Influence of Parental Involvement on Academic Achievement of Pupils in Public Primary Schools in Rachuonyo South Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

There is increased demand for academic achievement in public primary schools in the world today. Parents of pupils in public primary schools are often faced with unique challenges that hinder them from meeting their pupils’ needs in academic achievement. Statistics at Rachuonyo South Sub County Education Office (2018) indicated that only; 46% in 2013, about 42% in 2014, 39% in 2015, 37% in 2016, 37% in 2017 and 36.7 in 2018 of parents in Rachuonyo South Sub County got involved, this was a small percent as compared to other Sub Counties in Homa Bay County as compared to Suba, Rachuonyo North, Mbita, Rachuonyo, Ndhiwa, and Homa Bay which had better percentage in parental involvement from 2011 to 2018. The study was based on Cognitive Development Theory and conceptualized on how four variables interrelate. The study design was sequential explanatory. The study population consisted of 377 teachers, 660 parents, 75 head teachers and 2250 pupils drawn from 75 public primary schools. Stratified sampling technique was used to select 23 primary schools and 675 pupils, random sampling was used to select 23 head teachers, and purposive sampling was used to select 198 parents and 113 teachers. Validity of instruments was established by presenting the instruments to two of the supervisors for verification. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics; frequencies and percentages. Qualitative data was transcribed, reported, and presented in narratives