Exploring parental involvement in intermediate phase learners’ education in the Pinetown District

Abstract

This study explores how parents are involved in learners’ education in the intermediate phase and the reasons for its decline from the foundation phase to the intermediate phase in the Pinetown District. Parental involvement is widely recognised as a cornerstone of effective learning and a key determinant for learner success. In many contexts, parental involvement in their children’s education diminishes as children transition from the foundation to the intermediate phase, raising concern. Despite policy directives from the Department of Basic Education, parental involvement practices remain fragmented and largely unaddressed, impacting learner success. This persistent issue can have severe and long-lasting consequences for children's emotional, social, and academic development. While parents value education, their involvement is restricted by various barriers. To highlight this issue, this study employed a qualitative case study design grounded in an interpretive paradigm and aligned with the study’s objectives. This study was conducted at two public primary schools classified as quintile 5 schools in the Pinetown District, with 26 purposively selected participants. Data were gathered through focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires with principals, teachers, and parents, providing a rich understanding of the decline in parental involvement, the barriers restricting participation, and strategies for improvement. Epstein's theory of parental involvement highlights that partnerships between schools, families, and communities are crucial for learner success. Thus, a decline in parental involvement can contribute to behavioural issues, low self-esteem, and decreased academic performance. Thematic analysis identified barriers such as a complex curriculum, work commitments, single or young mothers, children living with relatives, learner independence, poverty, poor communication, cultural and linguistic inequalities, and fathers' limited involvement due to cultural norms. Additional obstacles included unfamiliarity with curriculum and school policies, feelings of exclusion, and financial constraints, all of which hinder parental involvement, potentially harming learners' well-being, and academic performance. The study recommends that the Department of Basic Education urgently prioritise parental involvement as integral, rather than supplementary, by providing support systems, inclusive practices, workshops, and improved communication channels, fostering collaborative relationships between parents, teachers, and learners to strengthen teacher-parent partnerships, empowering stakeholders, and supporting learner success.

Ouers se onbetrokkenheid by die opvoeding van leerders in die intermediêre fase asook die redes vir hulle toenemende onbetrokkenheid was die onderwerp van hierdie studie. Ouerbetrokkenheid word allerweë beskou as die hoeksteen van doeltreffende leer en leerders se sukses. Dit is kommerwekkend dat ouerbetrokkenheid meestal afneem namate kinders van die grondslagfase na die intermediêre fase oorgaan. Ondanks die Departement van Basiese Onderwys se beleid, word weinig aan ouers se onbetrokkenheid gedoen. Dit strek tot kinders se nadeel en kan trouens verreikende gevolge vir hulle emosionele, sosiale en akademiese ontwikkeling inhou. Hoewel ouers groot waarde aan hulle kinders se opvoeding heg, bemoeilik verskeie struikelblokke hulle betrokkenheid. ’n Kwalitatiewe studie wat op ’n vertolkende paradigma berus en by die studiedoelstellings aansluit, is aangepak om die probleem te ondersoek. Hierdie studie is in die Pinetown-distrik onderneem by twee openbare primêre skole wat as kwintiel 5-skole kwalifiseer. Altesame 26 deelnemers, onder wie skoolhoofde, onderwysers en ouers, is doelbewus gekies. Die data is met behulp van fokusgroepe, halfgestruktureerde onderhoude en vraelyste ingesamel. Dit het ’n ryk geskakeerde beeld gegee van die daling in ouerbetrokkenheid, die struikelblokke wat ouers se deelname bemoeilik, en strategieë om dit te verbeter. Volgens Epstein se teorie oor ouerbetrokkenheid is vennootskappe tussen gesinne, skole en gemeenskappe onontbeerlik vir leerders se sukses. ‘n Afname in ouerbetrokkenheid kan lei tot gedragsprobleme, selfbeeldprobleme en swak akademiese prestasie. ‘n Tematiese ontleding het verskeie struikelblokke aan die lig gebring, soos ’n ingewikkelde kurrikulum, werksverpligtinge, enkellopende of jong moeders, kinders wat by familie woon, leerderafhankikheid, armoede, swak kommunikasie, kulturele en taalongelykheid, en vaders se onbetrokkenheid as gevolg van kulturele norme. Ander struikelblokke wat ouers se betrokkenheid bemoeilik en leerders se welstand en akademiese prestasie benadeel, behels onkunde oor die kurrikulum en skoolbeleid, uitsluiting en ‘n gebrek aan fondse. Hierdie studie beveel aan dat die Departement van Basiese Onderwys dringend voorrang aan ouerbetrokkenheid verleen en dit nie langer as bysaak beskou nie. Die Departement moet ondersteuningstelsels daarstel, inklusiewe praktyke bevorder, werkwinkels aanbied en sy kommunikasiekanale verbeter. Dit sal samewerking tussen ouers, onderwysers en leerders aanmoedig, vennootskappe tussen ouers en onderwysers bevorder, belanghebbendes bemagtig, en leerders se sukses verseker.

