Assessment of the Influence of School-Parents Collaboration on Students Success in Lower Public Primary Schools in Nyarugenge District, Rwanda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53983/ijmds.v15n06.009Keywords:
school–parent collaboration, student success, primary education, Rwanda, SGAC, parental involvement, mixed methodsAbstract
This study examined the influence of school–parent collaboration (SPC) on learners' success in lower public primary schools (P1–P3) in Nyarugenge District, Rwanda. Guided by Epstein's Theory of Overlapping Spheres of Influence, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and Community Engagement Theory, the study assessed SPC's impact across four dimensions: resource mobilization, participation in decision-making, quality of education, and monitoring and evaluation of school programs. A mixed-methods concurrent triangulation design was employed. From a target population of 120 stakeholders across three purposively selected schools APPEK Kamuhoza, GS Kabusunzu, and Muhima Primary School a sample of 92 participants was drawn using Slovin's formula and stratified random sampling; 83 valid responses were received (response rate: 90.2%). Quantitative data from structured questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS v27 descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA, while qualitative data from interviews and focus group discussions underwent thematic analysis. Findings revealed uniformly positive perceptions of SPC across all four objectives, with composite mean scores ranging from 4.11 to 4.53 on a five-point Likert scale. ANOVA results showed statistically significant differences among respondent groups (F = 5.87–7.10, p < 0.05), with senior education officers recording the highest means (M = 4.53) and parents the lowest (M = 4.11–4.28), reflecting practical constraints on parental engagement. The study recommends strengthening SGAC capacity, improving school–home communication channels, and extending similar empirical investigations to rural and upper-primary contexts across Rwanda.
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