World Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2016, Vol. 2, No. 3, 93-101 Available online at http://pubs.sciepub.com/wjssh/2/3/2 ©Science and Education Publishing DOI:10.12691/wjssh-2-3-2 Parental Participation on Academic Performance and Graduation of Male Students: A Case Study of A University in Western Region of Kenya Mettoh J. Hellen 1,* , Khamasi W. Jeniffer 2 , Kisilu M. Kitainge 3 1 P.O. Box 1031-30300, Kapsabet, Kenya 2 P. O. Box 657-10100, Nyeri, Kenya 3 P. O. Box1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya *Corresponding author: hellenmettoh@gmail.com Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate ways in which parental participation affects academic performance and graduation of male students from a university in Western region of Kenya. The objective of this study was to investigate ways in which parental participation affects academic performance and graduation of male university students. This qualitative study was informed by relativist ontology and constructivist epistemology. Case study was the methodology adopted while phenomenology was the theoretical perspective that informed the study. Unstructured interviews and journal keeping were used in data collection. Six participants were engaged in the study and since the study was purposive, the assistance from male hostels caretaker’s office was sought to help identify the participants who met the target. Ethical considerations were observed throughout the study. Data was analyzed thematically and the results were presented as reported by the respondents with the aid of thematic networks. The study findings revealed that there was poor communication between parents and their sons where participants perceived their parents as frustrating in the sense that they were subjugating, heartless, they left them to survive on their own and that they were disappointing. In conclusion, parental participation in this study was found to be wanting. Parents ought to be concerned with issues affecting their sons so that they can offer genuine support and understanding. Parents also ought to have open forums with the university administration to enable them have close monitoring of the students’ academic affairs. The recommendations of the study would provide the university management and stakeholders with vital information on the need to set time frame for completion of studies. The findings and recommendations of this study would also add to existing reference for future researchers and readers. Keywords: male students, university, parental participation, academic performance and graduation Cite This Article: Mettoh J. Hellen, Khamasi W. Jeniffer, and Kisilu M. Kitainge, “Parental Participation on Academic Performance and Graduation of Male Students: A Case Study of A University in Western Region of Kenya.” World Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, vol. 2, no. 3 (2016): 93-101. doi: 10.12691/wjssh-2-3-2. 1. Introduction Parental participation in this context is the influence from parents that was perceived by the male students to negatively affect their academic performance. While education is important, academic performance is paramount to a student's life [1]. While there is a good deal of research on what happens inside schools [2,3,4,5], little attention is paid to parental participation, and how these concerns impact on the academic performance and graduation of male university students especially in Kenya. Parents play a key role in the academic performance of their children [6]. Besides, the school administration and other stakeholders through Parents Teachers Association- PTA and local meetings should sensitize parents on their responsibility in their children’s education to avoid putting the entire blame on teachers when their children fail to perform well in schools [7]. Indeed paying fees is not enough and parents ought to focus on their input on the academic performance of their children and particularly their sons before they can point a finger at teachers. Adults have also failed to provide models of maturity [8]. Students who drop out often feel that teachers, administrators, and others are not interested in them [9]. A lot has been said about the girl child in Kenya as supported by some writers who argue that earlier on, efforts were directed to the empowerment of the girl child who was going through a lot of gender discrimination and while that was happening, the boy child was being disadvantaged [8]. The challenges facing the boy child have been identified as lack of guidance and counseling …weak family institutions, corporal punishment and negative parental attitude [10]. When children especially sons do realize that the father is not bothered in their wellbeing, they tend to adopt a non-caring attitude on important matters affecting their lives like academic work. The more parents are involved in their children’s learning, the higher the performance and that this position holds true for all types of parental involvement in their children’s learning and for all types