Teachers’ Perceptions on Parental Involvement: A Case Study of Two South African Schools

Abstract

The importance of a collaborative engagement between parents and teachers in order to enhance learning in the classroom cannot be overemphasised; indeed, the two parties seem inseparable. In this study, the teachers who participated indicated that they need parents’ assistance if they are to teach well. On the other hand, the parents themselves are keen to help, since it is the future of their children which is at stake. The challenge that emerges from this situation is that, more often than not, there is a breakdown in communication. As a result, teachers and parents blame each other, especially if the learners do not perform well at the end of a year. The teachers will claim that the parents did not do anything to help their children with their schoolwork, while the parents will insist that the teachers failed to teach. It is of the utmost importance that this “blame game” be stopped and that, instead, both groups help the learners to do well in the classroom. In this paper we explored teachers’ perceptions regarding parental involvement. We used qualitative research interviews. We discussed what teachers think parental involvement is and how it should be carried out.These teachers clearly indicated that parents can indeed be of great help, because it is the parents who can influence certain aspects of the learners’ lives – aspects to which teachers simply do not have access. Keyw