Thuto ena e hlahloba ho kenella ha batswadi ho thuto ya baithuti ba mohatong o mahareng le mabaka a ho fokotseha ha yona ho tloha ho mohato wa motheo ho ya ho mohato wa mahareng ho setereke sa Pinetown. Ho kenella ha motswadi ho elellwa ha batsi jwalo ka motheo wa ho ithuta hantle e le ntho e bohlokwa e qollehang bakeng sa katleho ya moithuti. Maemong a mangata, ho kenella ha motswadi ho thuto ya bana ba bona e batla ho fokotseha ha bana ba fetoha ho tloha ho mohato wa motheo ho ya ho mohato wa mohareng, mme sena se eketsa dingongoreho. Ho sa tsotellehe ditaelo tsa leano ho tswa ho Lefapha la Thuto ya Motheo, diketso tsa ho kenella ha batswadi di dula di arotswe mme di sa rarollwe haholo, mme sena se ama katleho ya moithuti. Taba e phehellang e ka ba le ditlamorao tse matla ebile tse dulang nako e telele bakeng sa ntshetsopele ya bana ya maikutlo, setjhaba le dithuto. Ha batswadi ba ananela thuto, ho kenella ha bona ho thibelwa ke ditshita tse fapaneng. Ho totobatsa taba ena, thuto ena e sebedisitse tshwantshitso ya moralo wa boleng ho ya ka mofuta wa patlisiso o bontshang se etsahalang e le kannete mme se tsamaisana le tse batlwang ho fihlellwa ke thuto. Thuto ena e entswe ho dikolo tse pedi tsa setjhaba tsa poraemari tse 5 tse hlophisitsweng jwalo ka dikolo tse arotsweng ho ya ka boemo ba bofuma ba setjhaba ho setereke sa Pinetown, ka batho ba 26 ba kgethilweng ka maikemisetso. Tlhahisoleseding e ile ya bokellwa ka dihlopha tse tsepamisitsweng maikutlo, dipuisano tse hlophisitsweng hantle, le lenane la dipotso le basuwehlooho, matitjhere, le batswadi, ka ho nehelana ka kutlwisiso e ruileng ya ho fokotseha ha ho kenella ha batswadi, ditshitiso tse thibelang ho nka karolo, le metjha ya ntlafatso. Kgopolo-taba ya Epstein ya ho kenella ha motswadi ho totobatsa hore tshebedisano mmoho mahareng a dikolo, malapa, le ditjhaba di bohlokwa bakeng sa katleho ya moithuti. Ke ka hoo ho fokotsehileng ho kenella ha motswadi mme sena se ka bapala karolo ho ho fetoha mabapi le mathata a boitshwaro, ho se itshepe, le ho fokotseha ha ho sebetsa hantle dithutong. Mofuta wa diphuputso o lekolang tlhalosetso ya tlhahisoleseding e ile ya hlwaya ditshitiso tse jwalo ka kharikhulamo e rarahaneng, boitlamo ba mosebetsi, bomme ba hodisang bana ba le bang, bana ba dulang le ba leloko, ho ikemela ha moithuti, bofuma, puisano e fokolang, ho sa lekane setsong le puong, le ho kenella ha bontate ho fokolang mabapi le ditlwaelo tsa setso. Ditshita tse tlatsetswang di kenyeletsa ho sa tsebe kharikhulamo le maano a sekolo, maikutlo a ho behelwa ka thoko, le mathata a ditjhelete, tsena kaofela di thibela ho kenella ha motswadi, mme sena se lematsa bophelo bo hantle ba baithuti le tshebetso dithutong. Thuto e kgothaletsa Lefapha la Thuto ya Motheo ho etsa ho kenella ha batswadi ho thuto ya baithuti e be ya bohlokwa-hlokwa hara thuto e seng feela jwalo ka tlatsetso, ka ho nehelana ka dihlohlomiso tsa tshehetso, diketso tse kenyeletsang, dithupello, le metjha e ntlafaditsweng ya puisano, ho hlabolla dikamano tsa kopanelo mahareng a batswadi, matitjhere, mme baithuti ba matlafatse dikamano tsa titjhere le motswadi, ho matlafatsa ba amehang le ho tshehetsa katleho ya moithuti.