Parental Involvement and Learning Outcomes in Rural Government Schools: A Field-Based Sociological Study

Parental involvement plays a vital role in shaping the academic and emotional development of primary school children. This paper presents a field-based sociological study conducted in a rural government school in India, focusing on the connection between parental engagement and student learning outcomes. Through direct observation as an Assistant Teacher, I examine how students from households with active parental support outperform their peers in comprehension, homework completion, and classroom confidence. The study highlights key challenges faced by rural families, including low literacy levels, time constraints due to labor-intensive work, and lack of awareness. It also discusses how school-based initiatives, Saturday activities, and community engagement programs serve to bridge the home-school gap. Using real case examples and sociological theory, the paper concludes that parental involvement is a social factor deeply tied to educational inequality and offers practical suggestions to foster inclusive learning environments in rural areas.