What are the Parent and Teacher Perceptions on Parental Involvement?

California State University, Dominguez Hills

LBS 303-02

Marisol Perez

December 10, 2017

 Abstract

This research paper will include the parent and teacher perceptions on parental involvement.

Parents involvement focuses on their child’s academics in the school, teacher dynamics,

extracurricular activities, and community support systems, and in homework. Teachers

perceptions focus on their point of view on parental involvement, their opinions, and the lack of

support they receive.

 Parent and Teacher Perceptions on Involvement varies as well as they share similarities.

In my research I have concluded that the child development theory that best fits is Urie

Bronfenbrenner. Bronfenbrenner theory explains how the child's environment influences their

development. The first level is the microsystem. The microsystem is the children immediate

relationships and environment that affect how the child grows. For example caregiver, school,

and daycare is apart of the microsystem. The mesosystem is what parts affect the child’s growth.

For example parent-teacher conferences will ensure the child's overall growth. The exosystem

also plays a role in the child's growth. The exosystem which means everything the child does not

interact with. The way the exosytem plays a role is if their parent gets laid off their job and

cannot pay rent that may have negative side effects on the child. In my research I explain the

perceptions of parental involvement, involvement in monitoring student academic progress,

cultivating personal relationships with teachers, extracurricular school programs, developing

community support systems, and involvement in homework. As well as teachers perceptions on

parental involvement, their opinions, and the lack of support they receive.

Parent Perception of Involvement

Parents decide whether they want to be involved in their child’s school for several

reasons. Parents see that they are inhibited by “blocked pathways, changing times, teacher-parent

communication, and parents’ trust in children's schooling”. (Lawson 2003) Parents believe

pathways are blocked because of the dynamics of their life. For example in the article by Lawson

(2003) a parent said “the moment your kid gets in trouble with the system, then you can waive

goodbye to your baby, cause the street will swallow them..” Parents all have different

perceptions of what parental involvement is. When asked what parental involvement means to
them parents answered that it was going to trips, talking to the teachers, helping out in the

classroom, and doing whatever the school asked. Parents also perceive that the schools respond

to changing times in the community. For example when a school changes policy to accommodate

the communities changing conditions they lack the affection by staff and teachers. Parents feel

that when children are punished for their negative behaviors teachers assume that it is due to the

parents responsibility and neglect. As well as parents believe that teachers start to think that they

do not love their children and the teachers reaction is to stop listening to the parents opinions.

When in reality parents have to work to support their child and do not have time to cater to their

child’s growing needs. Parents also believe that poor communication between teacher to parent is

the most important barrier between the health and wellbeing of their child. Parents think that the

reason for poor communication is because of the school itself. They believe the school should be

responsible in listening to the parents concerns. When the voices of the parents are not heard

they begin to believe that they do not want the parents involved. They believe that the school

ignores or excludes their opinions because staff members see themselves are experts. Parents are

often faced with a “no win” dilema which means that even if they voice their opinions they are

left with little to no results or options. Negative experiences put a barrier between the school and

parents. So if parents have a negative experience in a school it then parents believe that they can

not trust the school. When parents perceive that they can not trust the school it inhibits them

from becoming involved in the school. Parents start to approach the school with hostility even

when the school is trying to communicate about something positive that their child has

accomplished. However, parents also believe if there is an open communication and interactions

with the teachers then their perception will improve. To improve interactions they believe that
home visits by a school administrator or teacher are important towards solving the problem of

trust. Parental involvement is also linked to their Socioeconomic status (SES). According to

Berkowitz et al. (2017), “most parents want to be involved in their children’s education,

regardless of their SES background…low-income parents are more likely to be preoccupied with

their family’s basic financial needs before they are able to get involved in their child's schools.

These parents face barriers including non flexible work schedules, lack of resource,

transportation problems, and stress due to residing in disadvantaged neighborhoods.” As well

parents have often had fewer years of education so they feel like they are not equipped with the

information they need to be involved with school programs, meetings, or events.

Parents Parental Involvement on Monitoring Student Academic Progress, Cultivating Personal

Relationships with Teachers, Extracurricular School Programs and Developing Community

Support Systems

Parents felt that monitoring student academic progress is important to ensure that students

homework is completed and help to out when needed. As well as coaching a child at home about

taking the time to do homework is important for their success. Parents also depend on report

cards for information in regards to their child’s progress. Cultivating Personal Relationships with

teachers is important to parents because they believe their child will receive better treatment if

the teachers and faculty know that they are involved in their child’s education. They also believe

that their child’s teacher is important because teachers are the source to the child’s academic

progress. Parents believe it is important to have communication between teacher to parent and

suggest having parent-teacher conferences. Parents not only want parent-teacher conferences to

be one form of communication but they also want teachers to contact them when their child’s
performance is positive and negative. By having the teachers contact them about their child’s

positive accomplishments it gives them the opportunity to encourage and praise their child. As

well as students see that instead of children fearing a call home the can look forward to hearing a

positive call. Parents perception of extracurricular activities is to help their child develop

relationships with the members of the community. They believe that schools that offer

extracurricular activities can help them by providing hands on coaching and assistance. Parent’s

feel that finding a resource for their child to participate when they can not is a form of parental

involvement. As well as parents believe it is important to bring a mentor or adult role model into

their child’s life that can be an outlet for their child to talk to in regards to their academics and

social life. Parents perceive it is apart of parental involvement is to “take active steps to create a

supportive community environment among teachers and administrators, extracurricular program

volunteers, and parents that reinforce the positive messages parents provide their children about

education.” (Barge & Loges 2003) Parents want to be able to work with the school in order to

help their child succeed. Parents also want to strengthen the community amongst other parents.

