The Role of Parental Support in Early Education: A Phenomenological Study

This study explored the lived experiences, challenges encountered, and learning insights of parents in supporting early education. Anchored on a phenomenological research design, the inquiry sought to understand how parents navigate their roles as primary learning facilitators during their children’s formative educational years. The study involved ten purposively selected parent-participants from a rural elementary school, including both in-depth interview (IDI) and focus group discussion (FGD) respondents, who shared their insights based on their direct experiences. Data were thematically analyzed, revealing three core dimensions of parental involvement. First, the lived experiences highlighted emotional presence, evolving support roles, and simple but meaningful acts such as praising effort and monitoring progress as vital components of early educational support. Second, parents commonly faced challenges such as financial constraints, limited time due to work and household responsibilities, and lack of confidence in academic content or digital tools. Third, learning insights centered on the importance of patience, nurturing home environments, and peer-sharing of strategies, which could be disseminated during parent conferences. The study affirms that effective early education is strengthened when schools recognize and support the capacities of parents, regardless of their socio-economic status. The findings suggest implications for inclusive school programs, community-based parental education, and policy support. Future directions include developing structured peer mentoring among parents and creating flexible, culturally responsive parent engagement models.