Influence of Parental Engagement on Learners’ Academic Performance in Public Primary Schools in Nakuru East Sub County, Nakuru County - Kenya

Parental provision of learning resources is a crucial aspect in parental engagement in their children’s education. This study investigated the influence of parental provision of learning resources on learners’ academic performance in public primary schools in Nakuru East sub-county, Nakuru county. The study employed Joyce Epstein’s Overlapping Spheres of Influence theory. The study used a mixed-methods approach, the quantitative aspect employed a cross-sectional survey design, while the qualitative aspect adopted a phenomenological approach. The target population included all 41 public primary schools, 41 head teachers, 350 teachers of grade six, and 1,900 parents of grade six giving a total of 2,291 individuals in the study area. Stratified sampling was used to sample 9 public primary schools from the existing three zones, with three schools being sampled from each zone. Purposive sampling was employed to sample 9 headteachers, stratified and random sampling was used to sample 72 teachers, and stratified and random sampling was used to sample 190 parents. The sample size was 271 participants. The study revealed that parental provision of learning resources is generally moderate with significant disparities, particularly among parents from lower economic backgrounds. There is less provision of supplementary textbooks (mean 2.80, SD 1.25) exercise books (mean 2.79, SD 1.3), improvised learning materials (2.73, SD 1.25), and digital resources (mean 1.80, SD 1.02). The study recommended for interventions by the National and County governments and the Ministry of Education to provide educational workshops for parents, financial assistance programs, and initiatives to improve digital literacy and resource provision. Schools should sensitize parents on the importance of resource provision to their children in CBC implementation. Keywords: parental engagement, parental provision of learning resources, learners’ academic performance