Influence of Parental Participation in School Academic Activities on Learners’ Motivation in Rwandan Public Primary Schools; A Case of Huye District

The study sought to evaluate the influence of parental participation in school academic activities on learners' motivation in public primary schools in Huye district. The study was guided by the following specific objectives; to assess the extent to which parents participate in school academic activities in public primary education in Huye district-Rwanda; to examine the level of learners' motivation in public primary schools in Huye district, Rwanda and to determine the influence of parental participation in school academic activities on learners' motivation in public primary schools in Huye district, Rwanda. The study used descriptive and correlational research designs. Questionnaires and interview guides were used to collect data from the respondents. The sample of 391 determined by Solvin formula was sampled from the target population of 16593 and selected by simple random techniques. The collected data was analyzed by SPSS version 23 where descriptive analysis, correlation and regression analysis were computed to help in answering research questions. The study found that most students felt their parents were not very involved in their school life: they often didn't visit the school, attend parent meetings, provide all required school materials, help with homework, or assist with lesson revision. Regarding the students' own behaviors, a majority reported that they go to school but not always on time, have peers who have dropped out, don't complete all their homework, score below 50% on exams, and have repeated a class before. The research also discovered a low correlation between how much parents participate in school activities and how motivated their children are, with a slight increase in student motivation when parents are more involved. The involvement of parents in the school activities of public primary students in Huye district is minimal, which seems to affect the students' motivation negatively. The recommendation is for educational authorities and teachers to encourage greater parental involvement to boost student motivation. The research recommended education planners and education officials at the national and district level to train parents on areas of parental engagement in education so that parents can understand how to support education for their children.