Impact of mother’s education on the academic achievement of their children in Three Lower and Secondary Schools of Samtse Dzongkhag: An Enquiry

Abstract

The study on “impact of mother’s education on the academic achievement of their children in school” was conducted using a mixed methods design. The aim was to understand children’s academic performance partly as a function of their mothers’ level of education. The study was implemented in two stages, beginning in school academic year, July 2014. In both stages, focus group interviews were conducted with mothers, students and teachers. Progress reports and semi-open questionnaires were other data sources. Participants included 48 children, 48 mothers and 15 teachers, the two first-mentioned groups being our primary, teachers being our secondary target population. Past studies claim level of parental education to be an important indicator of children’s academic achievement. This study also indicated that mother’s education contributes to enhancing children’s academic achievement. On the one hand, mothers may, irrespective of their educational level, provide ‘content-free’ support to their children: showing interest, motivating them, etc. On top of that, educated mothers have the capacity to render help with homework and explain scholastic stuff that is unclear to child.