Abstract
The study used phenomenological research design through unstructured guide questions for interviews and focus group discussion (FGD) to gather qualitative data on the parental involvement factors that influence the writing skills development of Grade 1 learners. The participants of the study were seven (7) selected parents of Grade 1 pupils who were identified having difficulty in writing after giving them writing exercises. Based on the findings, it appears that inconsistent contact time with children was the major theme that influenced parents’ involvement in their children’s writing skills. Regarding the challenges and difficulties that parents faced in developing Grade 1 pupils’ writing skills, the study identified three major themes with nine subthemes. The major theme, attention problems, highlights the difficulties children face in getting started on writing exercises, maintaining focus during writing tasks, and experiencing mental fatigue while writing. The subthemes within this major theme indicate that children may require more support in staying focused and motivated during writing activities. The second major theme, spatial ordering problems, highlights issues with children’s handwriting and spacing between letters, which can lead to misspelled words. This theme indicates that parents may need to provide more support in helping their children develop proper letter formation while writing. Lastly, the last major theme, sequential ordering problem, highlights issues related to letter formation, transposed letters and spelling omissions, and a lack of transition. In general, findings highlighted the importance of consistent parental involvement in supporting their children’s writing skills.
Keywords: Parental Involvement, Children’s Writing Skills, Parent’s Lived Experiences, Learners
*This paper is presented at the 4th International Conference on Multidisciplinary Industry and Academic Research (ICMIAR) 2023
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