This sociological investigation examines the changing role of parents in the education of their children in Catholic schools in New South Wales over the twentieth century. Catholic Church documents specifically state primary parental responsibility for their children???s religious education. Catholic schools were established to inculcate faith, and assist parents??? role. This thesis asks, to what extent that role has been realised? It unravels the processes that determined and defined the changing role of Catholic parents during this period, and identifies significant shifts in institutional thinking and practices related to parents and resultant shifts in cultural and social perceptions. After half a century of conformity and comfort, a significant era followed as the Australian Church responded to challenges, including financial crisis for Catholic schools, reform in the Australian education system, and the impact of the Second Vatican Council. Cohorts from three generations were selected. Interviews and focus groups elicited memories that were recorded and analysed, in terms of the integral questions; the role and involvement of parents in Catholic schools. Participants recalled their own childhood in Catholic schools and, where applicable, as parents educating their own children, or as religious teachers. The analysis was theoretically informed by the work of Durkheim, Greeley, Coleman and Bourdieu. A review of Church documents and commentaries through the twentieth century, bearing on the education of children, showed the official Church position. Despite numerous rhetorical statements issued by Catholic authorities, emphasising the role of parents as ???primary educators???, the practical responses ranged from active encouragement to dismissal. Teachers in Catholic schools and related bureaucracies were, seemingly, reluctant to initiate a more inclusive partnership role. Gradually, and in a piecemeal fashion, the Catholic Church and its schools have been responding to growing parental consciousness of their role and responsibilities. A significant shift was signalled by the New South Wales Bishops in establishing the Council of Catholic School Parents, to be supported by a full-time, salaried Executive Officer, in 2003. But any accommodation to new understandings of parent/teacher, or family/school relation is complex and not to be oversimplified as a simple sharing, or ceding of authority.

Parent-teacher conferences are an important component of parent involvement practice in any school. However, parent-teacher conferences often come short of the expectations of both parents and teachers and fail to lead to lasting solutions to learners' problems. This study focuses on the implementation of parent-teacher conferences in primary schools. The problem was investigated by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation. The literature identified approaches to and models of parent involvement, common barriers to parent-teacher communication and the characteristics of effective conferences. A qualitative investigation explored the process of a small sample of parent-teacher conferences in a selected primary school in Mamelodi, Gauteng Province. Data was gathered by participant observation. Findings showed that teacher talk predominated during conferences; the importance of mutual trust and teachers' listening to parents; guiding parents to improve learning at home and barriers to communication. Recommendations based on the findings were made. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education management)

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This study examines patterns of negotiation between teachers and parents in junior high schools in Israel. These negotiations were examined on "parents' days" in three schools between four class teachers and 80 parents of students in their classes. Guided by interpretive approaches to the study of micro-social processes and their application in the models of Hargreaves (1972, 1991) and Strauss (1978, 1990), dealing with negotiations, strategies and working agreements, the study focused on observations of teacher-parent interactions and interviews with teachers and parents. It was found that teachers are guided on parents' day by both pedagogic and survival goals: they seek to advance the students in their studies and to care for their well-being through contact with the parents, but also to shift responsibility to the parents. The parents' goals on these days are to learn about their children's situation in the school, but also to win the teachers' support and sympathy for their children in order to help them advance. To achieve their goals each side uses resources to impress and convince the other side. The teachers emphasize their professional authority, their bureaucratic status and the knowledge they possess of the parents and their children. The parents use their status and rights as parents and the knowledge they possess of the school and the teachers. The findings also indicate that the teachers stress mainly the instructional aspect. This approach perpetuates the hierarchy existing in the education system and does not help to narrow the gaps between students from different socio-economic backgrounds. This indicates a direction for further study and investigation of the question as to how the school can be made to contribute to greater equality, among other things through changing the teachers' educational perception. Perhaps the main purpose of parents' day lies in its ritual functions, which are designed to serve the school organization and constitute a restatement of the common goals of teachers and parents, while supporting the ideology of parent participation and confirming the statuses and roles of teachers and parents. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Socio Education)

