EXPLORING STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN THEIR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING

Abstract

This study is aimed at exploring how high school students perceive parental involvement in their English language learning, and what is the role of parental involvement in their performance in the English language as a subject at school. Parental involvement is significant in the context of English language learning as it can create a supportive environment. Parental involvement may also lead to improved academic performance and better communication between children, parents, and teachers. A mixed-methods research design was used to conduct the study. The data collection procedure was done using a questionnaire for the quantitative part of the study, and one-on-one semi-structured interviews for the qualitative part of the study. A sample of 58 high school students from one Mainstream School were recruited to complete the survey. Following that, a total of 5 of the same participants were interviewed based on the participants’ willingness. The data were analyzed separately using SPSS software for the quantitative analysis, and a thematic approach for the qualitative data set. Results of the study demonstrate that high school children positively perceive parental involvement in their English language learning. Children mostly experience parents’ involvement through home-based activities and communication with parents, while parents’ involvement in school activities is limited in the current sample. Students also reported that the extent of parents’ involvement is not at the highest level. Moreover, the data analysis revealed that not only do parents’ strategies of involvement play a significant role in their performance, but also parent’s personal characteristics, such as English language proficiency or socioeconomic status, also apparently matter in this regard. Based on the findings, the study recommends a more systematic and coordinated school-parents’ partnership...