Analysis of Parental Involvement in the Context of Learning Behaviour of Students: Evidence from Pedagogic Literature

Abstract

There has been a great concern over the issue of parental participation and parental involvement pertaining to the academic achievement and learning behaviour. Parental involvement has always been a crucial aspect of children’s education around the globe. Pakistan’s scholastic experiences also emphasize on the learning behaviour of young children. Reviews of literature is abundant on the topic of parental involvement. From publications in the last three decades, it is evident that parental participation and involvement are integral components of school and college education. Reviews differentiate between parental participation and parental involvement in that parental involvement is an exhaustive approach in the decisions about a child’s life experiences including education, sports, critical decisions, shared choices and all other such actions that pertain to the minor child until the child becomes actively engaged in an independent life. On the other hand, parental participation is an act of taking part in the activities a child performs. This may not necessarily be independent as in the case of parental involvement. Major differences in the eastern and western cultures with regards to a child’s learning behaviour stems from the fact that the western cultures gives children a wider range of career choices to adopt while the eastern culture is heavily dependent of parents for the educational experiences of children. This paper is in the context of parental involvement within the purview of review of literature on the subject. Major reviews are from the last three decades. The paper adopted the qualitative attitude towards the subject. The review confirms the benefits of parental involvement and parental participation.