Parental Engagement and Its Relationship to Perceived Academic Achievement and Emotional Wellbeing of Grade One Learners

<p><span>This study explored the relationship between parental engagement and the perceived academic achievement and emotional wellbeing of Grade One learners at Basak Elementary School. The research focused on five dimensions of parental engagement: autonomy support, controlling involvement, structure, responsiveness, and general involvement. A validated and pilot-tested researcher-made questionnaire was used to gather data from parent respondents. The results showed that most parents engaged frequently in supportive, responsive, and structured practices, while controlling behaviors were rarely used. Learners were generally perceived to perform well academically and to exhibit positive emotional wellbeing, especially in areas such as empathy, emotional regulation, and cooperation. Correlation analysis revealed a significant moderate positive relationship between structured parental engagement and academic achievement (r = .413, p < 0.05), indicating that consistency and clarity from parents contribute to better academic outcomes. Among the emotional wellbeing domains, only emotional regulation was significantly related to parental engagement (r = .339, p = .002), suggesting that children with more engaged parents are better able to manage their emotions. Other domains such as self-concept, social interaction, and prosocial behavior showed no significant relationship. These findings highlight the importance of structured and emotionally responsive parental involvement in supporting both academic success and emotional development in early childhood education.</span></p>