CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This chapter presents relevant theories, related literature and studies, conceptual

framework, assumption of the study and definitions of variables.

Relevant Theories

Theoretical perspectives serve as basis for research and enlighten scholars who

strive to study social phenomena. This concept applies to parents’ involvement in

schools. This section delineates two main theories related to parents’ involvement:

Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. These

two theories have great impact on educational research and are thus deliberated with

respect to parents’ involvement in schools.

Socio-cultural Theory. Vygotsky (2010), emphasized in his socio-cultural theory

the relationship between human beings and their environment, both physical and social.

To him, the influences of social and cultural factors on development and learning are

permanent.

Gerard (2007), explained that Vygotsky focused on what he called the Zone of

Proximal Development, a concept which posits that children have levels of problem-

solving ability. Vygotsky defined ZPD as the distance between actual developmental

levels caused by independent problem solving and potential development level as

determined through problem solving under adult supervision or in cooperation with more

capable others. He claimed that offspring can acquire and achieve by themselves at one

level. However, he introduced another level that referred to the child’s abilities with
 10

guidance of an adult or a more able peer. According to Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory,

every individual who has a higher ability level than the learner with respect to a specific

task or perception is called a More Knowledgeable Other or MKO. This individual may

be an educator, parent, an older adult, a trainer or even a peer. For example, riding a

bicycle is a skill that a child cannot learn by himself; he can learn it with the help of more

capable peers or an adult. By emphasizing interrelatedness and interdependence of

various factors in learning and development, his theory supports the idea that a child’s

home life is of importance and parents contribute greatly to his development and

academic achievement.

Ecological Systems Theory. Another theory, supported by Bronfenbrenner

(2007), is recognized as the ecological systems theory. It has to do with the justification

and impact of parent association and influence on research studies as what Hung

conducted in 2007. According to this theory, the development of children is affected not

only by factors within them but also by their families and surroundings. Social, political,

biological, and economic conditions also affect the child immeasurably. In his masterful

theory, he described ecology as the surroundings and organizations that impact humans

as they grow. The ecological environment is pictured as an orderly arrangement of

concentric structures, with each structure contained within the next. He arrayed these

ecological systems as micro-, meso, exo-, and macrosystems.

Gerard (2007), explained that the theory focused on the emerging child and his

collaborations with individuals, objects, and symbols in “proximal processes” across

multiple settings, contexts, and environments. He added that the mesosystem associates

the microsystem and exosystem which includes the interrelations between two or more
 11

surroundings in which the child actively participates. For example, the influences

between components of this system are strong and positive then the school, home, and

community embrace the mesosystem, as a result the progress of the child is improved.

Gestwicki (2007), defined microsystem as an arrangement of activities, roles, and

interpersonal dealings practiced by the developing individual in a given environment with

particular physical and material characteristics. This is the level that impacts the child

most. Family, school, educators, peers, child health services, and the community are

some of the main settings and institutions mentioned in the definition. Children

experience a reciprocal face-to-face relationship with these immediate surroundings.

These institutions within the microsystem also interact with and influence one another.

For example, school affects neighborhood and neighborhood affects the child’s family.

Meanwhile, the exosystem consists of one or more surroundings that do not actively

involve the child. Extended family members, parents’ workplaces, local school board,

and the media are some of the settings and institutions operating in the exosystem which

indirectly influence the child. For example, parent tends to have a more confident attitude

at home when extended family members provide for this parent psychologically and

financially.

Another layer is called the macrosystem, which denotes to consistencies in the

arrangement and content of lower-order systems (micro-, meso-, and exo-) that occur at

the level of the subculture or the culture as a whole. This system includes attributes and

ideologies of the culture such as laws, morals, values, customs, and world views.

Although these elements of culture are not parts of children’s immediate world, they can

be very prominent in their development. For example, family values in Turkish society
 12

certainly affect child-rearing practices, which have a straight effect on children’s

development in that culture.

Bronfenbrenner inserted another system known as the chronosystem which refers

to change or consistency in the life of a person. For example, changes in family structure

over time such as its demographic characteristics have effects on a child’s development.

Based on Bronfenbrenner’s theory, one may conclude that children’s school experiences

are not limited to interactions between them and the school or teacher. These interactions

extend to a broader system involving parents, family, and community. As a result,

understanding the influences of a child’s environment theoretically upholds the value of

parents’ involvement in young children’s education.

