Principals’ leadership practices in promoting parental involvement in rural primary schools.

Abstract

This study explored the principals’ leadership practices in promoting parental involvement in rural primary schools. This study was undertaken using the case study research methodology in five rural primary schools. The primary aim of the study was to examine how the principals performed their leadership in promoting parental involvement in their schools. The study was conducted in five rural primary schools with the principals chosen purposefully to be participants. This study adopted a qualitative research approach within the interpretive paradigm in understanding the principals’ leadership practices in promoting parental involvement in primary schools. Literature was reviewed from international, African and national perspectives to gain insight into the study. Furthermore, the study was underpinned by two theories, they are Epstein’s overlapping spheres of influence and invitational theory. Semi-structured interviews were used to generate qualitative data and thematic analysis was used in analysing the data. The findings revealed that there are still factors that support the principals’ efforts and the inhibiting factors that inhibit the principals’ efforts in promoting parental involvement. The findings revealed that school principals of the researched primary schools used numerous strategies to mitigate those factors that inhibit their efforts.