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The main aim of this study was to explore the impact of parental engagement on learner achievement in primary schools. A case study was used as a qualitative research design. Data were gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews. The data collected through interviews was systematically analyzed using thematic analysis, a qualitative method that involves identifying, analyzing, and interpreting patterns or themes within the data. The key findings of the study highlight the concept of parental engagement, the role of parents in helping children with homework, parent-teacher communications, and parent-teacher partnership as aspects of the impact of parental engagement. The findings further indicate that working parents are less interested in their children’s education due to work responsibilities and a lack of time, which proved to be a difficulty for parental engagement. The findings suggest that effective parental engagement can be positively impacted by a strong parental-teacher relationship. However, implementing parental engagement presents several difficulties that, if specifically handled, could enhance parental engagement for the benefit of the learners.

Parental involvement is recognised as a significant factor in education globally. However, evidence suggests a scarcity of research focusing on parental involvement in education of vulnerable children in South Africa. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the perspectives of house parents at Sunshine Haven Children’s Home regarding parental involvement in the education of vulnerable children. Informed by Epstein’s theory of overlapping spheres of influence, the qualitative study adopted an interpretivist paradigm and a case study design. Data were obtained through focus group interviews with a group of five purposefully selected house parents at Sunshine Haven Children’s Home. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study reveal that, according to house parents’ perspectives, parental involvement in education for vulnerable children is not satisfactory. House parents experienced challenges in offering educational support, including lack of resources, lack of confidence in assisting with children homework and lack of effective communication between school and home. Therefore, the study recommends the forging of a viable partnership between teachers and house parents, the development of targeted interventions and training programmes and the allocation of resources to enhance parental involvement and ultimately improve the academic performance and wellbeing of vulnerable children.