Related Literature

This literature review was organized into several sections to fully understand the

coordination of home and school for a better knowledge acquisition of children. The

researcher has included Joyce Epstein’s Parental Involvement, History of Parental

involvement and DepEd programs to provide a comprehensive view and the theoretical

framework used in this study. In order to understand parents’ participation in education

and use the concept in both theoretical research and practical application several parent

involvement models have been developed and they are accepted in the field. Some of

these models are more popular and considered as more practical than others. According

to Fishel (2007), Epstein’s parental involvement framework is by far the most referenced,

tested, and widely-accepted conceptual model of parental involvement. Epstein’s Parent

Involvement Model (2001), introduced six kinds of parental involvement: parenting,

communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision- making, and collaborating with

 13

the community.

These six kinds of contribution have been recommended for implementation in a

comprehensive program of school, family, and community partnerships. Parenting is

helping families establish supportive home environments for children who attend school.

Home state of affairs that serve to develop learning, parental education activities and

family support programs are some examples of this kind. Communicating is establishing

effective two-way exchange of information about school programs and children’s

progress. Parent-teacher conferences, clear information on school policies and programs,

and phone calls are examples of this. Volunteering is recruiting and organizing parents’

assistance and support at school, home, or other locations. Helping with school

maintenance via volunteer work for safety and orderly operations of schools, assisting

educators and helping other parents are examples of this kind of involvement. Included in

the framework is learning at home which means providing information and guidelines to

families on how to help their children at home with their studies. For example,

information on homework policies and how to supervise children and family reading

activities are ways to be involved in this respect. Decision-making is having parents serve

as representatives and leaders on school committees. PTA organizations and networks

that link parents are examples of this kind. Identifying and integrating resources and

services from the community to improve school programs mean collaborating. The

examples of this type of involvement are information on community events and services

associated with skills acquisition, involvement of alumni in school, programs and

projects and service integration through partnerships with organizations such as civic,

cultural, and health agencies in the community.

 14

Epstein affirmed that parents are key players in student learning. In fact,

education begins before formal schooling, and parents are recognized as a child’s first

teacher. When parents, teachers, students, and other stakeholders view themselves as

partners in education, a caring community is formed and begins its work. She concluded

that through frequent, meaningful interactions between families, schools, and

communities, students are expected to realize the importance of school, of working hard

and helping others, and of continuing their education up to the next level.

Six major types of involvement yield positive outcomes for students, parents, and

educators. Epstein explained that student skills, achievement, and test scores could affect

by these kinds of involvement activities while other kinds may affect attitudes,

attendance, and behavior. But she cautioned that poorly designed involvement activities

could bring on negative results, stressing the need for schools to carefully choose

practices that meet the needs of students, families, and community.

In a study of students in 14 elementary classrooms where teachers used a variety

of practices to include parents in home learning activities, Epstein found a significantly

positive effect of parents’ involvement on the reading achievement of students.

Comparing student test scores in the fall and again in the spring, she found that students

made gains when parents helped their children at home. Stressing that parents are

valuable, unused resource in educating children, she wrote: Parents are available but

untapped and undirected resources that teachers can mobilize to help more children

master and maintain needed skills for school. This requires teachers’ leadership in

organizing, evaluating, and continually building parent involvement practices. Truly,

meaningful parental involvement significantly impacts achievement. Time and again, it

 15

has always been proven that parents’ interest and support affect student’s achievement,

attitudes, and aspirations.

To reiterate, parents may support schools by providing volunteer assistance,

cooperating in home learning, attending programs, serving as members of governing

bodies, and by participating in the decision-making process with the input they provides.

Parents fulfilling these roles may not only affect their own children. Other children may

benefit from this involvement as well. Teachers can greatly affect parents positively and

encourage parental involvement in the educational process. As a result of involvement

parents often enhance more positive perceptions about school, become more involved

with school activities, experience increased self-confidence, and join in other educational

programs. Researchers found that parents who participate in schools express higher levels

of satisfaction with both the school and their own child’s achievement. Similarly, studies

confirmed that parents’ attitudes and behaviors become more favorable as a result of

involvement with their child’s learning experiences.

