The Impact of Parental Involvement and Family Background on the Performance of Students

Abstract

This research is conducted to determine the impact of parental involvement and the family background on the primary students’ performance. Thirty (30) primary grade students, aged between 8 – 10 years, from the Panadura area were selected as the sample and case reports were constructed. Questionnaires, direct interviews and the observation method were used to collect qualitative data. It was reported that the parents whose children show very good performance in academic and nonacademic work were very supportive to their children and they maintain a good teacher-parent relationship as well. Cases revealed several reasons for lesser parental support: very young children, low education level, business, house-work, and neglection are some of the reasons revealed. It was clearly shown that income and educational level of parents become immaterial if parents can spare time for children and support them.
Keywords: parental involvement; parental support; family background; student behavior; student’s academic performance