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

Date
2015-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
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.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Suksesvolle kwintiel vyf laerskole het spesifieke bestuurskenmerke waaraan hulle voldoen. Die meerderheid van dié kenmerke, byvoorbeeld bestuur van die kurrikulum, professionele leierskap, gedeelde visie en missie en die skep van ‘n leeromgewing, kan vanuit die Hoof se kantoor bestuur word. Ouerbetrokkenheid is egter die een aspek van suksesvolle skole wat nie so maklik bestuur kan word nie. Ouers se persepsie van ouerbetrokkenheid verskil van die skoolbestuur en onderwyser se persepsie van ouerbetrokkenheid. Die doel van die studie is dus eerstens om vas te stel wat ouers se persepsie van ouerbetrokkenheid in ‘n kwintiel vyf laerskool is. Tweedens, om te bepaal wat onderwysers se persepsie van ouerbetrokkenheid in ‘n kwintiel vyf laerskool is en derdens te bepaal hoe ouerbetrokkenheid manifesteer in die beleide van die Nasionale Onderwys Departement, Wes-Kaap Onderwysdepartement en drie kwintiel vyf laerskole. Om hierdie doelwit te bereik is onderhoude gevoer met twintig graad-ses ouers, van drie verskillende kwintiel vyf laerskole. Die onderwysers het vraelyste ingevul en ‘n studie is gemaak van die beleide van die verskillende onderwysdepartemente en kwintiel vyf skole. Beide ‘n kwalitatiewe metode, naamlik onderhoude en kwantitatiewe metode naamlik vraelyste is gebruik ten einde die doelwit te bereik. Voorts is Kritiese Teorie toegepas om individue en rolspelers te bevry van ongemaklike situasies wat moontlik kan ontstaan, weens ‘n verskil in persepsies. Nadat ‘n uitgebreide studie van bestaande literatuur gedoen is, onderhoude en vraelyste geannaliseer is, en beleide bestudeer is, is bevind dat ouers se persepsie van betrokkenheid berus hoofsaaklik op ondersteuning vir hul kinders en kommunikasie vanaf die skool. Onderwysers voel ook dat betrokkenheid ondersteuning behels, kommunikasie belangrik is, maar dat ouerbetrokkenehid bestuur moet word. Die bestuur gedeelte dui grootliks daarop dat onderwysers betrokkenehid as negatief kan ervaar. Die tyd het dus ryp geword dat ouerbetrokkenheid gesien moet word as ouer-ondersteuning en nie as ouerbetrokkenheid nie.
Description
Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2015
Keywords
Education, Primary -- Parent participation, School management and organization -- Parent participation, Education policies, Education, Primary -- South Africa -- Western Cape, School-based management -- South Africa -- Western Cape, UCTD
Citation