Feasibility of School Events Strategy Employed by Heads of Public Secondary Schools to Enhance Parental Involvement in Students’ Learning in Songea District, Tanzania

Abstract

The study investigated the feasibility of school events as a strategy employed by heads of public secondary schools to enhance parental involvement in students’ learning in Songea district, Tanzania. The study used a convergent design under a mixed-methods research approach. The study was guided by Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's Parental Involvement Theory, targeting a population of 2174. The target population consisted of 21 heads of schools from 21 public secondary schools, 723 form-four students, 1112 parents, 317 teachers, and 1 District Secondary Education Officer (DSEO). The sample size of 185 respondents, including 10 public secondary schools, consisted of 74 students, 90 teachers, 10 heads of schools, 10 parents, and one (1) District Secondary Education Officer (DSEO) obtained through probability and non-probability sampling techniques. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires, while qualitative data were collected through interview guides and validated with the help of research experts in education. The reliability coefficients of 0.839 and 0.855 questionnaire for teachers and students correspondingly Likert-type items were established using Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient. The trustworthiness of qualitative data was ensured through peer debriefing and triangulation methods. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, statistics, while qualitative data were thematically deduced. The study revealed that school events were inclined towards parental involvement in students' learning and led to a conclusion that the use of school events by heads of public secondary schools is a viable strategy that enhances parental involvement in students' learning. According to the report, heads of public secondary schools should use more creative ways to incorporate parents into their students' education through school events.