Study of Parental Involvement Patterns in Early Childhood Education Centres in Oyo State

Parental involvement is a cornerstone of effective early childhood education, and understanding its current patterns and barriers in South West Nigeria is critical for designing inclusive family engagement strategies. This study examined parental involvement practices in early childhood education centres in Ibadan North and Ido Local Government Areas, Oyo State, South West Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted with questionnaires administered to 200 parents and 30 ECD teachers across 15 centres. Items assessed frequency of school visits, participation in school activities, home learning support, and communication with teachers. Results revealed that 60 percent of parents visited their child's school fewer than once per term. Participation in organised school activities was reported by only 32 percent. Home learning support was practised daily by 48 percent, though most activities were limited to colouring and recitation rather than exploratory play. Mothers were the primary school contact in 78 percent of households. Time constraints due to work were the most cited barrier among 67 percent of parents. Teachers reported rarely initiating structured family engagement activities beyond enrolment. Centre type influenced involvement, with private centre parents showing higher engagement than government centre parents. The study concludes that parental involvement in Oyo State ECD centres is limited and primarily reactive. Recommendations include developing structured family engagement programmes, establishing parent volunteer systems, and providing take-home activity kits to bridge home-school learning connections in the surveyed LGAs.

Keywords: parental involvement, early childhood education, Oyo State, family engagement, ECD centres