Volume 14, 2025

Navigating Parental Engagement and Lower Basic School Success in Nigeria: Insights from Recent Research and Effective Practices

Casimir I. Ekwerike, Komolafe A. T. Ph.D & Obumneke C. Ekwerike

Abstract

The role of parents in supporting their children's learning is fundamental in shaping not only the
academic outcomes but also the overall development of basic school pupils. Thus, if it is not
taken seriously or neglected, can have adverse consequences on children and their future. This
research is aimed at advocating for sustained parental engagement for basic school pupils, as it
has been revealed to be a treasure, a hidden driver and a key catalyst that shapes and directs
children towards a balanced positive future. The study used an extensive literature search to
elucidate the concept of parental engagement, explored the various facets of parental
engagement, and analysed four theories that correlate with parental engagement, specifically
attachment theory, ecological systems theory, social capital theory, and modelling theory.
Further literature search was carried out to enunciate key factors of parental engagement and
academic achievement which revealed that pupils who feel supported by their parents are more
likely to develop positive relationships with peers and teachers, exhibit fewer behavioural
problems, and demonstrate higher levels of self-esteem. The study concluded that parental
engagement is a powerful driver of success in primary education, influencing not only academic
outcomes but also the social and emotional development of pupils. Some recommendations were
made including that schools should strive to establish and use multiple effective channels of
communication between the school and parents, including digital platforms, to keep parents
informed and engaged in their pupils’ progress; the government should strengthen its backup
plans and allocate more resources to lessen the impact of global crises on parental engagement
and pupils' academic performance.

Keywords

Academic outcomes, Attachment, Ecological, Lower basic school, Parental engagement

