Influence of Parental Involvement on Academic Performance of Pupils with Learning Disabilities in Public Primary Schools in Migori County, Kenya
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Date
2024-08
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Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of parental involvement on academic performance of pupils with learning disability in public primary schools in Migori County, Kenya. This was a descriptive design study which sought to investigate the influence of parental involvement on academic performance of pupils with learning disability in public primary schools in Migori County, Kenya. It was guided by the following objectives; find out parents’ awareness on learning disabilities in their children and its effects on academic performances, to explore the type of activities parents engage in to get involved in the learning of their children, to assess parent-teacher collaboration in education of pupils with LD, to investigate the influence of parent-teacher collaboration on academic performance of pupils with LD and to explore factors which hinder parental involvement in learning of pupils with LD. The study was guided by Constructivist Theory developed by Jerome Bruner (1966). Descriptive research design was utilized. The target population was 47 primary schools, 1000 pupils in grade three, 113 parents of pupils with learning disabilities, 47 grade 3 class teachers and 47 head teachers in Migori County. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the primary schools. Grade three pupils, class teachers, parents and head teachers were selected using purposive sampling technique. The sample size consisted of 11 primary schools, 11 grade 3 class teachers, 11 head teachers and 55 grade 3 pupils and 22 parents. Researcher-constructed questionnaires, pupil rating scale, test and interview schedules were used to collect data. To establish the validity and reliability of the research instruments, a pilot study was carried out in one primary school in Migori County. The collected data were descriptively analyzed using means, frequencies and percentages. Pearson product moment correlation analysis was used to examine the nature of the relationships among the study variables. The results were presented using tables. The data from the interview schedule for the head teachers were analyzed thematically and the results incorporated in the quantitative findings. Findings indicated that most parents were not aware of learning disabilities in their children. Most parents do not also participate in school activities leading to unawareness of the LD in their children as well as contributing to a poor academic performance. It was further established that most parents were not collaborating with teachers in the education of their pupils with LD. The study concluded that school leaders play a vital role in educating parents about their pivotal role in their children's education, contributing to improved academic performance among pupils with LD. The study recommended that teachers and MOE officials in the county should create time and meet the parents and teachers to sensitize them about LD and their needs to improve learning outcomes of such learners.
Description
A Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Masters (Special Needs Education) in the School of Education and Life-Long Learning Kenyatta University, August 2024.
Supervisor
Margaret W. Murugami