Parental involvement in their children's schooling following the transition from primary to high school
Revington, Erika (2015-03)
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Parental involvement in a child’s life forms a significant part of parenting, regardless of a parent and child’s background or context. The complexity of the concept is evident considering the diverse nature of existing definitions, models and theories. However, it appears that the approach to the term is greatly determined by the context in which it is used or referred to.
Through a case study of a group of South African parents of Grade 9 children at a local high school, the study explores parents’ experiences of their parental involvement and adaption thereof following the transition from primary to high school.
The study is qualitative and based on a social-constructivist theoretical framework which is concerned with how each person’s reality is shaped by social interaction with others, as well as historical and cultural influences. The Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler (2005) model of parental involvement takes a central stance in the study.
Research findings confirmed the complex nature of parental involvement. Each parent’s experience of his or her parental involvement was uniquely expressed, while the adolescent and school’s invitations for involvement, or rather the lack thereof, were the main determinants of parental involvement at the beginning of high school. A general tendency to decrease involvement following the transition to high school was noted, although it appeared that parents prefer to be more involved, or at least as involved as possible. In this study, parents’ expectations and experiences of their involvement and the transition from primary to high school, concurs with existing literature in the field.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ouerbetrokkenheid in ‘n kind se lewe is ‘n belangrike aspek van ouerskap, ongeag die agtergrond of konteks van die ouer en kind. Die kompleksiteit van die term is duidelik wanneer die uiteenlopende definisies, modelle en teorieë wat daaroor bestaan in ag geneem word. Dit wil egter voorkom asof die konteks waarin die term gebruik of na verwys word, veral grootliks die benadering daartoe bepaal.
Deur gebruik te maak van ‘n gevallestudie van ‘n groep Suid-Afrikaanse ouers van Graad 9 kinders by ‘n plaaslike hoërskool, ondersoek die studie ouers se ervaringe oor hul ouerbetrokkenheid en aanpassing daarvan na die oorgang van laerskool na hoërskool.
Die studie is kwalitatief en gebaseer op ’n sosiaal-konstruksionistiese teoretiese raamwerk, wat bemoeid is met hoe elke persoon se realiteit beïnvloed word deur sosiale interaksie met ander, asook die historiese en kulturele invloede in daardie persoon se lewe. Die Hoover-Dempsey en Sandler (2005) model van ouerbetrokkenheid staan sentraal tot die studie.
Die navorsingsbevindings het die kompleksiteit van ouerbetrokkenheid bevestig. Elke ouer se ervaring van sy/haar betrokkenheid is uniek uitgedruk, met die adolessent en skool se aanvraag na betrokkenheid, of eerder die afwesigheid daarvan, as die hoofdeterminant van betrokkenheid tydens die begin van hoërskool. ‘n Algemene geneigdheid om ouerbetrokkenheid te verlaag na die oorgang van laerskool na hoërskool is bevind, alhoewel dit voorkom asof ouers tog ‘n voorkeur het om meer betrokke te wees, of ten minste so betrokke as wat hul kind dit toelaat. Ouers se ervaringe ten opsigte van hul verwagtinge en belewenis van betrokkenheid, asook die oorgang van laerskool na hoërskool, hou verband met bestaande literatuur in die veld.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96687