EXAMINING THE CHALLENGES OF FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULES ON PARENTAL PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL LIFE: A CASE STUDY

This conceptual paper sought to examine the challenges of flexible work schedules on parental participation in school life particularly in the context of dual-income families. The main question underpinning this study is: How do flexible work arrangements impact parents' ability to engage in school activities and support their children's education? A qualitative study in nature, this research employs an extensive literature review comprising recent studies on work-life balance, parental involvement and education. An interpretive data analysis will be conducted to gain a deeper understanding of how flexible schedules both enable and constrain parental engagement in school life. Findings reveal that while flexible work schedules offer parents more opportunities for involvement, they also introduce new challenges encompassing conflicting demands between work and family responsibilities, mental fatigue and varying levels of accessibility for different socio-economic groups. The study is significant in shedding light on how modern work arrangements can both enhance and limit parental participation by offering insights for schools and policymakers to better accommodate working parents. Limitations include a reliance on secondary data with findings primarily drawn from existing literature and the need for further empirical research to validate these conceptual conclusions.