Parents as Participants in Their Children’s Learning: A Tall Order for Parents in Rural Kenya

Abstract

The key to a successful educational experience begins with engaging parents, at home or at school, in their children’s education. Hernandez (2001, p. 76) noted that “generally speaking, parent involvement refers to activities by parents, both in the home and school, that are intended to support and promote students’ school performance and well- being.” Finn (1998) posited that parents could assist their children by helping them manage their time as well as with their school assignments. In this paper, I will focus on the case of Kenya and my explorations of the need for educational and literacy researchers to become more involved in helping parents get more involved in their children ’ s education. While a conceptual essay, I hope that the ideas I share here will help propel more field research on this topic, not only in Kenya but in Africa at large.