The impact of parental involvement on sustainable school in improving educational quality: a systematic review

Abstract This systematic literature review (SLR) examines the ways in which parental involvement enhances educational quality and school sustainability during the last ten years. A thorough search of six academic databases yielded 39 peer-reviewed publications using the PRISMA framework. Combining automated theme mapping with Leximancer and theoretical framework-informed manual coding, the analysis ensured both interpretative depth and computational breadth. The findings show that when parental involvement is expanded beyond standard communication to include co-governance, socioemotional support, and digital collaboration, it enhances student outcomes, institutional resilience, and inclusive practices. According to the data, which is framed within systemic and ecological perspectives, parental involvement improves schools’ ability to adapt to the varied demands of the community while also reinforcing academic accomplishment. However, enduring obstacles, such as socioeconomic disparity, cultural misalignments, and disjointed regulations, continue to restrict equitable participation, especially in environments with limited resources and a varied population. An intersectional viewpoint that is still under-represented in the literature is advanced by this review’s integration of the cultural, digital, and emotional aspects of parental participation. Cross-cultural studies in under-represented areas, as well as longitudinal and mixed-methods designs to investigate causal pathways, could be beneficial for future study. Strengthening family-school connections and advancing sustainable education systems will require special attention to equity-driven, context-responsive, and technology-enabled solutions.