Beyond the Classroom: A Narrative Inquiry into Parental Home Engagement and Student Academic Performance in Nepal

Abstract

This qualitative study is based on the Theory of Overlapping Spheres of Influence developed by Epstein to explore the impact of the parental home engagement on the academic outcomes of the students in the Nepal secondary schools. Using narrative inquiry model, the data were collected using in-depth interviews with six parents whose backgrounds were diverse in terms of socioeconomic statuses within the city of Pokhara and supported by observations and reading of documents. The results reveal that parental involvement in the form of communication, support and emotional encouragement significantly increased student drive, classroom performance and the general academic success. Recognizing that there is a positive impact, which continues even with parents experiencing a low-level of formal education or limited access to technology. Those parents, who frequently communicated the school topics, checked the homework as well as helped their children to feel secure were discovered to be very essential in encouraging their children to possess an academic discipline and an aspiration power. Some of the major problems recognized are perception of modern curricula, lack of literacy among parents, and digital illiteracy. More importantly, the research highlights the fact that emotional presence and continuous reinforcement is in most cases more important than technical academic skills are. The study comes to the conclusion that, despite the limitations provided by the structure, the supporting home environment fostered by active parents is an essential, underestimated facet of student achievement. In order to promote equal educational performance, policy makers and educators should identify and encourage home based parental engagement by adopting any of the inclusive pattern like literacy workshops, easy learning resources and lastly and most importantly, the flexible and technology-threatening pattern.