Parents' perception of parental involvement in selected quintile five primary schools

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Successful quintile five primary schools have specific characteristics to which they comply. Most of these features, such as curriculum planning, professional leadership, shared vision and mission and creating a learning environment can be manage from the Headmasters' office. In contrast, parental involvement is one aspect of successful schools that are not so easily managed. Parents' perception of parental involvement differs and also differs from that of the school management teams and the perception teachers have of parental involvement.The purpose of the study is firstly to determine what parents' perception of parental involvement in a quintile five primary school are. Secondly, to determine what teachers' perceptions of parental involvement are, and thirdly to determine how parental involvement is manifesting in the policies of the National Education Department, Western Cape Education Department and three quintile five primary schools.To achieve this objective, interviews were done with twenty, grade six parents of three different quintile five primary schools. The teachers completed a questionnaire and a study was made of the policies of the various departments of education and quintile five primary schools. Both a qualitative method, namely interviews and quantitative method namely questionnaires were used in order to achieve this goal. Furthermore, Critical Theory was applied to emancipate individuals and stakeholders from uncomfortable situation which may occur due to a difference in parent involvement perceptions.After an extensive study of existing literature was conducted, interviews and questionnaires analysed and policies were studied, it was found that parents' perception of involvement relies mainly on support for their child and communication from the quintile five primary school. Teachers also feel that parental involvement entails support and communication, but parental involvement should be managed. The term managing indicates that teachers, in a quintile five primary school experience parental involvement as negative. The time has therefore become ripe that parental involvement must be seen as a parental support and not as parental involvement.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University