BIOLOGY TEACHERS KNOWLEDGE AND UTILIZATION OF INNOVATIVE TEACHING STRATEGIES

Parental involvement has been widely acknowledged as a crucial determinant of students' academic success; however, its extent and influence vary across socio-cultural and educational contexts. This study examined the relationship between parental involvement and students' academic performance among senior secondary school students in Gombe Metropolis, Nigeria. The study was motivated by persistent concerns over students poor academic outcomes despite increased awareness of. the importance of home-school collaboration. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised senior secondary school students in public and private schools within Gombe Metropolis, from which a sample of 400 respondents was selected using appropriate sampling techniques. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire designed to measure forms of parental involvement, perceived barriers to involvement, and students' academic performance. The instrument was validated by experts and tested for reliability. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics; Pearson Product Moment Correlation, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and multiple regression analysis at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that parental involvement in students' education was generally moderate, with higher participation observed in home supervision, provision of learning materials, and attendance at Parent-Teacher Association meetings. The results further showed a strong and statistically significant positive relationship between parental involvement and students' academic performance. Students whose parents demonstrated high levels of involvement recorded significantly higher mean academic scores compared to those with moderate or low parental involvement. Regression analysis indicated that parental involvement, parents' educational level, and socioeconomic status jointly accounted for a substantial proportion of the variance in students' academic performance. Despite these positive outcomes, the study identified major barriers to effective parental involvement, including work commitments, limited time, financial constraints, communication gaps, and low parental educational background. The study concludes that parental involvement significantly enhances students' academic performance in Gombe Metropolis. It therefore recommends the establishment of structured school-based parental involvement programs, improved communication between schools and parents, flexible scheduling of school activities, and supportive government policies to strengthen home-school partnerships and improve students', academic achievement.