Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies

This study investigated the influence of parental involvement in school decision-making on Form Two students’ academic achievement in Newala District Council, Tanzania. The study was guided by Epstein’s Theory of Six Types of Parental Involvement. The research employed a mixed-methods convergent design targeting 88 respondents, including teachers, parents, and heads of schools. Respondents were selected using stratified random, convenience, and purposive sampling techniques. Data were collected using questionnaires and interviews, while quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 20 (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.821). The findings revealed that parental participation in school decision-making through engagement in School-Based Management Committees, joint academic target-setting, policy formulation, and formal consultation with teachers positively influenced students’ preparedness and performance in the Form Two National Assessment (FTNA). However, challenges such as low adult literacy, poverty, and seasonal agricultural activities limited effective parental participation in school governance bodies. The study highlighted that marginal parental involvement in decision-making contributed to poor academic outcomes, whereas consistent parental engagement in institutional governance enhanced achievement in core subjects. The study concludes that policymakers, school administrators, and communities should strengthen school-community collaboration, empower semi-literate parents through structured decision-making mechanisms, and integrate parental involvement into education policy. This research contributes to the knowledge base on educational management and rural school governance and offers a benchmark for future studies in Tanzania and other Sub-Saharan African contexts.