QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT STRATEGIES IN CHILDREN'S EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY OF URBAN SCHOOLS IN KYRGYZSTAN

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to investigate parental involvement in their children's education. A qualitative research model was adopted. The study group consists of 10 participants (4 mothers and 6 fathers) living in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, all of whom have at least two children attending educational institutions. Data were collected using a "semi-structured interview form" developed by the researcher and analyzed via content analysis. For the first question, "How do you support your child’s education?" the most common response was checking homework. Many participants also mentioned providing materials. Others highlighted guidance, joint study sessions, reading together, motivating children to work harder, and financial support. For the second question, "What activities do you engage in to contribute to your child’s education?" the most frequent answers were solving school-related issues and reading books. Many participants also reported enrolling children in art courses, monitoring homework, sourcing supplementary materials, and arranging private tutoring. For the third question, "What motivates your involvement in your child’s education?" most participants cited parental responsibility. Some emphasized ensuring quality education and their child’s success. For the fourth question, "What challenges do you face?" the primary difficulties included negative environmental influences on the child and intergenerational conflicts. Economic constraints and time management issues were also mentioned. For the fifth question, "How do you rate communication with teachers?" nearly all participants described it as good. A few rated it as moderate, and only one reported poor communication. For the sixth question, "How does your involvement affect your child’s academic performance and behavior?" most stated that it significantly boosts the child’s motivation.

АННОТАЦИЯ

Цель данного исследования — изучить участие родителей в образовании детей. В качестве методологии исследования была выбрана качественная модель. Целевая группа исследования включает 10 участников (4 матери и 6 отцов), проживающих в городе Бишкек, Кыргызстан, у которых как минимум двое детей посещают образовательные учреждения. Данные были собраны с помощью разработанной исследователем «полуструктурированной анкеты для интервью» и проанализированы методом контент-анализа. На вопрос «Чем вы помогаете в учебном процессе вашего ребенка?» большинство участников ответили, что проверяют домашние задания. Многие также поддерживают детей, обеспечивая учебными материалами. Некоторые упомянули совместные занятия, чтение книг, мотивацию к учебе и финансовую помощь. На вопрос «Какие мероприятия вы проводите для поддержки образования ребенка?» чаще всего назывались решение школьных проблем и совместное чтение. Многие участники также упомянули курсы по искусству, контроль заданий, поиск дополнительных ресурсов и организацию репетиторства. На вопрос «Что мотивирует вас участвовать в образовании ребенка?» большинство ответили, что это их родительский долг. Некоторые отметили желание обеспечить качественное образование и успех ребенка. На вопрос «С какими трудностями вы сталкиваетесь?» основными проблемами назвали негативное влияние окружения ребенка и межпоколенческие конфликты. Также упоминались экономические трудности и нехватка времени. На вопрос «Как вы оцениваете общение с учителями?» почти все участники отметили хороший уровень коммуникации. Несколько человек оценили его как средний, и только один — как низкий.  На вопрос «Как ваше участие влияет на успеваемость и поведение ребенка?» большинство заявили, что это повышает мотивацию ребенка.

Keywords: Family, children, participation in child education.

Ключевые слова: Семья, дети, участие в воспитании детей.

Introduction

Education is a social structure that transforms in terms of its purpose, scope, functions, process, and duration as individual and societal needs and expectations evolve and change. Although the knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired through education, as well as the methods of acquiring them, vary from society to society and from period to period, the need for societies to educate new generations persists. Individual, societal, and universal needs determine the direction in which an individual will be educated [1, 2].

In children's educational processes, not only teachers and educational institutions, but also families play a crucial role. For instance, involving parents in the education process can positively impact children's academic achievements, social skills, and overall development. The quality of interaction among parents, administrators, and teachers emerges as a significant factor that directly affects students' educational and developmental processes [3].

In this context, it is essential to consider parental involvement in children's education as a key issue for improving educational policies and practices. Parental participation in education can be observed in various ways. Parents can contribute to their children's academic success by creating a supportive learning environment, collaborating with teachers, and engaging in educational activities. Additionally, parents' awareness of educational policies and practices plays a crucial role in guiding their children's educational careers. The degree of parental involvement in the education process significantly impacts children's self-confidence, academic success, and school engagement [4].

