Parents' Participation in School Decision-making and Impact on Students' Grades and Test Scores in Public Primary Schools in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

Parental participation in education has long been recognized as a crucial element in fostering and enhancing students' academic achievement. It plays a pivotal role in creating a supportive and enriching learning environment that extends beyond the classroom. This study investigated the influence of parents’ participation in school decision-making and its effects on students' grades and test scores in public primary schools in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. Parents' participation in school decision-making is linked to students' academic progress through engagement in diverse activities such as assisting the students in undertaking homework, attending the students’ school mentorship programs, connecting teachers and students, and attending teacher-parent meetings. The study was based on social capital theory and adopted a concurrent research design under a mixed research approach. Moreover, the study targeted a population of head teachers, teachers, and parents within public primary schools. Respondents were selected through purposive sampling for the case of 3 head teachers and 30 parents, and also adopted stratified random sampling in selecting 30 teachers. Questionnaires were used to draw data from teachers, interview guides were used to get information from head teachers, and focus group discussions were used to obtain data from parents. Validity was ensured through pilot testing and clear instructions, and reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha with a reliability of 0.93. Data was analyzed, and meaningful interpretations and presentations were reported through statistical tests of descriptive statistics (mean) and inferential statistics (linear regressions) using the SPSS 20 version program. Findings from the analyzed data established that parents’ participation in school decision-making positively impacts students' grades and their test scores with a P-value (sign) < 0.05. Most of the teachers (78.1%) agreed and strongly agreed that parental participation positively impacts student motivation and academics. An extreme majority (84.4%) of respondents with a mean of 4.03 rated agreed and strongly agreed with the statement that “Parental participation influences the overall academic success of students”. Moreover, the majority (81.3%) of respondents with a mean of 4.09 agree and strongly agree with the statement that “Parental support is important in improving student behavior and discipline at school”. The findings also revealed that (65.6%) of respondents with a mean score of 3.53 agreed and strongly agreed that “School policies effectively encourage parental engagement in school-related events”. The findings align with the social capital theory that put emphasis on relationships and networks. The theory underscores the importance of relationships and networks as critical assets for fostering educational success. The study concluded that parents' and teachers’ communication is important in the academic achievement of the learners in public primary schools. The study also recommends that education policymakers should enhance communication infrastructure to support learning in schools and ensure that parents are sensitized to the need for enhanced parental occupations and the benefits of having positive attitudes towards a learner’s academic journey.