The Role Of Parents In Influencing Academic Perfomance Among Community Secondary Schools In Tanzania: A Case Of Mbozi District

ABSTRACT

This study aimed at investigating the role of parents on influencing academic

performance in community secondary schools. The reason behind doing this study

was the persistence of two ways traffic blames between parents and teachers. Parents

have been blaming teachers because their children fail examinations without

knowing that even them are also responsible in the performance of their children.

The study was done in Mbozi District in Songwe Region. The approach used to

undertake this study was qualitative research approach whereby the work is mostly

in descriptive manner. In some instances the researcher has used numerical

information to supplement the description provided. The study employed a case

study design because it allow exploration, thoughtful, experience, and perception of

participants sticking mainly on the role of parents in influencing academic

performance in the Tanzanian context. System theory developed by Von Bartalanffy

in 1968 was applied by the researcher to guide the study. Data collection was done

through interviews, documentary reviews and focus group discussions, the

participants involved included one DSEO, one WEO, four heads of school, four

classroom teachers, 20 parents and 40 students. All participants were purposeful

selected. Data were analysed thematically. The findings prove that, majority of the

parents play a little role in the supervision of their children because of the low level

of education they have. Thus, the study recommends that; in order for the students to

perform better, parental supervision is more needed for the improvement of

students‟ performance.