Family Education

A child receives their first education within the family environment; however, not every family can provide sufficient support for the child's healthy development through the education they can offer within their capacity. Therefore, families feel the need to develop their own competencies to make their children's learning more effective and to raise them well. It should be remembered that family education is designed with the aim of ensuring that the family's responsibility is not limited to meeting the child's basic needs but also includes their cognitive, emotional, and social development under appropriate conditions [5].

Family life is the primary relationship where the child spends most of their time and interacts with meaningful natural experiences that shape their personality. Every child, when starting school, brings with them the characteristics and influences gained from their family environment. While fulfilling its educational role, the school must take into account the family's impact on the child and act accordingly [6]. An education system that aims to increase family participation day by day creates a basis for questioning how and in what ways families are involved in the educational process. In addition to the importance of formal education, strengthening informal education is also necessary. In informal education, the family plays a particularly significant role. Educators should be aware of this and collaborate with families, involving them in the educational process to support the child's quality development. From the moment families participate in the educational environment, receiving training in areas such as child development, psychology, and education serves as a great source of motivation for them. In this way, they gain awareness of the accuracy or inaccuracy of their approaches toward their children. Family-inclusive education programs not only guide parents in the process of raising their children but also provide personal gains for them and create social awareness by enabling the exchange of information among parents [7].

Educational institutions should facilitate effective parental participation in their children's education by maintaining communication with parents and providing them with guiding information. However, increasing family involvement contributes not only to the development of individual children but also to the overall education level of the country. Nevertheless, the level of family participation in educational activities is determined by various and variable social and cultural factors. For this reason, a detailed examination of the factors affecting family participation is one of the main topics emphasized in international education studies. Based on the literature data mentioned above, the research problem of this study has been determined as: "What is the level of parental involvement in their children's education?"

Purpose of the Research: The purpose of this study is to investigate the participation of families in their children's education.

Method

In this part of the research, the research model, study group, data collection tools, data collection process, and analysis and evaluation of the data are included.

In a dissertation, the "Method" section explains in detail how the research was conducted and how the data was collected. This chapter describes the research design, data collection methods, sampling strategies, and data analysis techniques, and may include the tools used (Smith, 2018).

Research Model

This study adopts a qualitative research approach. The qualitative research method allows for the systematic examination of individuals' subjective opinions and experiences, enabling scientific interpretations based on the collected data.

Study Group

The study group consists of 10 participants—4 mothers and 6 fathers—who reside in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and  have minimum of two children attending an educational institution.

Data Collection Tool

The data for this study were collected using a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher. Semi-structured interviews are a type of interview designed to gather similar types of information from participants about the topic under investigation.

Data Collection Process

Before collecting data, verbal consent was obtained from the participants. A suitable environment was provided to ensure a comfortable interview process before moving on to the prepared questions. To encourage voluntary and open responses, the researcher briefly explained the study’s purpose and assured the participants that their answers would remain anonymous.

Data Analysis

The content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Data analysis is a process that examines and evaluates the collected research data. Content analysis involves organizing the obtained data under various concepts and themes, categorizing the information, and interpreting it to present meaningful findings to the reader.

Results and Discussion

Results

The findings obtained in the study are presented in the order of the research questions.

The responses to the first research question, "In what areas do you support your child during their education process?" were analyzed and presented in Table 1.

Table1.

Areas of Support

Upon examining Table 1, it was found that the most common form of support provided by participants  was homework supervision. P3: "I check my child's daily homework; I define my role as a supervisor to ensure they learn."

Table 2.

Activities Contributing to Education

Upon examining Table 2, it was found that the most common activities participants engage in to support their child's education are solving school-related problems and reading books. P2: "We help our child choose books that interest them and organize reading hours together. We also visit libraries to encourage reading culture."

Table 3.

Factors Influencing Parental Involvement in Education

Upon examining Table 3, it was found that the most common reason for parental involvement in education  was a sense of responsibility as a parent. P2: "First and foremost, as a father, I see participating in my child's education as a duty."

