Family Engagement in Education in Times of Uncertainties: A Case of COVID-19 Pandemic

Family engagement in education refers to parents and school personnel working together to the classroom, local, and system level to support and improve learning. This kind of engagement helps learners to feel connected, safe, secure, supported and therefore ready to learn. It also helps parents and other caregivers feel connected and tuned into their children’s education. The purpose of the study was to determine how families can be engaged in their children’s learning by working closely with teachers and the school personnel. Family engagement in education has successful outcomes. It leads to increased parent/guardian support for their children's learning experiences at home, especially in times of uncertainties. During the COVID-19 period, children stayed at home for a long period of time with their parents/guardians. The objective of the study was to determine the importance of family engagement in education and how schools and families can work together to enhance the education of the children during times of uncertainties such as the COVID-19 pandemic case. The study adopted the interpretivist research design in which qualitative data was generated from the phenomena and analyzed in an interpretive manner as per the themes of the study during the COVID -19 pandemic period. Through family engagement in education, children realize benefits like improved academic performance and good social-emotional development. Families’ involvement in their children’s education in times of uncertainty helps to enhance their responsibility, heightens their accountability for learning and improves their communication and strengthens parent-child relationship. It is recommended that active family engagement in education be enhanced in times of uncertainties so as to enhance learning and help learners to excel academically