Clearly, parents’ attitudes and behaviors are influenced by involvement with

schools. Their positive attitudes are unmistakably communicated to children and serve to

shape their school performance. Parental involvement produces changes in parents, and

parents who are involved adopt a more positive view of schools than parents who are

distant and remote. Some programs involve parents directly in home learning as tutors

while other programs involve parents indirectly in support roles.

According to Berger (2008), today’s concern for parental involvement in

children’s education is an offshoot of abiding interest that had built up over several

decades. This was emphasized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
 16

From the beginning of time, parents have nurtured their children, modeled for their

children and educated their children. It has been stated that parents are the child’s first

teacher and that the home is his first classroom. In the 14th century, the earliest of the

English private schools began and were supported by donations and tuition from parents.

These elite boarding schools were known as public schools in contrast to other primary

means of early schooling known as private tutorials. The education of children was a

family concern and a learning experience through the productive activities of the

household and through learned trades in the neighborhood. The private tutor was an

addition to the family for upper class families, where instruction was given within the

home and parental involvement was routine.

The boarding school, however, somehow disconnected the family as educational

activities were transferred from the home environment to school. Patten (2007), stated

that in colonial America, pilgrims insisted that education be taken care of by parents. As

early as 1642, the General Court of Massachusetts saw that many parents were neglecting

this responsibility and therefore ordered every town to require parents and masters to

assume educational responsibilities for their children. Due to this failure, the General

Court in 1647 required each town to build its own school or support a school in the next

larger town.

Even though English private schools began in the 14th century and colonial

America attempted to provide mass education in the 1600s, it did not fully work until the

late 19th and early 20th centuries. Children were schooled by their families or in schools

near them. Epstein stated that until this time, parental involvement was fundamental,
 17

requiring provisions for their child’s food, health, safety, shelter, clothing, and well-

being.

In the early 19th century, the community and parents significantly controlled

decisions in school in issues such as employment of teachers, school calendar, and

curriculum. The church, home, and school generally supported the same instructional

program and educational issues. Several women’s groups were formed during the 19th

century. Initially intended as a vehicle for women to express political views, some of

these groups metamorphosed into parent support groups such as the Parent-Teacher

Association (PTA), originally formed as Congress of Mothers in 1897.

However, World War II gave rise to technological and scientific changes and

social changes including changes in the relationship between home and school.

Researchers informed that economically productive activities moved outside the home

away from the family. Easy access to transportation, communication, and technology

encouraged men to leave the farm. Similarly, the typical American family was affected

by women leaving home and entering the workplace, increasing the number of children

enrolled in schools. Although parents still played a role in educating children by giving

all-out support, they left the basic teaching of reading, writing and arithmetic to schools.

By late 1950s, most teachers believed that they should teach and parents should just be

supportive.

The overall acceptance of teaching as a profession changed the face of parental

involvement in schools. Teachers and school staff no longer had to live near their

schools, and television presented to children visual information from around the world.

These changes decreased the level of interaction that had previously been forged between
 18

home and school. But throughout the history of education, parental involvement always

played a primary role in the schooling of children. As early as 1956, the Public Education

Association, an advocacy group, received a grant from the Ford Foundation directors of

school volunteer programs to recruit, train, and place volunteers in the classroom to help

students with difficulties in reading and language. In 1964, the advocacy group received

another grant allowing volunteer efforts to expand into 20 cities. By 1982, an estimated

4.3 million parents and other interested citizens were regularly providing volunteer

services in schools.

By 1965, the PTA membership had swelled to almost 12 million. Many changes

affecting education took effect in 1965 as a result of the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act (ESEA), the Civil Rights Act of 1965, and the formation of Head Start.

President Lyndon Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1965

as part of his war on poverty. ESEA marked the beginning of federally funded legislation

linking parental involvement to education, whose primary purpose was to ensure

adequate materials to children from low-income families.

This legislation introduced the provision for funding to support educationally

deprived children, emphasized the importance of involving parents of low-income

children, and required parents to serve on school committees and participate in classroom

activities.

This legislation introduced the provision for funding to support educationally

deprived children, emphasized the importance of involving parents of low-income

children, and required parents to serve on school committees and participate in classroom

activities.
 19

Meanwhile, the Civil Rights Act of 1965 influenced education in America and

greatly affected the family. The demand for equal rights for minorities and women

impacted the desire for equal opportunities, which directly affected family relationships.

Head Start began in the summer of 1965 as a part of the War on Poverty and provided

early intervention that assisted many economically disadvantaged families to learn about

health, nutrition, and education. This intervention program gave many children a head

start on formal schooling.

