Parental involvement in dealing with learners' behavioural problems

Abstract

Debate has been raging as to what could be the cause of learners' poor performance. Apart from ineffective teaching leading to poor quality education, lack of adequate and suitable reading materials, some argue that lack of parental involvement in education could be the primary cause.

The primary aim of the study was to investigate parental involvement when dealing with learners' problematic behaviours in Nzhelele East circuit. The basic research question was formulated as follows: How can parents be actively involved in the problematic behavioors of their children?

In this study, the multimethod strategy involving both the quantitative and qualitative approaches was employed so as to triangulate data. Data were gathered by means of questionnaires, and structured interviews were conducted with SGB members and principals. Amongst others, the most important findings were that parents are not fully involved as far as learner's behaviour is concerned. Also when parents are called to schools, they do not turn up. As a result, schools are spending more time trying to solve behavioural problems of learners instead of teaching.

The following are the recommendations: • Establishing trust among the school, parents and learners. • Assisting the school with means of curbing behavioural problems. • Establishing other effective means of communication when inviting and addressing parents. • Revisiting learners' code of conduct • Affecting facets that needs serious attention, inter alia, • Visible facets like: lnactiveness of educators( and learners) that might cause learners to develop behavioural problems. • Hidden facets: Educators (and learners) attitude and disposition towards already developed behavioural problems which can hamper the effectiveness in teaching and learning. • Finding ways to motivate parents to be fully involved