abstract: ABSTRACT Parental involvement is vital to student success academically as well as socially (Jeynes, 2007; Kim & Hill, 2015). The purpose of this mixed-methods action research study was to examine the perceptions of parental involvement of parents and teachers in a Title I school. A training session intervention, Social Hour, was designed using the Heath and Heath change model (2010) to create an opportunity to learn about parental involvement and educate the school community on the Epstein’s six-types of parental involvement (Epstein, 1987). The goal of the Social Hour workshop was to address the challenges and barriers to parental involvement, previously listed in the literature. Using the lens of Critical Race theory (Blalock, 1967) ensured that the research gives a voice to those who are often marginalized while also helping parents and teachers build a relationship of trust and understanding using principles of Community of Practice (Wenger, 2009). The results of this study indicate that Social Hour-type learning events are significant in the change to perceptions of parental involvement. The participants had a lower level of confidence at the beginning of the session than at the end. Additional qualitative results also suggest a change in attitude after attending the Social Hour. Participants noted they had more energy about parental involvement and were encouraged that parental involvement does not require them to volunteer more; that it is more about being engaged in their child’s education. Overall, participants reported an increase in confidence and had a positive view of parental involvement based on attending the Social Hour workshop. Keywords: Parental involvement, Critical Race theory, Epstein Six Types of Parental involvement / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2020

There is compelling evidence that parental involvement positively influences children’s academic achievement. Its benefits occur across all socio-economic classes. In spite of its significance, parental involvement has received scant attention in Zimbabwe. This qualitative study sought to establish how parents in a materially poor rural district of Zimbabwe were involved in their children’s education. Barriers to their involvement were investigated with the view to overcoming or mitigating them for the benefit of the affected primary school pupils. The attribution theory was used not only to substantially explain the status of parental involvement in Zaka District, but also to generate strategies to promote parents’ participation in their children’s school education. Observation, semi-structured interviews (for school heads), focus group interviews (for parents) and the open-ended questionnaire (for teachers) were used in this qualitative study covering ten primary schools. Respondents were selected through the use of chain reference sampling and sampling by case. A total of one hundred and forty (140) participants were selected. It emerged from the research that parents, teachers and school heads/principals had very limited understanding of parental involvement. They generally thought that it was confined to activities done at school such as payment of school fees and levies, providing labour for the construction or renovation of school buildings and providing teaching/learning resources. Most teachers, school heads/principals and parents believed that parents were too poor and too lowly educated to meaningfully be involved in their children’s education. However, there were a few parents who believed that their socio-economic status did not prevent them from participating in their children’s education. They actually indicated useful ways in which they could be involved. The research also revealed that parents, school teachers and school heads/principals made wrong attributions about themselves and each other in connection with limited parental involvement in their schools. Both school staff and parents, after identifying barriers to involvement, were willing to learn about how they could overcome or mitigate the barriers. They believed that the challenges they were facing regarding parental involvement were capable of resolution. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Education Management)

