ROLE OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN BRIDGING THE LEARNING GAP BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION

Abstract

This study examines how parental participation in early childhood education (ECE) helps close the learning gap between the home and the classroom. Four aspects of parental involvement i.e. home-based support, communication and teamwork, school participation, and closing learning gaps were investigated. A structured survey was completed by 347 ECE teachers from public schools (169 men and 178 women). Both gender- and location-based differences as well as general perceptions were examined using descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests. The results show that parents are most involved in providing support at home, participate in school activities and communication to a moderate degree, but are less successful in filling in particular learning gaps. Although male teachers reported higher perceptions of home-based support, gender differences were negligible. On the other hand, when compared to their rural counterparts, urban educators consistently reported much greater parental involvement in every category. The findings emphasize the necessity of focused interventions to improve parental involvement in rural areas and fortify parents' ability to close learning gaps in their children.