Full Text

Download

References

Adewusia, O.E., Al Hamadb, N.M., Adelekec, I.J., Nwankwod, U.C. &Nwokochae, G.C.,
(2024). A comparative review of early childhood education policies in Nigeria and the
UK. Education, Sustainability & Society (ESS), 7(1), 01-11.
Adimora, D.E., Onyishi, C.N., &Ucheaga, N.H. (2019). Parental Involvement as a Correlate of
Academic Self-Efficacy of Secondary School Students. International Journal of
Secondary Education, 7(3), 69-76. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsedu.20190703.12
American Psychological Association. (2019). The Achievement Gap: Social, Emotional, and
Cognitive Factors in Closing the Gap. Washington, DC: American Psychological
Association. ISBN: 978-1433830929
Anierobi, E. I &Unachukwu G. C. (2020). Parental home-based involvement and academic selfefficacy as correlates of academic engagement among secondary school students in
Nnewi North LGA, Anambra State, Nigeria. UNIZIK Journal of Educational
Management and Policy, 4(1), 1-13.
https://journals.unizik.edu.ng/ujoemp/article/view/599
Anwar, S., Khan, S.I. & Fazal, S. (2022). Homework as an Assignment: Parents’ Perceptions and
Involvement. sjesr, 5(4), 29-39.
Avezova, M., (2023). Duties of Teachers and Parents in Inclusive Early Childhood
Education. Science and innovation, 2(B6), 210-217.
Azubuike, O.B., Adegboye, O. & Quadri, H. (2021). Who gets to learn in a pandemic? Exploring
the digital divide in remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in
Nigeria. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 2, 100022.
Bayrakdar, S. &Guveli, A., (2020). Inequalities in home learning and schools' provision of
distance teaching during school closure of COVID-19 lockdown in the UK (No. 2020-
09). ISER Working Paper Series.
272
Bodur, Z.Y. & Aktan, S., (2021). A Research on the Relationship between Parental Attitudes,
Students' Academic Motivation and Personal Responsibility. International Journal on
Social and Education Sciences, 3(4), 636-655.
Bourdieu, P., & Coleman, J. S. (2019). Families, childrearing, and education. In Social theory for
a changing society (pp. 189-205). Routledge.
Bretherton, I., (2013). The origins of attachment theory: John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth.
In Attachment theory (pp. 45-84). Routledge.
Brydges, C. & Mkandawire, P., (2020). Perceptions and experiences of inclusive education
among parents of children with disabilities in Lagos, Nigeria. International Journal of
Inclusive Education, 24(6), 645-659.
Bunijevac, M., (2017). Parental involvement as a important factor for successful
education. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 7(3), 137-153.
Chen, X., Chen, Y., Wang, H. & Yang, X., (2023). How do parental attitudes influence children's
learning interests through parental practices? Evidence from literacy and numeracy
perspectives. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 1-20.
Damgaard, M.T. & Nielsen, H.S., (2018). Nudging in education. Economics of Education
Review, 64, 313-342.
Daradkeh, M., (2023). Navigating the complexity of entrepreneurial ethics: A systematic review
and future research agenda. Sustainability, 15(14), 11099.
Day, C., Sammons, P. & Gorgen, K., (2020). Successful School Leadership. Education
development trust.
Di Pietro, G., Biagi, F., Costa, P., Karpiński, Z. & Mazza, J., (2020). The likely impact of
COVID-19 on education: Reflections based on the existing literature and recent
international datasets (Vol. 30275). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European
Union.
Dumay, X., Coe, R. &Anumendem, D.N., (2014). Stability over time of different methods of
estimating school performance. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 25(1), 64-
82.
Dutsinma, F.L., Chaising, S., Srimaharaj, W., Chaisricharoen, R. &Temdee, P., (2018).
Identifying child learning style by using human physiological response and Vark model.
In 2018 Global Wireless Summit (GWS) (pp. 304-308). IEEE.
Eccles, J.S. & Harold, R.D., (2013). Family involvement in children's and adolescents' schooling.
In Family-school links (pp. 3-34). Routledge.
Eden, E., Smith, J., & Adeyemi, K. (2024). The Influence of Parental Involvement on Student
Academic Success in Nigerian Schools. International Journal of Educational Research,
15(3), 45-62.
Emerson, L., Fear, J., Fox, S. & Sanders, E., (2012). Parental engagement in learning and
schooling: Lessons from research. A report by the Australian Research Alliance for
Children and Youth (ARACY) for the Family–School and Community Partnerships
Bureau: Canberra.
Epstein, J. L. (2011). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and
improving schools. Westview Press.