In Namibia, parents are mainly responsible for the establishment of preschools in their communities. However, many preschools in rural areas are beset by problems such as poor basic infrastructure and a shortage of trained staff. In light of evidence that parent involvement in Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes is beneficial, this study includes a literature review of parent involvement in rural preschools as well as the place and role of parents in BCD provision in Namibia. A qualitative investigation of parent involvement in four rural preschools in the Kavango region was conducted. The data were analysed, discussed and synthesised. Among others it was found that preschools do not have a clear policy on parent involvement and that both parents and teachers lack knowledge on home-school partnerships. Poor socioeconomic circumstances and a lack of leadership exacerbates the problem. Based on the findings, guidelines for improving home-school relationships are proposed. / Educational Studies / M.Ed (Comparative Education)

Parental involvement (PI) greatly benefits learners of all ages. The implementation of a PI programme would provide an effective and affordable means to address the needs of learners in Swaziland. The purpose of this study was to develop a PI programme for urban primary education in Swaziland. The literature revealed that while comprehensive PI programmes are most effective, PI in learning activities in the home and an appropriate parenting style are particularly beneficial and correlate more closely with learning success than family background factors. Nevertheless, a relationship between family background factors and PI exists. Furthermore there are numerous barriers to PI. However, the most important determinant of PI is the effort of teachers to involve parents. PI is particularly important at senior primary level, the level at which PI drops off spontaneously. In order to gain a more complete understanding of PI in this community, which would form the basis for an effective PI programme, a combined quantitative and qualitative approach was undertaken. A parental questionnaire was used to test quantitatively the affects of family background factors on three measures of PI and to determine the ways in which parents were involved, their attitudes to the schools, and the schools' efforts to involve them. Teacher and parent interviews and focus discussions were conducted following a qualitative ethnographic approach. The integrated quantitative and qualitative findings revealed a low level of PI. As a result of a lack of relevant policy, Swazi teachers had very little understanding of PI or their role in establishing it. Thus, schools generally practiced Swap's Protective Model such that parents had very few opportunities, and little encouragement, to become involved. Consequently, parents did not fully appreciate the importance of their involvement and did not always choose to become involved. The study revealed a number of barriers that further interfered with their involvement. The implications of the findings were discussed and recommendations for a PI programme that harnesses the strengths and addresses the weaknesses of this community were made. In order to improve educational practice, recommendations targeted each role player and type of PI separately. / Educational Studies / D.Ed.(Psychology of Education)

