Parental Participation and Students’ Academic Performance; A Case Study of Selected Secondary Schools in Mbale City, Uganda

The study investigates the impact of parental participation on students’ academic performance in selected secondary schools in Mbale City, Uganda. A cross-sectional research design was used to determine the social characteristics of respondents involved in academic performance and the relationship between a supportive home environment and academic performance. A sample size of 1500 respondents was selected using Slovene’s formula and random sampling. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. The majority of respondents were aged 20-29 years, with 47% being married and 64% female. The study found a strong relationship between supportive home environment and academic performance, with 38% of respondents agreeing that family interaction at home significantly influences academic performance. The majority also agreed that the existence of learning physical facilities and learners’ self-esteem from the perspective of their family academic performance significantly influence academic performance. However, 41% of respondents believed that learners in non-supportive environments struggled with accessing learning equipment, compared to 30% and 18% who agreed and strongly disagreed with the findings. The researcher recommends providing learners with a serene home environment, encouraging parents to provide necessary means for academic success, and exposing them to inner family interactions and allowing them to express their views on different family matters. Keywords: Parental participation; Academic performance; Supportive home environment; Secondary schools; Mbale City, Uganda