No Child Left Behind required federally-funded school districts to implement

programs, activities, and procedures for parental involvement. As the Act required annual

testing of all third through eighth grade students in math and reading, parents were to be

well-informed of their children’s progress. Parents of children in schools who were not

performing up to standards were given the option to enter another traditional school or

charter school. The law also required states and school districts to assume accountability

and provide annual report cards. But despite the emphasis on family involvement, the

2009 PTA year-end report announced a decline in membership to 5 million.

President Obama had declared that parents are a child’s first teacher and that

partnership between parents and schools is essential to improve schools in America. In

March 2010, the Obama administration released its blueprint giving more teeth to

Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Obama’s blueprint supported state, district, and school efforts in engaging

families by supporting comprehensive district approaches to family engagement,

providing for a new Family Engagement and Responsibility Fund and identifying and

supporting best practices. The blueprint called for states to provide parents with a clear
 20

report card containing important information about their child’s school, student

achievement levels, graduation rates, school climate, and school funding. States and

districts would require publishing an annual report card including information on

effectiveness of teachers and leaders, providing parents with information regarding the

quality of educators working in their child’s school. Families would be notified of the

accountability status of their district and school, a requirement which currently holds.

Obama’s proposal provided professional development programs to improve the

skills of educators in working with families and community members. The importance of

family literacy was recognized by allocating funds to support family literacy activities.

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation was signed into law in 2002. NCLB

was to provide more choices for parents, including new options for making changes for

children in low-performing schools. For example, schools are required to provide parents

with more information about their child's progress in school and the performance of the

school. In addition, the NCLB requires and obliges parents to create a written policy that

includes parents in creation and evaluation of the policy and in planning, evaluating, and

improving different programs for parents. It also orders schools to provide

comprehensible descriptions and explanations of the curricula for parents, suggest a

flexible number of meetings, and use resources for transportation, child care, and home

visits to make parents possibly attend.

According to Gestwicki (2007), schools are also directed to offer training to

parents to enhance other parents’ participation and coordination to school programs such

as Head Start.

In the Philippines, the theoretical relevance of education to the various sectors of

 21

the society may vary to a considerable degree. To the government, for instance, education

is not just a privilege; it is one of the fundamental rights of every citizen. This was the

reason the government provided ample support mechanism to education. Thus the 1987

Constitution (Section 1, Article XIV) imposed upon the State the responsibility to

"protect and promote the right of all Filipino people to quality education to all levels" and

"take proper steps to make education available to all.”

To ensure that the fundamental right of a child to quality education is protected,

compulsory education for children of compulsory school age is promoted, providing only

for limited special circumstances for exemption, directing the local government units,

particularly in the barangay level, to be directly involved in the monitoring of the

education of children under their areas of jurisdiction. The Department of Education

formulates the necessary curriculum for learning. For this purpose, it is decreed the joint

responsibility of the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of

Education to ensure the establishment of schools and the necessary support services.

One of the most important legacies the State and the local government can offer to

its people is providing quality education. To ensure the grant of quality education to

children, the State’s most important function is not only release, but also making an

essential investment vital to economic growth, In teaching the young, the State is assured

of an sufficient and proficient workforce ready and fully equipped to face the challenges

of global competition.

The legal basis for all this is the "Compulsory Education for Children Act of

2010.” Section 2. The Declaration of Policy states: It is the policy of the State to protect

and promote the right of the Filipino people to quality education and to take proper steps
 22

to make such education available to all. Towards this end, the State shall : (a) Explain the

responsibilities of the government, the parents and carers of children in relation to

education of the children; (b) Arrange the necessary framework and resources for the

carrying out of educational programs, projects and services; inspiring local initiatives in

improving the schools and community-based learning facilities; (c) Promote compulsory

education and offer only for limited special circumstances when children of compulsory

school age would not be required to go to school; (d) Arrange a method for the

monitoring of children of compulsory school age and ensuring that they appreciate the

benefit of having the chance to be educated; (e) Confirm that schools and other facilities

of learning are able to replicate the values of the community by permitting the educators,

learning facilitators and other staff to have flexibility in servicing the needs of the

learners.

