Therefore, for success in life, a good adjustment is very necessary and vital for any child.

Adjustment also indicates ability to behave and act as demanded by the situations.  Well-adjusted persons normally adjust with reasonable success to any situation in which they find themselves, even when the situation is not of their choosing or not of their liking. Adjustment to school receives support from a number of skills, including social competence, problem solving, self-reliance and determination, knowing about, not knowing, and what to do about it, behavioral control and academic competence. Children are at risk of not adjusting easily to school when a mismatch exists between the personal and cultural skills, attitudes and knowledge they bring to school and the expectations of the school itself (Fabian 2000b; Margetts 2003, 2005).  Parental involvement takes many forms including home parenting, the provision of a secured environment, parental intellectual stimulation, and high aspirations related to personal fulfillment.

Parent –child relationship is very important for the all-round development of the child. A child’s physical, mental, intellectual, social and moral development is dependent on good parent-child relationship. Parents interaction with their children should be meaningful and understanding because due to unsatisfactory parent-child relationships psychopathological deviations may occur in childhood. The home environment has serious effects on the child because a peaceful home environment promotes the growth of creative potentials.  Parent- child relationship is important in the prevention of behavior problems among the children because emotional adjustment of a child has closer association with the home atmosphere. In this way, the home environment plays a very important role in child rearing. The parent-child relationship should be healthy and pleasant for good all round development.  Teachers and parents are considered partners, with separate and shared tasks and responsibilities varying according to the level of parental involvement. Parental involvement may be both school and parent-initiated (Driessen et al. 2005; Fantuzzo et al. 2000).

In the light of the above, and in addition to exploring the role of parents in the educational adjustment of students, this study will explore the relationship between parental involvement and students’ educational adjustment.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

From the researcher’s experience and interactions with students in different school settings, it has been realized that parents are generally unaware of the importance of their involvement in their children’s development. Some parents do not even bother to ask their children after school what they learnt in school that day; talk less of assisting them with their school work. Some when interviewed confessed their parents have no time for them at home.  Parents often ignore this developmental task and many of the students are facing a lot of difficulties with their studies. Some parents do not attend Parent Teacher Associations on behalf of their children during which they can get information about the child’s behaviour in school and this makes some of the students to continue with their deviant behaviors because they assume their parents will never know about their bad behavior.

Parental involvement if not properly handled, will lead to psychopathological deviations, poor emotional adjustment, a decline in the growth of creative potentials and an all-round development will not be achieved and hence poor educational adjustment by students. These situations, underlines the problem of non-parental involvement in students’ educational adjustment. Therefore, the problem of this study posed in a question form is: What is the relationship between parental involvement and students’ educational adjustment?

1.3 Purpose of the study.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate how parental involvement correlates with students’ educational adjustment.  Specifically, the study sought to:

1. Find out how home parenting influences students’ educational adjustment.
2. Investigate how parental provision of a secured environment influences students’ educational adjustment in school.
3. Determine how parental intellectual stimulation, influences students’ educational adjustment.
4. Explore how high parental aspirations influences student’s educational adjustment.