This study aims to explore the potential and reality of parental involvement at the secondary school level in Malaysia by investigating the experiences and perceptions of parents, students and teachers. In particular, it seeks to understand parental involvement in enhancing students' academic skills and performance, their social and emotional development and the impact of parental involvement on parents, students and teachers. Participants' perceptions and experiences on barriers to parental involvement at home and at school, and their perceptions of the ways to improve the relationship between the families and schools are also explored. A mixed method approach was used in relation to specific research questions to collect and analyze different forms of data, integrate the findings, and draw inferences, adopting the framework 'sequential inter-method mixing' . The research instruments used include survey questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and reviews of school documents. Two secondary schools in the Petaling District of the state of Selangor were identified to participate in this study, in which 333 Form Four (16 years old) students, 62 parents, and 88 teachers participated as respondents. The documents reviewed were the schools' websites and PTA AGM minutes. Findings showed that: parents' involvement at home and at school can be viewed based on the financial investment and support towards their children's education and the school; parents are more actively involved at home as well as behind the scenes in supporting their children's activities at school; there is a need to improve the interaction between parents and teachers in relation to discussing student progress and performance, and behaviour; and the need for school leadership and the PTA to advocate for working in partnerships with all parents. The findings of this study also suggest that school leadership, effective communication and sharing of information, improving the role of the PTA, promoting student voices, improving on activities to discuss student performance, and realigning school activities to include the parents and their children are key elements for a successful family-school relationship. In line with the initiatives outlined in the new Malaysian Education Blueprint (2013-2025), to promote parents as active partners in education, this study provides original evidence to support this approach and advocates that policymakers and practitioners should be aware that where families and the school context are concerned, a one-size-fits-all parental involvement policy may not be helpful.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:658611 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Wan Ali, Wan Raisuha |
| Publisher | University of Bristol |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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