Case Study on Parental Involvement

Lack of Parental Involvement in the Academic Performance of the Students at Pedro V. Panaligan Memorial National High School
(A Case Study)

I. SYNOPSIS

The idea that parental involvement has positive influence on students' academic achievement is so intuitively appealing that society in general, and educators in particular, have considered parental involvement an important ingredient for the remedy for many problems in education.

Parental involvement is absolutely essential to student achievement in school and in life. The overwhelming studies and research indicate that there are positive academic outcomes stemming from parental involvement with benefits beginning in early childhood throughout adolescence and beyond (Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Patrikakou, Weisberg, Redding, & Walberg, 2005). It is a valuable component of any student’s education. It is a well-established fact that parental involvement is linked to children’s success at school. When parents are involved in their children’s education at home, they do better in school (Henderson and Berla, 1994).

But what happens at Pedro V. Panaligan Memorial NHS is the other way around. Based on the assessment of the teachers, most students in this school especially those in the lower sections are not guided properly by their parents when it comes to their academic performance. This results to low academic performance of the students. There came a time that the school had been labeled as one of the low performing schools in the Division of Calapan City during the National Achievement Test (NAT) in SY 2005-2006. Most students could not attend the review classes because of the lack of financial and moral support from the parents.

Nevertheless, teachers tend to promote those failing students to the next year level because of the following reasons: 1. They no longer want these students to be their students again. 2. In public schools, mass promotion is given emphasis. 3. These students and the parents might hold grudge on them for failing them. 4. They pity those students who might not be promoted to next year level.

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II. A. Time Context

The problem has been existing ever since the school opened.

B. Case Viewpoint

The problem really lies on the involvement of parents in the academic performance of their children. They lack moral and financial support for their children. They can no longer make follow-up on their homework and other school-related activities.

The following are major problems of teachers regarding parents’ involvement in the academic performance of the students: a) Some parents neglect their responsibilities when it comes to school-related activities of their children. The study habit at home is largely taken for granted. Parents believe that this is already the sole responsibilities of the teachers in school. b) Some parents do not have enough knowledge on proper parental guidance with regards to the problems of their children. After class hours most children are obliged to do their household activities. c) Some parents obliged their children to earn money especially during planting and harvesting seasons. Absenteeism is a natural habit of students during this time of the year. d) Most parents are not able to attend school meetings so they do not have the chance to talk with the teachers regarding the academic performance of their children.

C. Statement of the Problem

How will the school administration and faculty make parents get involved in the academic undertakings of their children?

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D. Statement of the Objectives

This study aims to: 1) make parents become involved in uplifting the academic performance of their children. 2) develop a harmonious relationship between parents and school by encouraging parents to join in school-related activities. 3) establish a high performance of the school in terms of the level of academic performance of the students.

E. Statement of the Areas of Consideration

I. Educational Attainment of Parents

Since the school is located far from the city, not all parents have attained a good education. Some of them had not even finished elementary education. Those parents who have attained a higher education seem to take more interest in the school activities of their children and can provide more opportunity to help their children with their homework. Students whose parents attained a lower educational achievement almost always come to school without any homework done since these parents have limited knowledge about their children’s homework and cannot even impart knowledge about it.

II. Socio-Economic Background of the Family

The place where the school is located is a rural area as well as the nearby barangays. Most of the students have come from a big family with parents working in the field or fathers working in the construction as laborers. Some of the mothers are employed as househelp or just plain housewives. Although life is hard, they are still trying to send their children to high school with the hope that their children could finish at least secondary level so that they may be employed after graduating from it.

III. Broken Homes

To be able to give the basic needs of their children, some parents choose to work far from their family. This often results to a broken family since either the father or the mother is not around. With this situation, the child learns to be on his own and without the proper guidance of the parents.

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F. Statement of the Alternative Courses of Action

The following are the possible solutions to solve the problem: ACA#1: Parents should attend school functions such as PTA meetings, Foundation Day and other school-related activities. Advantage: There should be frequent communication with teachers. Disadvantage: Not all parents can attend the said activities. This is because most parents are working and that they cannot be absent from work because that’s their only means of feeding their children.

ACA#2: Monitoring school work of their children. Advantage: Parents can advise their children about their status inside the classroom. Disadvantage: Most of the parents are not educated enough to monitor their children’s school work.

ACA#3: Parents should respond to requests from the school for interaction. Advantage: Parents can find remedy for the failing grades of their children immediately. Disadvantage: Parents may not be available because they might be busy with their work.

G. Statement of Conclusion

For me, the best solution to solve the problem is ACA#1. If this is realized, then the parents will be able to know their children’s standing in the classroom. They will have the chance to talk to the teachers concerned and will be able to communicate regularly with them regarding their children’s academic performance.

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H. Statement of Recommendation

After careful analysis and study of the problem, the following proposed program of activities below is highly recommended:

|Activities |Objectives |Persons Involved |Target Date of Completion |
|Parents’ Conference |Gain perspective on the status of |Principal, homeroom advisers, |At the end of every grading period |
| |their children in the classroom. |parents | |
|Symposium on Child-rearing |Be aware of some problems and |Principal, teachers, resource |Before the start of the school year|
| |solutions regarding child-rearing. |persons, parents | |
|Recollection of Parents & Students |Strengthen the bond between parents|Parents, students, resource persons|Semestral break |
| |and their children. | | |