In Article 218-219 of the Family Code, loco parentis refers to the rights and

responsibilities that certain organizations or individuals have with regard to minors under

their care. The word is usually used for educators and staff to know how they should

behave toward the students. It is to guarantee that schools have the rights to do what is

needed for the good of their students.

Loco parentis refers to the responsibilities of a teacher acting guardian for her

students in the classroom. It means that the school, teachers and school administrators

have an obligation as parents while the students are in their custody. As long as the

students are under the supervision, instruction, and custody of their teachers and school

administrators, the school, together with teachers and school administrators are directly
 23

accountable for damages caused by the students. They have to prove that they exercised

the proper diligence required under the circumstances to be able to dismiss their selves.

DepEd-Related Programs in Support of School – Home Coordination

Parents’ involvement also means taking active roles in school advocacies such as

Brigada Eskwela and Enhanced School Improvement Planning Process.

DepEd Memorandum No. 84, s. 2011 spells out mechanisms in implementing

Brigada Eskwela, also known as the National Schools Maintenance Week, which is

observed before classes open in June. Stakeholders converge and contribute their time,

skills, effort and resources to prepare the facilities of the school. Along with other

stakeholders, parents are main movers in the advocacy. Parents repair chairs, tables,

leaking roofs, broken tiles, clogged drainage and other malfunctioning systems. They

paint walls to brighten up the atmosphere in classrooms. They fix the doors of comfort

room cubicles. All too often, parents contribute hard-earned money to provide electric

fans to ensure that their children are comfortable in school. All these activities and many

more prove the parents’ efforts to provide a safe, orderly and conducive learning

environment to aid the children’s knowledge acquisition.

Other DepEd programs that serve to strengthen school-home coordination are the

Enhanced School Improvement Planning (ESIP) and the School Report Card (SRC), both

of which are embodied in DepEd Order No. 44, s. 2015. Pursuant to Republic Act No.

9155, known as Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, the program aim to

strengthen school-based management (SBM). Among the tenets of SBM relevant to the

thesis at hand are increased community participation and involvement and making

delivery of education to the youth more responsive, more efficient, and more effective
 24

through enhance planning and communication.

The school Report Card provides data on school achievement with respect to

enrolment rate, retention rate, achievement rate, cohort rate and related indicators of

where the school is, where it is going, and how it is getting there. The School Report

Card is vital for informing stakeholders of the situation of the school. It fulfills the same

function as Student Report Card or SF-9, in which the child’s performance is reflected

through numerical rating in every subject and non-numerical rating in core values.

Parents of low-performing or underperforming children are advised to take remedial

measures to help the children do better in school.

As educated in the SBM manual, a key feature of SMB is shared governance.

Following the principle of shared governance, the school head involves stakeholders,

parents included, in preparing the School Improvement Plan (SIP). It simplified that a

well-governed school delivers education effectively. Essentially, an effective school

helps attain key result areas: access to complete basic education, preparation of every

graduate for further education or work, and effective, transparent and collaborative

governance of basic education. When the three key result areas of access, quality and

governance are achieved, the teaching-learning process is definitely enhanced, learning

outcomes are increased, and knowledge acquisition of learners is helped immeasurably.

The School Report Card is an avenue to communicate with parents which is

necessary to enlist their involvement in children’s learning towards improved learning

outcomes. It consists of three parts: school profile, performance indicators indicating

statues of access, quality and governance, and statues of school projects.

Related Studies
 25

Parental involvement refers to a variety of behavior and action that directly or

indirectly influences children’s cognitive development and school achievement. Such

supportive actions include attending parent-teacher conferences; being an active member

of the PTA; volunteering in school planning; setting up and participating in school

programs; assisting out in the classroom by giving support, time and talent; helping with

homework; explaining school activities with the child; monitoring child’s school

progress; inspiring and giving good grades; reading with the child at home;

communicating with the school in case of problems; checking the child’s out-of-school

activities; and speaking regularly with the child. Parental involvement refers to behaviors

related to the child’s schooling which manifests commitment to the child’s activities in

school.

According to Dennesen (2017), a parent who shows these behaviors to a large

extent can be regarded as more highly involved than a parent who hardly shows these

behaviors if at all. Enlisting parents’ involvement offers the school heads and teachers

with a cherished support system generating a team that is operational for each child’s

success.

According to Che (2010), when parents participated, good grades are achieved,

school fulfillment figured up, and school is generally perceived as successful. His study,

which stresses the value of parents’ involvement in school, may benefit schools, parents,

and the community.

