Parental involvement has a lasting impact on children's learning. As research indicates, when parents are involved in education, children become more engaged with their school work hence achieve better results. It has also been proven to have lasting economic and social benefits. Though this role evolves as children get older, parents will always remain to be models to be emulated. Their attitude towards learning can either motivate and encourage learners as they pass through the education process or dimmish their spirits. However, Turney and Kao (2009) in their article Barriers to School Involvement: Are Immigrant Parents Disadvantaged? and Peña (2000), Parent Involvement: Influencing Factors and Implications, agree that immigrant parents experience an individual, cultural and integral impediments which hinder them from engaging actively in their kid’s learning process. Though the authors agree migrant caregivers are often disadvantaged in their youngster’s education involvement, Pena noted that simple misunderstandings lead to these barriers . Through this essay, I will first be comparing the relationship between the two articles and how they relate to one another. Then, I will also focus on the differences and examine whether their findings contradict with one another. As a conclusion, I will highlight the gaps in their research and suggestions for further studies.
In their Study, Turney and Kao utilized data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (National Center for Education Statistics, 2001) to determine the different barriers that race and ethnicity create for parents in their children’s education involvement. They also compared their findings with previous research. From their study, through minority parents encounter different barriers with varying severity, it significantly affected their participation capacity. Some of these barriers included language and cultural barrier, inconvenient meeting times, lack of childcare, not feeling welcomed by schools, issues with transportation and failing to get time off work. More than 51% of parents reported that work schedules were the central obstacle, 2% had safety issues with getting to school, 4% experienced transportation issues. They also identified that available resources and opportunities determine parent involvement. For instance, higher-income earning, and more educated parents are more involved compared to low-income ones.
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Pena (2000), on the other hand, carried out qualitative research on Mexican American parents' participation. She used a case study approach of an elementary school with a extensive population of Mexican American families. Her study aimed at identifying some of the barriers that Mexican Americans face in their children education involvement. From her case study, she determined that some of the factors affecting their participation included language barrier, parental circles, limited levels of education, school staff attitude, cultural differences and family issues. Though parents’ involvement has many benefits, she recognized that some Mexican American parents do not understand the need to be involved in their children’s education. She also offers insights on ways that parent involvement can be improved and other types of participation that go unrecognized.
Although parent involvement in education is beneficial to the children and the school at large, immigrant parents do not fully participate due to varying barriers that can hardly be avoided. Parent involvement is a social capital which impacts a learner's outcome, as Turney and Kao (2009) observed. When a parent is involved in education, it sends a message to the children that learning is essential; hence they are more likely to value it more. As a result, it produces measurable benefits to the learner’s academic achievement as Pena (2000) concurs. Consequently, parental involvement offers an opportunity for parents to share ideas with other parents, teachers and the administration on strategies to better their children's performance. They are, therefore in a better position to provide the necessary help to their children in regards to their leaning. Also, having a long-lasting and all-inclusive relationship with parents will ensure the success of a school because they provide valuable resources like volunteer time. As Pena (2000) observed, schools that encourage parent involvement often have a better performance than them with little participation. Some of these critical barriers include language, limited educational background and parent’s perception regarding school experiences. Despite originating from countries where English is an official language, they had a second language which they are accustomed to. School activities and programs, on the other hand, are facilitated in English, which becomes a barrier. As Pena (2000) notes, Hispanics especially Mexicans reported language barrier as the primary hindrance, which prevents their involvement.
Differences in values, beliefs, culture, and way of life act as a barrier in parents’ involvement. Often, minority parents feel fearful of school staff, principals, teachers and the school structure (Turney and Kao,2009). It has significantly affected by their previous negative experience with the school. They feel awkward approaching any school workforce. Pena (2000) agrees with the same findings as she observed that both school staff and immigrant parents have inadequate skills and knowledge for efficient interactions. The cultural difference between teachers and minority parents also limits this involvement. Hispanic parents tend to be more distinct, trusting and uncomfortable with teachers than African Americans and Caucasians. Pena (2000) adds that they prefer to maintain a distance from the education system as school is an establishment lead by non-Hispanics who are not sensitive to the minority communities in language and culture.
On the contrary, Pena (2000) observed that parents and teachers do not agree on the importance of various parents’ roles. Teachers and the administration have failed to acknowledge the value of meeting and involving parents. When they fail to include parents, teachers, therefore, have a tendency to stereotype them. That is rating less-educated parents as not helpful nor concerned in their children's education. In her study, Pena (2000) discovered that the PTO members consisted of the same people who were predominantly English and Spanish speakers. Also, teachers interpret their involvement as the extent of their care. Such a difference in perception and culture creates a barrier in a parents' participation. Therefore, parent participation was affected by basic misunderstandings which happen when school workers assume that parents understand every school procedure and practices. It in contrast with Turney and Kao (2009) who identified that work schedules were the primary barrier to parent's participation.
Parent participation is critical in a child's education. However, attending school programs and activities and meeting teachers should not be a determining factor of an actively participating parent. Some students still achieve academic success despite their parents not showing up in every school activity. It means they have other alternatives of being involved like helping in homework, providing a conducive and peaceful learning environment at home, driving them to extra-curricular activities and providing all their needs. Such support also impacts a student's performance. These involvements should also be recognized as impactful rather than assuming a parent's absence means being uninvolved. Therefore, more research should be dedicated to evaluating the barriers that natives encounter in school involvement as parents. It will provide an in-depth understanding that parent participation in the education journey is challenging to parents as a whole. Also, discovering ways of improving involvement is important to bridge the gap between parents and the administration.
References
Peña, C. D., 2000. Parent Involvement: Influencing Factors and Implications. The Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 94, No. 1 (Sep. - Oct. 2000), pp. 42-54. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27542302
Turney, K., & Kao, G., 2009. Barriers to School Involvement: Are Immigrant Parents Disadvantaged? The Journal of Educational Research, 102(4), 257-271. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40539721
