• No se han encontrado resultados

7. UNA EXPERIENCIA DE COOPERACIÓN TRIANGULAR ENTRE ARGENTINA,

7.3. La apropiación y liderazgo del socio receptor

The twelve parents selected for the FGD were drawn purposefully based on being relatively active as per the preliminary information collected from the principals. The goal of the focus group discussion was to get details of the family’s parental management of primary schools. Participants were benefited to gain elementary data about the rehearsal of family involvement in managing schools and family were pushed to identify appropriate enquiries for the following person interviews. After categorising appropriate discussions with the participants, the researcher made flexible arrangements for the place and time of the discussions.

Regarding conducting the focus group discussions, time and other facilities were planned at an appropriate occurrence and position that was not challenging. During the focus group discussion of both groups, the researcher motivated challenges to generate an optimistic setting to facilitate the contributors in this research. The researcher commenced each sitting by articulating gratitude for the participants’ attendance, and aspirations of the research study. Further, they were assured of their confidentiality and that of the study, together with their privacy.

The other activity expected from the researcher was asking participants to protect their privacy by receiving approval for documentation of the dialogue on audiotape. When the discussion was ongoing each member was asked to introduce himself or herself. Their names were

118

requested for knowing specific study problems in context. Similarly, when participants speak for a short time regarding his or her presentation concerning parental involvement in the school management and how he or she had been concerned in the involvement will take as an example. Each was asked how parents participate in school management and how parental involvement contributes to school governance.

The contributors were also questioned to explain their opinion on the experiences of parental involvement enhancing learner’s achievement for families and tutors and their practices of managing the primary school in their locality. Regarding understanding precipitation of parental contributions, the participants were asked how they understand their involvement in primary schools to stop issues prohibiting parents from contributing their knowledge and experiences.

Finally, the discussion group members debated on different difficult issues and contribution that they exercised regarding their backgrounds as well as their strategies for defeating these challenges. Also, the participants were requested to contribute any additional suggestions or opinions that they wanted to make regarding their children’s educational procedure in their perspective schools.

Both focus group discussions in this research lasted approximately 120 minutes. The guides on the time when focus groups take place the talks was following the subject matter of discussion, and participants completely express their understanding freely. Each focus group was given themes or directions for discussion and there was need of additional interview points the facilitator will give talking points for succeeding the focus groups discussion. As Dawson et al., (1983:178) argue that participants in focus groups conclude their first or original information, no additional focus groups were essential. According to Krueger Onwuegbuzie et al., (2007:17), when two similar purposive clustering unearth unlike findings, then more focus groups are essential for the approval of the results gained from them. Therefore, in this research, focus group discussion sessions stopped when no additional data was similar from the groups.

119

Individual interviews were also conducted in this study. Individual interviews were supportive for arriving at the challenges concerning parental experiences on the matter of parental involvement for quality education in elementary schools without being influenced by other individuals. Individual interviews were used to dig out the nature and standpoint about school parental connection in managing their children’s school.

Such approach in face-to-face interviews uses purposive sampling, data gathering and minimise biasness of researchers. Key informants had rich information in each of the individual schools, like school director, the PTA chairpersons, were interviewed in this study. The school principals are the most important and influential persons in school guiding activities. Consequently, they have the full amount of governing right on school leadership and coordination of parental involvement in the school.

As the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Education Police, 1994, School Improvement Programme SIP, 2005, the school principals and PTA chairpersons have clear guidance on the real parental involvement in their children’s learning to the extent that and the school policy is considered as optional. Parental understanding of their participation in the school management concerning their children’s education and their clear challenges guided parents on how they could participate in school events for further solutions. Not only were parents’ visions regarding their participation determined only by providing a suitable clarification for the feeling of parents. However, their perceptions regarding their participation in school management was also a determining factor. Face to face interviews conducted with the principals were approved in the director’s bureau for the sake of confidentiality.

4.10.2 Conducting face to face interviews with the parent-student teacher association chairpersons

Five individual Parent Student-Teacher Association chairpersons (PTA) (one, one per school) were requested to fill their bibliographical data before conducting the interviews. These data were planned to collect individual data about the participants.

The participants were asked to give their consent for the interviewee as proof and they were sure of both their confidentiality and that of their schools.

120

Parent-Student-Teacher Association chairpersons’ interviews were recognised to conclude their feelings, perspectives and outlooks in parental contributions for quality education in primary schools. Consequently, these interviews required to reconcile how the schools give confidence involving the parents in different school performances. Parent-student-teacher association chairpersons’ (PTA) experiences regarding parental involvement, if participation is good it makes involvement of the parents simple in the school (Monadjem, 2003:61). An indication of this participation might assist policymakers in the designing of an effective parental involvement for quality education in managing primary schools. Parent-student- teacher association chairpersons’ point of view was realised, as they work together with the school for the achievement of their children’s careers.

Additionally, understanding the degree of information and kinds of parental involvement happing in children’s schools is more critical to identifying mistakes happening in the explored understanding of the parental involvement. The individual Parent Student-Teacher Association chairpersons’ interviews were conducted in the school compound or other areas at their convenience.

Of different school performances, financial records of parents’ awareness concerning their contribution to school were the ones that stood out. If it is true, parent student teacher association chairpersons would interview, how they have a concern about youngster’s school financial records and if they understand that their contribution enhances their children’s academic achievement.

Parent-student teacher association chairpersons perceived opportunities and challenges to their participation in their schools were crucial and necessary. PTA interviews were not only determining their views but also helping to give a more valid explanation of the parents’ connotation on their involvement in their children’s school management.

Therefore, the researcher interviewed five selected Parent Student-Teacher Association chairpersons. A universal discussion on learning and the participating issue was first on the interviews’ agenda. During the interview, the researcher showed the participants calmness before the commencement of the interviews.

In addition, the researcher made efforts to preserve the privacy of all informants throughout the interviews and also through the distribution of the findings. Similarly, the researcher did not hold verbal permission from the informants but also allocated an amount to each member,

121

he disconnected or distorted categorised data from the research studies and switched off the interview tapes after the research study.

Furthermore, the researcher re-evaluated the process and privacy strategy of the research with each contributor and planned actions to carry out the interviews face to face. The interviews were directed by open-ended queries that helped to centre a conversation on the informants' current knowledge and restraints with parental involvement into their children’s schooling. Moreover, detailed questions were posed to add a distinct understanding of the challenges. The face-to-face interviews with parent student teacher association chairpersons lasted just only about 1 hour and 15 minutes or 75 minutes each and 10 to 15 minutes more was allocated for each interview if there was a valid justification. Lastly, field remarks were jotted down through face-to-face interviews and after each interview, the tapes were copied for information examination.