Table 4.

Challenges Faced in Participating in Children's Education

Upon examining Table 4, it was found that the most common challenge faced by parents when participating in their child’s education  was the influence of friends. P5: "I struggle to prevent factors that distract my child from success, such as social media and negative friendships."

Table 5.

Evaluation of Communication with Teachers

Upon examining Table 5, it was found that nearly all participants  reported good communication with their child's teachers. P10: "We regularly meet with teachers. We attend school meetings, receive frequent feedback about our children's progress, and can easily communicate when necessary. That’s why we believe our communication is good."

Table 6.

Impact of Participation in the Education Process on Academic Success and Behavior

Upon examining Table 6, it was found that nearly all participants indicated that their involvement in their child's education mostly motivated their child, positively impacting their academic success and behavior. P8: "When I follow up on my child's homework and show interest, I notice that they take their academic success more seriously, and their personality develops positively."

Discussion

The research identified the following factors as support in the child's educational process: checking homework, providing guidance for material procurement, collaborating, reading books together, motivating the child for their studies, and providing financial support. In a study examining the extent to which parents of primary school children participate in their child's educational process, it was found that when parents communicate with their children at home, it facilitates the child's learning, supports their personal development, and increases the frequency of helping with homework and tasks. However, participation in school or community-based activities was found to be less frequent. Interviews with families revealed that the main activity they engage in at home is monitoring their children's homework. It can be said that parents of inclusive education students place importance on the assignments given according to the special needs of the students and make efforts to complete them. [8]

When examining the answers to the second question of the research, "What activities do you engage in to contribute to your child's education?" the results indicate solving school-related problems and reading books. Participating in educational programs helps parents become more conscious and effective in their involvement in their child's educational process. Moreover, parents reinforce what their children learn at school by organizing various activities and providing learning materials at home. This support positively impacts the children's academic success. Another significant activity is when parents use positive emotional socialization methods to increase their children's positive social behaviors and reduce negative behaviors. Active participation of parents in their children's educational processes, attending school events and meetings regularly, also contributes to their academic achievements. The findings highlight that parents' active participation in these activities plays an important role in the child's education and overall development. [9]

When examining the third question of the research, "What factors contribute to your involvement in your child's education?" the results revealed that parents participate in their child's education to ensure their child receives a quality education and succeeds. By engaging in the educational process, parents aim to encourage a more positive attitude toward school and increase their child's motivation. Parents also participate to better understand their role in the educational process and to guide their children. Taking an active role in their children's development makes them more conscious parents. Parents also get involved in the educational process to collaborate with the community, provide more support in education, and make the best use of the opportunities offered by the school. These factors are the main drivers of parental involvement in their child's education. [10]

When examining the fourth question of the research, "What challenges do you face when participating in your child's education?" the responses highlighted challenges such as difficulty in preventing the child from being influenced by their surroundings, intergenerational conflicts, partial economic difficulties, and struggles to find time. It was found that parents may struggle to balance their professional lives with their children's educational needs. Additionally, parents may lack the necessary knowledge to better understand and support their child's educational process. A lack of information, especially regarding the curriculum and educational methods, can hinder effective parental involvement [11].

In response to the fifth question of the research, "How would you evaluate your communication with your child's teachers?" almost all participants reported having good communication with their child's teachers. The literature review titled "The Impact of Parental Involvement, Parental Support, and Family Education on Pupil Achievements and Adjustment" states that the communication between parents and teachers has a significant impact on students' academic success and adjustment. Regular and effective communication with teachers can increase children's academic achievements. Active dialogue with teachers helps parents identify challenges their children face at school earlier, allowing them to provide more effective support [12].

When examining the sixth question of the research, "What are the effects of your participation in your child's educational process on their academic success and behavior?" it was found that almost all participants reported that their involvement in their child's education often increased their motivation, positively influencing both academic success and behavior. [13]

Research shows that when parents discuss educational topics with their children, students' academic achievements improve, and negative behaviors such as skipping school decrease. Furthermore, it has been stated that when parents communicate more with their children, the academic success of 8th-grade students increases, and the behavior of skipping school decreases [14].

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