Factors Influencing Parental Involvement in Schools on Improving School Management Practices: The Case Study of Selected Public Primary Schools in Kahama Municipality, Tanzania

Abstract

This research investigated aspects that affect parental participation in enhancing school administrative practices in government-run primary schools in Kahama Municipality, Shinyanga Region, Tanzania. The study employed pragmatic philosophy, a method approach, and a convergent research design. The study used questionnaires and interviews as its data collection methods. One hundred and fifty-three individuals (153), who consist of parents, teachers, and head teachers, were selected through the use of purposive, convenience, and simple random sampling as the study’s sample. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis for qualitative data and descriptive analysis methods for quantitative data, which were facilitated by SPSS version 20. The study found the following factors to be significant and contribute to parental participation: effective parent-teacher communication, supportive educational policies, parental beliefs and expectations about teachers, and the availability of timely feedback from the school management. Conversely, several barriers to active parental engagement were identified, including socioeconomic factors, political factors, time, and barriers in communication. The study concludes that more systematic attempts to address the obstacles and enhance the enhancing issues are required. The research recommended that the school management should equip teachers with customer service skills so as to address the needs of parents with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.