Collaboration between the parents, the schools and the community has a powerful influence on a child’s development, academically as well as behaviourally. Such partnerships benefit the students, the educators and the families alike. However, home, school and community partnerships are weak in Kenya’s Child Friendly Schools (CFSs) at primary school level, particularly in Kakamega County. This study, therefore, was designed to assess the effectiveness of family-school-community partnerships in these schools. A literature study of local and international sources regarding family-school-community partnerships and the CFS initiative in Kenya was done to frame the sequential mixed method inquiry used in this study and also to inform the design of the data-collecting tools. The study was done in two phases. Phase 1 constituted the quantitative component (a survey) and Phase 2 the qualitative component (interviews). In Phase 1 a sample of 361 primary school teachers in 34 schools were selected from a population of 8 964 teachers in 848 primary schools, distributed across the 12 districts in the county, by means of stratified random sampling. In Phase 2 thirteen parents, twelve Parent Teacher Association (PTA) chairpersons and ten District Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (DQASOs), as being information-rich informants, were purposively sampled for the interviews. The parent participants and the PTA chairpersons were nominated by the head teachers of the 34 schools indicated in the stratified random sample. A self-designed paper and pencil questionnaire was used to gauge the teachers’ views of home-school-community partnerships in the CFSs. The data were analysed and presented by means of descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages and mean. Similarly, the researcher made use of semi-structured individual interviews, guided by interview schedules, in interviewing selected parents, PTA chairpersons and DQASOs. The presentation of the relevant data was done in a narrative format substantiated by verbatim quotations. The findings indicated inadequacies in parenting skills, home-school communication, volunteering, home-learning, decision-making and collaboration with the community as the key areas of focus in this study. It was ascertained that the family-school-community partnerships in the county were largely ineffective. The findings could be used to improve practice involving these partnerships and implementing the CFS initiative with a view to attaining meaningful learning among the children. / Educational Foundations / D. Ed. (Comparative Education)

This research focuses on the issue of parent involvement at selected secondary schools in the Zeerust District of the North West Province in order to gain an understanding of relevant participants’ views on the following aspects that relate to the management of parent involvement: the concept of parent involvement, ways in which parent involvement should be realised, its benefits and challenges, as well as strategies to improve the management of parent involvement in the education of learner children. The theoretical frameworks that informed this study were Epstein’s theories of overlapping spheres and her typology of parent involvement, as well as Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model. These frameworks provided a meaningful lens for interpreting data and making recommendations in the final chapter. The researcher undertook an extensive literature study and conducted interviews with principals, SGB chairpersons, as well as selected SGB parent members and other active and inactive parents from the selected schools in the Zeerust district. The research shows, inter alia, that parent involvement has various benefits and that it faces several challenges which affect the management thereof. Benefits concern improvement in terms of academic performance of learners, provision of teaching and learning resources, relationships between parents and the school, learner motivation and school attendance. Challenges to parent involvement that were identified were time constraints of parents, poor communication between home and school, parents’ lack of interest and commitment, principals’ limitations in terms of the management of parent involvement, parents’ limited education, negative parental attitudes and negative teacher attitudes. Key recommendations were made in terms of Bronfenbrenner’s micro, exo- and macrosystem for addressing the management of parent involvement in a synergetic manner. They concerned, inter alia, the national Department of Basic Education in the macrosystem, provincial Departments of Basic Education in the exosystem and schools and parents in the microsystem. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. 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)