School heads may see different kinds of parental involvement not currently

practiced in their schools. When implemented, these factors may enhance students’

satisfaction and positive attitudes towards learning, uplift teachers’ morale as parents
 26

develop greater appreciation of the challenges they face in the classroom, and improve

the understanding of parents of the curriculum and activities. This way, parents would be

more comfortable with the quality of education their children receive and more willing to

support children’s learning. Thus, the school improves its reputation in the community as

provider of quality education in partnership with parents.

Finally, work in partnership with the community refers to parents encouraging

and influencing fellow parents and other members of the community to work together in

ensuring that the school environment is conducive to maximizing learning. To be sure,

parents are free to choose the kind and degree of participation they can render based on

their time, capacity and resources.

To reiterate, parents have the responsibility to work with the school in addressing

learners` needs. They must help the school in its continuous efforts to improve school

performance. Parents as school partners must assist in implementing the School

Improvement Plan and actively participate in monitoring and evaluating of school

performance. They have the responsibility to be involved whether the children benefit

directly or indirectly. 

Direct support is manifested in different forms such as attending school meetings

or school activities, talking to the children’s teachers or adviser regularly, helping with

schoolwork, and joining field trips and other school activities. It increases children’s

interest to learn, thus resulting to good behavior. Parents’ assistance must not be limited

to raising their children’s personal achievement; it must be extended to further the

development of the school. 

Parents’ involvement also means taking active roles in school advocacies such as
 27

Adopt-A-School Program, Brigada Eskwela, School First Initiative (SFI), Basic

Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA) and School-Based Management Program.

This would also mean serving as volunteer and taking part in decision-making process for

the school’s improvement if warranted. As the intricacies of parental involvement are

delineated in full, it is important to consider teachers’ points of view. Teachers hold

different beliefs about the responsibilities of those involved in helping children acquire

knowledge.

Korkmaz (2007) surveyed 148 teachers concerning their beliefs about the

responsibilities of teachers, parents and school in facilitating learning. A common theme

running through the responses is the importance of communication for all parties

concerned. Specifically, she discovered that two-thirds of the teachers believe that

parents should have good communication with teachers, and parents should be willing to

participate in meetings held at school. When asked about the responsibilities of school,

56 percent of the teachers expressed the importance of school keeping parents informed

about the progress of children as well as the curriculum being implemented. Interestingly,

only 44 teachers reported it their responsibility to communicate clearly with students and

have positive dialogue and interactions with them inside and outside the classroom.

Parents share much information about their children and themselves if the school

creates a welcoming and supportive environment. Details about the children can help

teachers immensely. Between home and school, teachers need to know how parents

typically respond to their children’s needs. Going beyond the minimal requirements can

help establish effective home and school partnerships and sustain involvement. Teachers

and parents should inquire from each other regularly to gather information and
 28

observations on how the knowledge acquisition process of the children is developing.

The information and observations can provide a more complete picture of the children’s

capabilities and development and can be used to modify their knowledge acquisition if

called for.

In this regard, teachers should regularly invite parents to come around to forge

strong positive coordination between home and school which is necessary to facilitate

knowledge acquisition of children. With such rapport, parents will be delighted to involve

themselves in their children’s schooling in more ways than one.

Equally important are home visits, definitely a part of home and school

coordination toward better knowledge acquisition of children. Home visits can afford

valuable opportunities for teachers and parents to know more about each other.

According to Warren (2008), home visits are valuable because they afford personal time

for asking questions and sharing concerns. The teachers can see how the parents, other

family members and the child relate to each other in their own home. Clearly, home visits

must be planned carefully to respect the family’s time and space.

According to Pattnaik and Rajalakshmi (2010), parental involvement was most

often assumed by the mother; however, beginning in the 1960s, fathers assumed greater

roles in child-rearing and education. In the recent past, the father‘s role in the family

continued to be redefined due to changes in people’s way of life. Fathers’ roles evolved

from the pre-industrial era through modern time, to include clearly defined stages, from

being, breadwinner, role model, disciplinarian figure to nurturing father. Contemporary

research has highlighted the evolution of fatherhood from the 1900s to present times,

from authoritative patriarch to remote but dutiful breadwinner, involved father fulfilling
 29

roles equal to mother’s responsibilities.

