Parental Involvement Among Kindergarten Learners in the New Normal and Their Academic Performance

The study tried to determine the extent of parental involvement in terms of communicating from the school, volunteering and participating in school activities, and learning at home in the kindergartner learners of Malaybalay City District IV during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was analyzed using descriptive statistics employing an adapted questionnaire with modification in data gathering. The statistical tools applied to analyze the data are frequency count, percentage, standard deviation, weighted mean, and Pearson moment correlation coefficient. The findings showed that there is a very high extent of parental involvement in terms of communicating from the school, volunteering and participating in school activities, and learning at home. However, the kindergartners’ academic performance was still in the developing stage. Thus, all variables of blended learning such as enhancing safety, promoting autonomy, and boosting efficiency do not have a significant relationship with the kindergartner learners’ academic performance. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are offered: the parents must not just be involved but engaged in the education of their children to ensure learning happens and full cognitive development is achieved at the early stage even during catastrophes like the pandemic. The schools and teachers provide short-termed orientation or training courses to the parents on how to assist and facilitate learning among kindergartner learners and provide a simplified Parent’s Teaching Guide or Handbook. The schools and the teachers establish a ready support system, contextualized learning activities and assessments, learning platforms and strategies, and comprehensive monitoring to ensure mastery of the learning competencies required of kindergartner learners.