Browsing by Author "Mukisa, Zeresh"

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    Investigation into the barriers of parental engagement in low-income communities into the academic affairs of the pupils in eastern division, Busia municipality
    (Busitema University, 2026) Mukisa, Zeresh
    Parental engagement is essential for improving pupils’ academic performance, yet in low-income communities, various barriers significantly limit parents’ involvement in their children’s education. This study investigated the barriers to parental engagement in the academic affairs of primary school pupils in low-income communities in the Eastern Division of Busia Municipality, Uganda. The study was guided by three objectives: (1) to identify and categorize the main barriers to parental engagement; (2) to assess the extent to which these barriers influence pupils’ academic affairs (attendance, homework completion, and classroom performance); and (3) to explore strategies and interventions to overcome these barriers and enhance engagement. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was employed, utilizing structured questionnaires to collect data from 70 respondents: 25 parents/guardians, 15 teachers, and 30 pupils (P4–P7) from selected government-aided primary schools. The overall response rate was 100%. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) on a 4-point Likert scale, with qualitative open-ended responses thematically summarized. The findings revealed that the primary barriers were financial difficulties (76.7%–93.3% agreement), time poverty due to work commitments (76.6%–86.7%), and low parental literacy/education level (64.0%–86.7%). These barriers strongly and negatively affected pupils’ academic affairs, with high agreement on increased absenteeism (73.3%–93.3%), incomplete homework (76.7%–93.3%), and reduced concentration/classroom performance (76.6%–93.3%). Respondents strongly supported interventions including parent training programs (80.0%–93.3%), flexible school meeting schedules (83.3%–93.4%), community sensitization on parental roles (84.0%–93.3%), and provision of free scholastic materials and meals (84.0%–86.7%). The study concludes that socioeconomic and structural barriers in Busia’s low-income border communities severely hinder parental engagement, resulting in poor academic outcomes for pupils. Targeted, context-specific interventions—particularly flexible scheduling, parent capacity-building, and resource support—are urgently needed to strengthen family-school partnerships and improve educational equity under Uganda’s Universal Primary Education (UPE) framework. Recommendations include policy-level subsidies, school-based flexible programs, community awareness campaigns, and adult literacy initiatives. Further research should explore longitudinal impacts of these interventions and gender- disaggregated effects in similar border settings.