The Influence of Family Involvement and School Climate in Children’s Wellbeing and Skills Development: Stakeholders’ perceptions in Bangladesh

Evidence in the literature consistently shows that family members’ involvement in their children’s education and the overall school environment are integral parts of primary school-going children’s lives. However, this topic appears to be limitedly explored from the perspectives of different stakeholders. The purpose of the present study was to investigate parents’, teachers’, and students’ perceptions of family involvement and school climate as related to the children’s wellbeing and skills development in the context of Bangladesh. This study adopted a qualitative, interpretive phenomenological approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 30 participants from Bangladesh, comprising parents, teachers, and students (10 from each group), to capture diverse stakeholder perspectives. Reflexive thematic analysis, guided by Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase framework, was employed to analyse the data, which identified 4, 6, and 4 themes from parents’, teachers’, and students’ perspectives, respectively.Findings indicate that family involvement manifests in both home-based and school-based activities, supporting children’s wellbeing, academic, and social development. Motivations for parental engagement include aspirations for children’s future success, fulfilling parental duties, and meeting children’s expectations. However, multiple barriers, such as time constraints, economic hardship, limited parental formal education, lack of awareness, and insufficient institutional support, impede effective involvement. The study also delineates participants’ perceptions of school climate across four domains: academic, community, safety, and institutional environment. While the school is generally perceived as a safe and supportive space, challenges related to teacher workload, overcrowded classrooms, inconsistent communication, and inadequate resources persist. These issues were identified as hindering educational quality and obstructing meaningful collaboration between families and schools. Crucially, the study highlights that both family involvement and a favourable school climate substantially contribute to children’s overall wellbeing, cognitive, and social development. It extends the existing literature by integrating perspectives from multiple stakeholder groups in a developing country context. This study contributes to providing actionable insights for parents, teachers, and policymakers aiming to enhance the quality of family involvement and improve school-related factors to create a more supportive environment for children’s wellbeing and development.