PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS IN RWANDA CASE OF GASABO

The study aimed to investigate the influence of parental involvement on performance of students with diverse learning needs in inclusive settings in secondary schools in Gasabo District-Rwanda. Specifically, the research sought to assess the influences of parent-school communication on students performance in secondary schools in Gasabo District, Rwanda to examine the influence of parents participation on students performance in secondary schools in Gasabo District-Rwanda and to determine the influences of parent-home assistance on students performance in secondary schools in Gasabo District, Rwanda The research used the descriptive survey design with quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. The study populationwas made up of 1,918 people from which a sample size of 331 was drawn using the Yamane formula including 302 teachers, 8 head teachers, and 21 parents. The researcher adopted purposive sampling to select both teachers and head teachers of secondary schools, and convenient sampling to select parents. This study used questionnaire given to teachers, Focused group discussions (FGDs) given to parents whose children are disabled and interview guide given to head teachers. The information was analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation and correlational analysis. The results showed that there is a statistically significant relationship (r = .793, p < .01) between Parent-School Communication and students academic performance in secondary inclusive schools in Gasabo District. This also implies an association between the effect of parental involvement and students academic performance in secondary inclusive schools in Gasabo District. Furthermore, according to the findings, there is a strong positive correlation (r = .815, p < .01) between Parent-participation and students academic performance in in secondary inclusive schools in Gasabo. This indicates that students who engage in regular academic practice are more likely to retain the information they learn. Finally, the results indicate that there is a moderate to strong positive correlation (r = .935, p < .01) between parent-home assistance and students academic performance in in secondary inclusive schools in Gasabo. The researcher recommends several key strategies to address the issue of parental involvement in Rwanda. These include parent participation in school events and decision-makingprocesses, implement structured communication channels between the school and parents, establish clear guidelines and frameworks for schools to foster effective parental involvement in secondary inclusive schools. The researcher suggests exploring how teacher training and professional development can better prepare educators to engage parents in the education of their children.