Exploring Parental Participation in the School Improvement Plan

Active parental participation in education is needed to acquire optimal education achievement. As numerous literatures suggest, educating a child takes a whole community. Hence, delving into parents life experiences regarding their parental participation in school improvement plans is a meaningful discussion for educational management studies. This study utilized a phenomenological inquiry to understand further the coping strategies employed by parent officers with three years of experience in the school governance council (SGC). With a semi-structured questionnaire, the data was collected from 5 participants through face-to-face, in-depth interviews. The coding and thematic analysis results showed prevalent themes for each research objective. From the experiences shared, the participants took part in improving school facilities and infrastructures like the water system and school sanitation. It helps foster active participation and involvement and positively and negatively impacts them. A notable negative experience is the non-participation of other parents. The strategies they employed revealed the effective use of communication, which enhances collaboration it also showed that participants are problem-solvers and knowledgeable in making initiatives even with limited available resources. Parents also believe they feel personal and interpersonal development with their engagement in the school improvement plans. This study shows that parental participation promotes collaboration between parents and teachers and family, school, and community on school development projects.