As the researchers confirmed, parent involvement in education moved from being

the primary responsibility of the family, a practically hands-off approach from family and

back to it. In the course of time, parents had come to be regarded as critical partners in

the education of their children. As parent involvement was redefined and clarified,

interaction between parents and teachers enabled them to develop new effective

coordination between home and school.

Similarly, research has studied the impact of mother-child interactions and

important roles of fathers on the growth and development of young children. For

example, Sarkadi (2008), highlighted proof that father’s involvement positively affects

the development of children in social, behavioral, psychological and cognitive aspect.

When children are taught to manage their emotions, they are less likely to behave

aggressively or inflict harm to other children when provoked. In fact, father’s

involvement was reported to result in decreased aggressive behavior of boys.

To Shears (2007), fathers particularly influence children to regulate their

emotions. As data suggest, fathers in low-income families help very young children

control their intense emotions. Relatedly, children who live with their biological fathers

and children whose biological fathers are involved although they work away from the

family control their emotions compared with children whose relationship with their

fathers are weak and unstable.

In terms of cognitive development, research, has shown the positive impact of

father-child interactions. Feldman (2007), discovered that at five months, a child’s

closeness with his father is related to complex use of symbols and at three years, the
 30

sequences of symbolic play. In addition, Kinukawa (2008), found that various forms of

father involvement such as mentally stimulating activities, physical care, paternal and

caregiving lead to greater babbling and exploration of objects as well as lower possibility

that the infant’s brain development would be delayed.

Both home and school must actively involve fathers in taking care of children

because doing so leads to normal rates of development. Families must be made to

understand the value of father involvement in children’s lives during the critical early

years and involve fathers in the daily care the way mothers do. In this respect teachers

can help enlighten families about the important role of fathers in promoting child

development and in equipping children with skills needed as they play with other

children.

Conceptual Framework

The framework of parental involvement developed by Epstein provided the

theoretical constructs for the study. The framework guides teachers to develop effective

programs to bring school, family and community together in positive interactions.

Components of the said framework include parenting, communicating, volunteering,

learning at home, decision-making, and collaborating with community. Each type yields

gains for pupils, contributes to effective programs, and fosters school success. Gains

attained by pupils are reportedly greatest when parents take part in meaningful activities

of involvement.

The present study was conceptualized in terms of three dimensions namely: Input,

Process and Output. Figure 1 presents the conceptual framework of the study. The input

consists of the following: Article XIV of the Philippine Constitution, DepEd Order No.
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54, s. 2009, DepEd Order No. 67, s. 1997, No Child Left Behind, Compulsory Education

for Children Act, Loco Parentis, DepEd Memorandum No. 84, s. 2011, DepEd Order No.

44, s. 2015, relevant theories, related literature, and related studies.

The process lists the procedures employed: observation, survey, analysis and

interpretation. The output is an action plan for strengthening home-school coordination.

Legal support for Home-

School Coordination

1. Article XIV of the

Philippine
Constitution of
1987
2. DepEd Order No.
54, s. 2009 ( PTA)  Observation Proposed Action Plan
3. DepEd Order No.  Survey for Strengthening
67, s. 1997 (RHGP)  Analysis Home-School
4. No Child Left  Interpretation Coordination
Behind
5. Compulsory
Education for
Children Act
6. Loco Parentis
7. DepEd
Memorandum No.
84,s. 2011 (Brigada
Eskwela)
8. DepEd Order No.
44, s. 2015 (ESIP)
9. Relevant Theories
10. Related Literature
11. Related Studies

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Figure 1: Conceptual Mode of the Study

As expected, the school must initiate activities directly involving parents in their
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children’s learning. School heads and teachers may extend support by respecting,

acknowledging and affirming the skills shown by parents in guiding their children. To

implement such scheme, the school must establish and sustain communications with

parents about school programs and students’ progress.

Schools may also tap parents by recruiting and organizing parent volunteers for

school projects and activities where their skills and talents may be brought to the fore.

Through coordination, school may inform parents and other family members on how to

help students with homework, how to assist them in planning and conducting their

activities, and how to make decisions based on facts. If feasible, it may also involve

parents in making academic decisions and develop leaders among parents. Furthermore,

the school may identify and mobilize community resources and services to strengthen

school programs, improve family practices and promote student learning and

development.

Assumption of the Study

Coordination of home and school is vital for knowledge acquisition of children.