Exploring the significance of parental involvement during COVID-19 pandemic in selected primary schools in Mamelodi East, Gauteng province

Abstract

This study explored the significance of parental involvement during the COVID-19 pandemic in selected primary schools in Mamelodi East, Gauteng Province. The educational development of children was adversely affected by the hard lockdowns and stringent restrictions that were associated with the outbreak of the pandemic. The role that parents had to play in the education of their children needed to evolve to meet especially the demands brought by rotational learning and virtual learning. It is for this reason that this educational research study aimed to explore the significance of parental involvement during the COVID-19 pandemic. To realise this aim, the study was rooted on three established theories that have been at the forefront of advocacy for the involvement of parents in the education of their children. These were namely, the ecological systems theory (Harkonen 2007:3), Coleman’s socio capital theory (Bhandari & Yasunobu 2009:488), as well as Epstein’s theory of overlapping spheres (Epstein 1995: 702). This study followed a qualitative approach. The researcher explored the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of the participants concerning the significance of parental involvement during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns without limiting the scope of the research and the nature of participants’ responses. The findings of this entire research have shown that parental involvement is crucial not only during times of crises like the COVID-19 pandemic but also during periods of normal schooling. Findings of this study showed that participants’ understanding and belief about what parental involvement entails during a pandemic such as the COVID-19 had a bearing on the level of support that especially the parents provided to their children during the period of rotational attendance. The findings ascertained that all the participants spoke in unison of the significance of parental involvement during COVID-19 which disrupted normal schooling. Views of this study’s participants agreed with that revealed in past scholarly studies in that, proper involvement leads to better learner achievement. The study found that absenteeism was rampant during the period of staggered attendance because often, changes in the timetable where not communicated timeously with the parents leading to confusion and frustration. Moreover, the participants of this study felt strongly about the adoption of modern technological approaches to improve the relationship between the school and the home. Following these findings, the researcher recommend that schools should make their expectations of what they require from parents in supporting their children clear, and ensure that prior to enrolling learners in their institutions, parents agree and commit that they will meet v those expectations. In addition to that, schools’ ought to develop a policy that is specifically meant to cater for parental involvement during normal schooling and have a section that speaks to the strategies that schools can employ to ensure involvement during future disruptive pandemics. There is a need for continuous development of teachers who are already in the system with regards to what they can do to improve teacher-parent relations which could result in improved parental engagement and better learner achievement. The researcher further suggests that there be an urgent development of a common technological communication system that public schools in South Africa use to reach out to parents and that the government avails funding to ensure that even parents and schools from previously disadvantaged backgrounds have access to it. Lastly, Schools need to re-evaluate the effectiveness of large-scale parents’ meetings in discussing learners’ progress as opposed to regular personalised one on one sessions in which individual learners’ needs are discussed to improve teacher-parent relations which will be vital during future disruptive pandemics.