Epstein, J.L. (2018). School, family, and community partnerships in teachers’ professional
work. Journal of Education for Teaching, 44(3), 397-406.
Ewin, C.A., Reupert, A.E., McLean, L.A. & Ewin, C.J. (2021). The impact of joint media
engagement on parent-child interactions: A systematic review. Human Behaviour and
Emerging Technologies, 3(2), 230-254.
273
Eze, U.N., Sefotho, M.M., Onyishi, C.N. &Eseadi, C. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on
Education in Nigeria: Implications for Policy and Practice of e-Learning. Online
Submission.
Fan, X., & Chen, M. (2001). Parental involvement and students' academic achievement: A metaanalysis. Educational Psychology Review, 13(1), 1-22.
Faraz, N.A., Ahmed, F., Ying, M. & Mehmood, S.A. (2021). The interplay of green servant
leadership, self‐efficacy, and intrinsic motivation in predicting employees’
pro‐environmental behaviour. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental
Management, 28(4), 1171-1184.
Flynn, S., (2020). Ecosystems of educational disadvantage: Supporting children and young
people receiving child protection and welfare services in Ireland. Social Work & Social
Sciences Review, 21(3).
Froiland, J.M. (2021). A comprehensive model of preschool through high school parent
engagement with emphasis on the psychological facets. School Psychology
International, 42(2), 103-131.
Galanaki, E. &Malafantis, K.D., (2022). Albert Bandura's experiments on aggression modelling
in children: A psychoanalytic critique. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 988877.
Gao, T., Liang, L., Su, Y., Li, M., Mei, S., Zhou, C. & Meng, X., (2023). Longitudinal Transition
Patterns of Peer Attachment and Parent-Child Relationships among High School
Students. Journal of Child and Family Studies,1-11.
Goodall, J., (2021). Parental engagement and deficit discourses: Absolving the system and
solving parents. Educational Review, 73(1), 98-110.
Granlund, M. & Roll-Pettersson, L., (2001). The perceived needs of support of parents and
classroom teachers a comparison of needs in two microsystems. European Journal of
Special Needs Education, 16(3),.225-244.
Guy-Evans, O., (2020). Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Simply Psychology.
Guzikova, L. &Mendelova, E., (2022). Parental attitudes and expectations as a determinant of
children’s success in school. Proceedings of CBU in Social Sciences, 3, 35-42.
Hayes, N., O'Toole, L. & Halpenny, A.M., (2022). Introducing Bronfenbrenner: A guide for
practitioners and students in early years education. Taylor & Francis.
Hill, N.E. & Craft, S.A., (2003). Parent-school engagement and school performance: Mediated
pathways among socioeconomically comparable African American and Euro-American
families. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(1),74.
Hill, N.E. & Tyson, D.F., (2009). Parental involvement in middle school: a meta-analytic
assessment of the strategies that promote achievement. Developmental psychology, 45(3),
740 -763
Hogberg, B., Strandh, M. & Hagquist, C., (2020). Gender and secular trends in adolescent
mental health over 24 years–the role of school-related stress. Social science &
medicine, 250,112890.
Hussain, S., Riad, A., Singh, A., Klugarová, J., Antony, B., Banna, H., &Klugar, M. (2021).
Global prevalence of COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM): living systematic
review and meta-analysis. Journal of Fungi, 7(11), 985.
Iruka, I.U., DeKraai, M., Walther, J., Sheridan, S.M. & Abdel-Monem, T., (2020). Examining
how rural ecological contexts influence children’s early learning opportunities. Early
Childhood Research Quarterly, 52, 15-29.
Jarvis, P., (2022). Attachment theory, cortisol and care for the under-threes in the twenty-first
century: constructing evidence-informed policy. Early Years, 42(4-5), 450-464.
274
Karakose, T., Yirci, R. & Papadakis, S., (2021). Exploring the interrelationship between COVID19 phobia, work-family conflict, family-work conflict, and life satisfaction among school
administrators for advancing sustainable management. Sustainability, 13(15), 8654.
Kent, C., du Boulay, B. &Cukurova, M., (2022). Keeping the Parents outside the School Gate—
A Critical Review. Education Sciences, 12(10), 683.
Kincade, L., Cook, C. & Goerdt, A., (2020). Meta-analysis and common practice elements of
universal approaches to improving student-teacher relationships. Review of Educational
Research, 90(5), pp.710-748.
Kitson, A., Feo, R., Lawless, M., Arciuli, J., Clark, R., Golley, R., Lange, B., Ratcliffe, J. &
Robinson, S., (2022). Towards a unifying caring life‐course theory for better self‐care and
caring solutions: A discussion paper. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 78(1), e6-e20.
