Educators’ perspective on parental involvement in homework at a rural primary school in Palala

Abstract

Background: Educators have a very important job of moulding learners’ lives. However, they cannot do it alone, they need assistance from parents. Every child is different and learns differently and most of the information a child receives comes from their parents. Aim: The article seeks to find ways to help educators to work closely with parents to support their children in their academics for better achievement. This study forms part of a master’s project; however, this article focuses on educators’ perceptions of parental involvement towards learners’ academic work at a rural primary school. Setting: The research was conducted at a rural primary school in the Palala circuit located in Limpopo. Methods: This study was approached by means of a phenomenological research design. Phenomenology seeks to comprehend the phenomena from those who live in the setting under study. The article used questionnaires to collect the data, and convenient sampling was employed. For this research we interviewed Grade 6 and 7 educators. Results: It was found that most educators are concerned with the lack of parental involvement in learners’ academic work. Conclusion: The article recommends that illiterate parents be brought closer to the teachers and be assisted on how they could be actively involved in their children’s schoolwork. The school staff, including educators, need to be workshopped on how to address parents equally and with respect, to feel welcome. Contribution: This article therefore seeks to promote awareness and devise ways to enhance rural parental involvement in children’s schoolwork and school life.

Keywords

• educators’ perspectives
• parental involvement
• parental literacy
• parent-teacher relationship
• rural primary schools
• rurality
• socio-economic
• theory of planned behaviour