There is compelling evidence that parental involvement positively influences children’s academic achievement. Its benefits occur across all socio-economic classes. In spite of its significance, parental involvement has received scant attention in Zimbabwe. This qualitative study sought to establish how parents in a materially poor rural district of Zimbabwe were involved in their children’s education. Barriers to their involvement were investigated with the view to overcoming or mitigating them for the benefit of the affected primary school pupils. The attribution theory was used not only to substantially explain the status of parental involvement in Zaka District, but also to generate strategies to promote parents’ participation in their children’s school education. Observation, semi-structured interviews (for school heads), focus group interviews (for parents) and the open-ended questionnaire (for teachers) were used in this qualitative study covering ten primary schools. Respondents were selected through the use of chain reference sampling and sampling by case. A total of one hundred and forty (140) participants were selected. It emerged from the research that parents, teachers and school heads/principals had very limited understanding of parental involvement. They generally thought that it was confined to activities done at school such as payment of school fees and levies, providing labour for the construction or renovation of school buildings and providing teaching/learning resources. Most teachers, school heads/principals and parents believed that parents were too poor and too lowly educated to meaningfully be involved in their children’s education. However, there were a few parents who believed that their socio-economic status did not prevent them from participating in their children’s education. They actually indicated useful ways in which they could be involved. The research also revealed that parents, school teachers and school heads/principals made wrong attributions about themselves and each other in connection with limited parental involvement in their schools. Both school staff and parents, after identifying barriers to involvement, were willing to learn about how they could overcome or mitigate the barriers. They believed that the challenges they were facing regarding parental involvement were capable of resolution. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Parental involvement plays a very important role in the development of a child’s formal education. This study explored various management strategies that might serve as guidelines to improve parental involvement in primary schools. The conceptual framework that informed this study was factors that determine school effectiveness as well as Epstein’s theory of overlapping spheres and her typology on parental involvement that served as the theoretical framework. A qualitative research approach was used for this study, as it allowed the researcher to conduct in-depth interviews with six principals in Southern Tshwane primary schools and examined relevant documents to collect data. The research indicates that most schools comprehend the importance of parental involvement, yet lack structured implementation frameworks for parental involvement. The study recommends that schools need to plan, manage and implement a parental involvement programme according to the unique circumstances of the school. / Ukubandakanyeka kwabazali kudlala indima ebalulekile kakhulu ekuthuthukiseni imfundo esemthethweni yengane. Lolucwaningo luhlola amasu ahlukahlukene okuphatha angase asebenze njengemihlahlandlela yokuthuthukisa ukubandakanyeka kwabazali ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi ase Ningizimu neTshwane. Umhlahlandlela womqondo owazisa lolucwaningo yizici ezenza ukusebenza kahle ezikoleni kanye nenkolelo ka-Epstein yezinhlaka eziqhamukayo ekubandakanyeni kwabazali okwakungumhlahlandlela wemfundo. Indlela yokucwaninga eyasetshenziswa kulolucwaningo yenza ukuthi umcwaningi aqhube izingxoxo ezijulile nothishanhloko abayisithupha bezikole zamabanga aphansi ase Ningizimu neTshwane, futhi wahlola nemibhalo efanele ukuqoqa imininingwane. Ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi izikole eziningi zinalo ulwazi lokubaluleka kokubandakanya abazali kodwa azinazo izinhlaka ezihlelekile zokwenza ukuthi abazali babandakanyeke. Ucwaningo lukhuthaza ukuthi izikole zidinga ukuhlela, ukuphatha nokusebenzisa uhlelo lokubandakanya abazali ngokuvumelana nezimo ezihlukile zesikole. / U dzhenelela ha vhabebi ndi tshipida tsha ndeme tsha u aluwa ha pfunzo ya vhana. Tsedzuluso ino yo sedzulusa ndila dzo fhambanaho dza u langula dzine dza shumisiwa sa nyeletshedzo dza u khwinisa u dzhenelela ha vhabebi kha zwikolo zwa fhundzo dza fhasi Tshitirikini tsha Tshipembe ha Tshwane. Tsedzuluso ino yo di sendeka nga zwithu zwine zwa bveledza tshumelo ya maimo a ntha a zwikolo na pfunzo khulwane ya Epstein ya masia a no shumisana kha u dzhenelela ha vhabebi zwine zwa shumisiwa sa maga a kuhumbulele. Tsedzuluso ino yo shumisa maitele a u sedzulusa a qualitative, ngauri a tendela musedzulusi u vhudzisa mbudziso dzo dzudzanywaho na thoho dza tshikolo dza rathi dza zwikolo zwa fhasi Tshitirikini tsha Tshipembe ha Tshwane, na u sedzulusa manwalo o no yelana na tsedzuluso ino kuvhanganya ndivho. Tsedzuluso i sumbedza uri vhunzhi ha zwikolo zwi dzhiela nzhele u dzhenelela ha vhabebi, fhedzi a zwina maitele o dzudzanywaho a u eletshedza u dzhenelela avhabebi. Tsedzuluso ino i themendela uri zwikolo zwi tea u dzudzanya, u langula na u shumisa maitele o themendelwaho a u katela u dzhenelela ha vhabebi uya nga u fhambana-fhambana ha nyimele dza zwikolo. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)