Parent involvement is consistently ranked high among the key components of effective schools, and as a result is one of the brightest prospects for the future of public education. This study sought to develop a reliable measure to strengthen parent-teacher relationships that included previously unidentified aspects. Using a qualitative approach, 27 participants were purposely selected to be interviewed in order to determine the challenges stakeholders face in arranging constructive parent-teacher relationships. In addition to parents-teacher relationships, the goal was to determine the role of school principals in managing effective communication to strengthen these relationships between parents and teachers. Results identified numerous reliable parent involvement factors reflecting home monitoring, effective school involvement, and educational management. Attitude toward learning and competence motivation of learners learning behavior were positively identified when all stakeholders work together as a team. Education management that translates high expectations strengthens parent-teacher relationships for the sake of optimal learner development. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Since the advent of democracy in 1994, social changes in South Africa have impacted on schools. In the past, parent involvement in the township schools was viewed as unimportant. However, with the change to a democratic South Africa, parents as critical stakeholders were put under tremendous pressure to get involved in the education of their children. The role that parents are expected to play in education has grown immensely and has been receiving greater interest. The South African Schools Act (Act no. 84 of 1996) makes provision for parents‟ participation in the activities of the schools. The underlying principle is to ensure that parents are actively involved in the governance and management of schools with a view to create a conducive environment for a better teaching and learning. According to Bloch (2009:22) the more parents are involved in their children‟s schooling the better their children‟s academic achievements, the more confident their attitudes to schooling and the lower the drop-out rate. However, the parents in the township schools in South Africa have dismally failed to live up to these expectations. Almost 80% of dysfunctional schools in South Africa are predominantly located in the townships (Smit & Oosthuizen, 2011:64). These schools are ineffective and inefficient; and lack of parental involvement has been cited as a key reason for the decline of academic achievement. Efforts to improve the culture of teaching and learning in these schools have failed. In this study, the extent to which parents in the township schools are involved in the education of their children is interrogated as the focus area. Similarly, the objective of this study is to investigate and evaluate the factors that influence or inhibit parents‟ participation in the education of their children in the township schools. The study confined itself to three secondary schools in Ekurhuleni North district and used both educators and parents as its sample. The sample was purposefully selected. A mixed methodology of qualitative and quantitative approaches was used for this study. The data presented in this study are mainly derived from the responses to the ninety questionnaires that were distributed to educators as well as the responses of the six parents from the interviews with them. In this study, the ethical considerations of the research as espoused by Merriam (1998:198) were adhered to. This study v stems from the necessity to contribute to the scholarly debate on the involvement of parents in education as it seeks to determine the factors which hamper parental involvement in the education process of the learners in the township schools; and to suggest possible solutions to eliminate them wherever feasible. The reluctance of parents to participate in the education of their children in the township schools remains a mystery which needs to be unravelled. This is the basic premise of this research. The researcher further hopes that when the Findings and the Recommendations of this study are completed, they will be able to add value to the education system in the township schools by conscientising parents about their full role in the governance of the schools as mandated by legislation. / Department of Educational Leadership and Management / M.Ed. (Education Management))

Parental involvement in education is not a new concept; parents have always been involved in education in various ways and to various degrees. Perhaps nowr parents are more sensitive to the important role it plays in ensuring the full potential of the child is realised. Departing from the premise, that it is important, useful and necessary, the researcher has embarked upon an in depth literature study of parental involvement in education in various communities and has undertaken an empirical investigation of the involvement of parents of pupils in secondary schools in the Phoenix North area. The main thrust of this research was to explore the obstacles to parents being involved fully in the education of their children and to make appropriate recommendations to the principals, as the school managers. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

This research is undertaken in Vhembe region in Limpopo Province. Many researchers, on the subject of ‘parent involvement’, have conducted in-depth research; this means parental involvement is not a new term. According to St John and Griffith (1997:48-52), there are important benefits that teachers, learners and parents derive from parents’ participation in school programmes and activities such as healthy communication, generation of interest and building positive self-esteem and confidence, to mention but a few while their children attending school during pre-primary, primary and secondary level. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether parents in Vhembe District involved themselves in the education of their children. The population of a study included three schools in Vhembe, six parents from each sampled schools, six teachers from sampled schools and each principal from sampled schools. The purposeful sampling technique was used to select the participants. The findings are briefly that: -Few parents indicated their appreciation of parental involvement by suggesting ways in which they could become involved, it was clear that a developmental programme should be introduced to motivate parental involvement; -It also came to the attention of the researcher that most of the parents did not attend school meetings because of lack of proper communication; -Parents were silent about the monitoring and supervision of their children’s work while they are at home, which can result in better academic performance. Parents should have high expectations for their children’s future and academic achievement. -It emerged from the interviews that many factors present barriers to parental involvement; like parents’ limited education, economic status, lack of a school policy, poor communication and teachers’ attitude towards parents. Recommendations -From the conclusions drawn above, it is recommended that parental involvement workshops be organised for school managers, school teachers and parents. -To improve parents’ attendance of school meetings, teachers should provide them with an opportunity to communicate their expectations and concerns. -In relation to parents’ role in their children’s education, parents should be motivated to ensure that their children accomplish their goals. -Parents should be empowered with skills of self-confidence, so that they will realise that their children have potential. -Schools should encourage parents to play an important role as partners in their children’s education. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational Management)