IMPACT OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATIONAL PERFOMANCE OF NURSERY SCHOOL PUPILS IN IKA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, DELTA STATE

ABSTRACT This study examined the impact of parental involvement in early childhood educational performance of nursery school pupils in Ika-south local Government Area, Delta state. The study was guided by four research questions and two hypotheses. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The researcher used a self-structured questionnaire with 4 point Likert scale to gather data from 100 respondents. Findings from the Data was analyzed with percentage and mean while Pearson Product Moment was used to analyze the hypothesis. Findings revealed that there is high level influence of parents’ effective communication with the school on the pupils’ academic performance. It also revealed that parents where part of decision making in schools and that parents where also involved in the children’s learning at home. However, responses to the fourth variable revealed that all the items 16,17 ,18 and 19 and 20, were some of the possible ways of improving pupils’ academic performance. At the end of the study it was discovered that effective parents’ participation in school activities and effective communication between the school and home, involvement of parents in the in pupils learning at home, involvement of parents in school decision making and collaboration between the school and the parents are essential for improved nursery school pupil’s learning. The researcher recommends that school authority seminars should be organised for parents and re-emphasize the need for the parents to be involved in the academics of their ward to sensitized them on the need and advantages of collaborating with the school and participation in their children’s academics.