The Extent to Which Parental Involvement Influences Transition of Pupils from Lower to Upper Primary in Manga District Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out the extent to which parental involvement influences transition of pupils from lower to upper primary in Manga district schools in Nyamira County, Kenya. The objective of the study was to find out whether parental involvement activities influenced transition of pupils from lower to upper primary. Survey design was used for the study. The study population comprised of 19880 pupils, 590 teachers, 57 School Management Committee members, 57 and Head teachers. All the six Quality Assurance Officers were interviewed. The research instruments were the questionnaires which were filled by pupils and teachers, interview schedule for head teachers, SMC members and Education Officers. Piloting, involving two schools in the district was carried out and used test re-test technique to ascertain its reliability. The researcher visited all sampled schools and educational offices to collect data. Sampled teachers and pupils were given questionnaires to fill and head teachers and officers were interviewed by the researcher. Data was analyzed using statistical methods for analyzing and quantifying data. Statistical values in tables were used to compare the calculated value with tabulated value. It was observed that there was a strong correlation between parental involvement in school activities and performance of their children which in turn influenced their transition from one level to another. The study recommended that parents should involve themselves in school activities as it motivates their performance and enabled them to transit from one learning level to another.