Support strategies parents use to enhance academic resilience of primary and secondary school learners

Abstract

Support strategies parents use to enhance academic resilience of primary and secondary school leaners. The aim of this study was to explore and understand how the parents of primary and secondary school learners support their school-going children to experience academic resilience. The objective of the study was to identify the similarities, differences, and the relationship between the parental support strategies used to build academic resilience in primary and secondary school learners. The main research question that guided this study is: What are the support strategies parents use to enhance academic resilience of primary and secondary school learners? The research followed an interpretivist paradigm. The design of the study followed an exploratory case study. A qualitative methodology was used, with focus group interviews. Nonprobability sampling was followed to select the participants. The sample consisted of 20 parents (n=20): 10 parents of primary school learners (Focus Group 1) and 10 parents of high school learners (Focus Group 2).

Two main themes which emerged are, strategies that parents use to promote the academic resilience of children and factors hindering academic resilience. These strategies are parental involvement, communication with the teachers, career choices, extra classes and access to resources. The factors hindering academic resilience are peer pressure, adverse home environments and the use of cellphones.

Casillas’ (2008) Model of Academic Resilience served as the theoretical base of this study. The model focuses on the four dimensions of academic resilience that can either promote academic resilience or hinder the development thereof. These four dimensions are: personal, family, school and the community. Keywords: Academic resilience, parents of primary and secondary school learners, support strategies, promotive factors, risk factors.