The Contribution of Parents' Occupation on Students' Academic Achievements in Public Secondary Schools in Njombe Town Council

Abstract

The parents are considered very important in their children's education, as they actively support the implementation of their children's education. The study sought to determine the contribution of parents' occupation on students' academic achievement in public secondary schools in Njombe Town Council. The study was guided by Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory of Human Motivation. The study was conducted across 14 public secondary schools, analyzed 3113 targeted populations of students, teachers, school heads, and parents using an embedded research design, combining quantitative and qualitative data. The sample size consisted of 192 respondents; thus, five (5) school heads and ten (10) parents were purposively selected to take part in the interview guides, while 83 teachers and 94 students (form III and IV) were randomly selected to take part in the study through the questionnaires. The instruments' reliability (r= 0.78) was obtained using the Test-retest method. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics with the help of the SPSS version 23, and results were presented in the table of frequencies and percentages. Meanwhile, qualitative data was analyzed thematically and presented through categories and themes' narration. The findings revealed that parents' occupation contributes to students' academic achievement through learning morale, absenteeism, child labor, and unconducive home environments. Parents influence monitoring and supervising children's academic progress at home and school. The study suggests that parents should be educated on their work-education relationship and invest in education based on their occupation. Policymakers and curriculum developers should re-consider making reforms to education financing policy to be more equitably favourable to students from poor families for sustainable academic achievement. Government and NGOs should ensure that all students from poor parental backgrounds are supported to receive quality education