The Assessment of the Parental Involvement on Academic and Personal Development of Students in Tertiary Education: A Case of Tanzania Public Service College, Mtwara Campus

Abstract

This study examined parental involvement in the academic and personal development of students at Tanzania Public Service College (TPSC), Mtwara Campus, focusing on three departments: Records and Archives Management (RAM), Office Management and Administration Studies (OMAS), and Public Administration, Leadership, and Management (PALM). Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Vygotsky’s Socio-cultural Theory, the study investigated students’ perceptions of
parental involvement, department members’ views on parents’ roles in supporting students, and the current level of parental engagement at TPSC. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving structured questionnaires administered to 80
students and semi-structured interviews with 20 department and administrative staff, for a total sample size of 100 participants. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS, while qualitative data from interviews were subjected to thematic analysis. The findings reveal that students primarily experience parental involvement through financial support, although they value emotional and academic guidance. Department members emphasised the importance of parental
participation in non-financial areas, such as mentoring, career guidance, and personal development. However, overall parental engagement remains limited, partly due to the lack of formal communication channels between parents and the college. The
study recommends developing structured parental involvement programmes, regular workshops, and improved communication mechanisms to foster a more supportive learning environment and enhance students’ academic performance and personal
growth at TPSC–Mtwara.