Parental involvement is the most important factor in a student’s success in school. For many parents, however, that involvement is limited to attendance at parent-teacher conferences.
Students with parents who are involved in their school tend to have fewer behavioral problems and better academic performance, and are more likely to complete high school than students whose parents are not involved in their school. Positive effects of parental involvement have been demonstrated at both the elementary and secondary levels across several studies, with the largest effects often occurring at the elementary level.
Parental involvement in school is defined as parent reported participation at least once during the school year in attending a general school meeting; attending a scheduled meeting with their child’s teacher; attending a school event; or volunteering in the school or serving on a school committee.
Involvement allows parents to monitor school and classroom activities, and to coordinate their efforts with teachers to encourage acceptable classroom behavior and ensure that the child completes schoolwork. Teachers of students with highly involved parents tend to give greater attention to those students, and they are more likely to identify at earlier stages problems that might inhibit student learning. Parental involvement in school, and positive parent-teacher interactions, has also been found to positively affect teachers’ self-perception and job satisfaction.
Parental involvement in school, as measured by attendance at a general meeting, a meeting with a teacher, or a school event, or by volunteering or serving on a committee help the learner to motivate and perform at his/her best.
Increasing parental involvement in school can be challenging, particularly when the families concerned are economically disadvantaged. Low-income parents’ involvement in school may be hindered by transportation difficulties, chronic health conditions, or conflicts with work schedules.
If a teacher is in continuous communication with a parent and builds rapport through the student, the parent will be more motivated to attend a conference. Teachers can help a great deal by replacing those negative experiences with positive ones.
By: Ms. Mary Grace G. Legaspi | Teacher III | Tipo Elementary School | Hermosa, Bataan
