Abstract:
Introduction: Parental involvement in the academic lives of undergraduate students is a
multifaceted phenomenon influenced by various factors. As students navigate their
educational journey, the level of engagement from parents can play a pivotal role in
shaping outcomes. Parental involvement takes on various forms of offering guidance and
emotional support and providing financial resources. Well-established parental support
during the university years can positively influence on academic achievement and personal
development.
Objective: To assess the influence of sociodemographic factors on parental involvement
in the academic lives of undergraduate students at University of Jaffna.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 426
undergraduates, who were studying in the selected faculties and units at the University of
Jaffna from January 2023 to November 2023. The relevant data was collected using a self-
administered questionnaire and data analysis was done using SPSS 25. To assess the
significance of sociodemographic factors on parental involvement levels among University
of Jaffna students, a Chi-square test was conducted.
Results: Among the 426 participants, nearly two-thirds of them were females (62.2%) and
the majority of them (63.6%) were under the age of 24 years. The age range of the
participants was 21 to 28 years and the mean age of 23.45 (SD±1.832). Tamil: Sinhala
students’ ratio was 3:1. Among the 426 participants, 41.5% were staying at the University
Hostel, 34.5% were staying in the Boarding House, and 23.9% were staying with their
parents. More than half of them (58.5%) had a good level of parental involvement while
24.2% had an excellent level of parental involvement. Among sociodemographic factors,
gender, ethnicity, faculty, academic year, and current residence were significantly
associated (p<0.05) with parental involvement.
Conclusion: Parental involvement of the parents of these populations is very high. The
study recommends that parental involvement can be focused on establishing clear
communication channels, organizing orientation programs for parents, and creating
platforms for ongoing collaboration between parents and the university to support students’
holistic.
