Parental Responsibility and Involvement in Home-Based Learning for Children and Youth with Special Needs in Upland Communities

Abstract

Home-based learning helps sustain educational access for children and youth with special needs in geographically isolated communities, but it also places major instructional and caregiving demands on families. This quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive-correlational study examined the demographic profile, parental responsibility, parental involvement, and relationships among these variables among 14 parents supporting home-based learning in selected upland municipalities of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. A four-point questionnaire measured parental responsibility and three dimensions of involvement: home-school communication, home-based activities, and school-based activities. Most participants were female (78.57 %), while the largest age groups were 41–50 years and 51 years and above (35.71% each). Parental responsibility was high (M = 3.42), and overall parental involvement was also high (M = 3.27). Home-based activities had the highest mean (M = 3.48), followed by home-school communication (M = 3.38),  school-based activities were moderate (M = 2.96). Age was not significantly related to involvement (r = −.499, p = .069). Parental responsibility was significantly and inversely related to involvement (r = −.569, p = .034), while home-based activities were positively related to overall involvement (r = .612, p = .020). Flexible collaboration, parent training, adapted materials, and community support are recommended to reduce burden and strengthen learning outcomes.