Krishnan, R., Sanjay, J., Gnanaseelan, C., Mujumdar, M., Kulkarni, A. & Chakraborty, S.,
(2020). Assessment of climate change over the Indian region: a report of the Ministry of
Earth Sciences (MOES), government of India (p. 226). Springer Nature.
Martinello, E., (2020). Applying the ecological systems theory to better understand and prevent
child sexual abuse. Sexuality & Culture, 24(1), 326-344.
McKenna, M.K. & Millen, J., (2013). Look! Listen! Learn! Parent Narratives and Grounded
Theory Models of Parent Voice, Presence, and Engagement in K-12 Education. School
Community Journal, 23(1), 9-48.
Nakada, L.Y.K. & Urban, R.C., (2020). COVID-19 pandemic: Impacts on the air quality during
the partial lockdown in São Paulo state, Brazil. Science of the Total Environment, 730,
139087.
Nobre, F.S.S., Valentini, N.C. &Rusidill, M.E., (2020). Applying the bioecological theory to the
study of fundamental motor skills. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 25(1),.29-48.
Odenweller, K.G., Booth-Butterfield, M. & Weber, K., (2014). Investigating helicopter
parenting, family environments, and relational outcomes for millennials. Communication
Studies, 65(4),.407-425.
Oh, D.D. & Pomerantz, E.M., (2022). Parent–Teacher Conferences: Teachers' Information
Provision and Parents' Involvement in Children's Schooling. Merrill-Palmer
Quarterly, 68(2), 179-213.
Otani, M., (2020). Parental engagement and academic achievement among elementary and
middle school students. Asia Pacific Education Review, 21(1), 1-25.
Owolaye-Abdulganiyu, I. S. &Olokooba, I. N. (2024). Parental Engagement in Children's
Education: A Key Factor in Academic Achievement and Learning Motivation.
MimbarIlmu, 29(3). https://doi.org/10.23887/mi.v29i3.90077.
Pardi, N., Hogan, M.J. & Weissman, D., (2020). Recent advances in mRNA vaccine
technology. Current opinion in immunology, 65,14-20.
Piliyesi, S.D.E., Ogada, E.O. & Ochieng, R.J., (2020). Practical approaches to parental
engagement and resource provision in curriculum implementation. African Journal of
Emerging Issues, 2(2),70-95.
Samuel, A.I., (2020). Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Nigerian education system: impacts,
management, responses, and way forward. Education Journal, 3(4), 88-102.
Smith, T.E., Reinke, W.M., Herman, K.C. & Sebastian, J., (2021). Exploring the link between
principal leadership and family engagement across elementary and middle
school. Journal of School Psychology, 84, 49-62.
Stevenson, D.L. & Baker, D.P., (1987). The family-school relation and the child's school
performance. Child development, 1348-1357.
275
Sujarwo, S., Kusumawardani, E., Prasetyo, I. & Herwin, H., (2021). Parent Engagement in
Adolescents' Education: A Case Study of Partnership Models. Cypriot Journal of
Educational Sciences, 16(4), 1563-1581.
Tamboto, H., Tambingon, H.N., Lengkong, J.S. & Rotty, V.N.J., (2021). The Engagement of
Students’ Parents in Organizing the Learning from Home at Elementary Schools in
Tomohon City. Asia Pacific Journal of Management and Education (APJME), 4(1), 35-
51.
Tan, C.Y., Lyu, M. & Peng, B., (2020). Academic benefits from parental engagement are
stratified by parental socioeconomic status: A meta-analysis. Parenting, 20(4), 241-287.
Thorell, L.B., Skoglund, C., de la Peña, A.G., Baeyens, D., Fuermaier, A.B., Groom, M.J.,
Mammarella, I.C., Van der Oord, S., van den Hoofdakker, B.J., Luman, M. & de
Miranda, D.M., (2021). Parental experiences of homeschooling during the COVID-19
pandemic: Differences between seven European countries and between children with and
without mental health conditions. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 1-13.
Utami, A.Y., (2022). The role of parental involvement in student academic outcomes.Journal of
Education Review Provision 2(1), 17-21. https://doi.org/10.55885/jerp.v2i1.156
Van L.K., Van Houtte, M. & Vandenbroeck, M., (2020). Would it really matter? The democratic
and caring deficit in ‘parental engagement’. In Working with Parents and Families in
Early Childhood Education (pp. 31-44). Routledge.
Walsh, G. &Zadurian, N., (2023). Exploring the links between parental attachment style, child
temperament and parent-child relationship quality during adolescence. Journal of Child
and Family Studies, 32(9), 2721-2736.
Whalley, M. & Chandler, T., (2017). Parents and Staff as Co-educators. Involving Parents in
Their Children’s Learning: A Knowledge-Sharing Approach, 84-115.
Yahaya, A., Maakip, I., Kiong, P.V.S., Yusuf, M.Y.M. & Ramli, N.K.B.A., (2020). Effects of selfregulated learning, parental engagement and homework on academic achievement of
school students. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education
and Development, 9(2), 380-397.