Alice M. Yungungu

Parental involvement in grade four learners’ take-home assignments in Vihiga county, Kenya

By Rodgers Dingili

Successful implementation of the new competency-based curriculum in Kenya partly depends on efforts of the teacher who is tasked with effecting curriculum changes, and to a greater extent the parent. Parental involvement in learners' educational achievement has been cited to be one of the guiding principles of the new education system. One way of involving parents is through take-home assignments. This study explored parental involvement in grade four learners' take-home assignments in Vihiga County. By applying a grounded theory research design, this study interrogated 20 parents. The collected data was then analyzed inductively using grounded theory techniques specifically constant comparative technique. From the analysis it was established that: parents were involved in an array of activities while assisting their children undertake, take-home assignments. However, their involvement was limited by a range of factors including inadequate resources, inadequate time, limited knowledge on CBC, poor and late communication as well as negative attitude by parents. The challenges were further aggravated by failure of the curriculum to cater for diversity in parenting styles and family setups. The study thus recommends for a further reconceptualization of parental involvement in learner's take-home assignments by curriculum developers. This can be done by putting into consideration the diverse parenting styles and family setups that exist currently in Kenya. © 2023 The Authors