For example they wanted to invite other parents to school events. Parents want to do this to show

that they have to take responsibility other parents children.

Parental Involvement in Homework

Parents believe that they need to be involved in their child's homework. They believe that

if they are involved then they will make a positive difference in their child's academics as well as

will influence their child to become motivated. In my research I have found that many

investigators have reported that parent’s feel that parental involvement in homework is related to

students achievement and personal success. Parents feel that they should be involved because the
school wants them to have a role in the child’s academics. However, parents themselves ignore

their personal capabilities and despite their own concerns as well as their child’s they want to

continue to be their child motivator. According to Hoover (2001), parents believe that being a

guide they will expect a positive outcome.This is called the self-efficacy theory which “suggests

that parents’ behavioral choices are guided by the outcomes they expect to follow their actions;

the stronger perceived self-efficacy for a task, the higher the goals they are likely to set and the

greater the persistence they are likely to exhibit in reaching those goals.” Hoover(2001) Parents

who have doubted themselves in their ability to help their child in homework often ignore that

they can not due to lack of academics. Another reason they get involved with homework is

because they perceive that invitations from their child or the teacher shows that they are wanted

and expected to become involved.

Teacher Parental Involvement

Just like parents, Teachers want the same outcomes for their students. Teachers

perceptions in parental involvement are similar to parents. In order to have parental involvement

there needs to be a set definition of parental involvement. Teachers want to have a positive

relationship by having an open communication.For example having parent teacher conferences,

positive and negative phone calls to monitor the students progress, and report cards to monitor

academic progress. Teachers along with parents perceive that it is important for parents to

monitor student progress by helping with homework. However, teachers look at it from a

different perspective. Teachers want parents to “provide a structure for homework, including

rewards and punishments, a place to work, and a time of day when work should be done.” (Barge

& Loges 2003) Teachers also expect parents to monitor when their child is falling below a
performance level by providing rewards and punishments. Teacher tend to perceive that parental

involvement are parents who are interested in their child education and are willing to cooperate

with the school. Teachers think if they are asked if the parents shows up to school events they are

also involved. Another way teachers see parental involvement is school-based involvement and

home based involvement. School based involvement is characterized as parents volunteering and

participating in school events. For example volunteering to go on school trips, in class, the

playground, in the cafeteria, monitoring the halls and restrooms. With school based involvement

teacher believe it can enhance students learning experiences as well as helping aif the needs of

the school and teachers. Home based involvement is geared towards home activities such as

“helping to reinforce the school's’ mission and teachers’ work practices through positive parental

social modeling.” (Lawson 2003) If teacher believe that these models are not being followed

then that is the parents lack of involvement which affects the value the child has on education.

Teachers believe that children will value education if their parents also value education. For the

parents who have no time to be involved in their child's education teacher do not make excuses

for them. Teacher believe that the lack of involvement is the parents neglecting their parental

responsibility. Another reason that teacher do not see parental involvement is that they feel they

lack the tools they need. For example teacher lack ownership over programs they believe will not

make a difference in the school for improving parental involvement. Teacher feel that they are

lonely when they are trying to plan a program that can reform parental involvement. Teacher

believe they are trying to reform all by themselves with no ones help. According to Izzo (1999)

Teachers also report that due to a lack of knowledge of the amount of parental involvement at

home it is difficult for teachers to determine what to communicate to parents.

 Urie Bronfenbrenner child development theory applies to my research because parents

believe that they see themselves as a way they can help their children grow. For example parents

believe that when they are involved in monitoring student academic progress, cultivating

personal relationships with teachers, extracurricular school programs and developing Community

support systems and homework their child will benefit from their involvement. In monitoring

student academic progress they can see how they can help their child out for example report

cards are a helpful tool where they can see visually what their child needs help. Bronfenbrenner’s

theory applies to cultivating personal relationships with the teacher because parents, teacher, and

students benefit. Teachers and parents will have a positive interaction and communication.

Positive communication and interaction will benefit the children in their academic because they

do not have to fear a phone call to their parents. Teachers are apart of first level of

Bronfenbrenner’s theory. Children spend hours with their teacher who feel they are responsible

for the academic progress. Teacher and Parents often share the similarities in parental

involvement however, parents and teacher have different perceptions of how each other have to

be involved in children academics.

 References

Barge, J., & Loges, W. (2003). Parent, Student, and Teacher Perceptions of Parental

Involvement. ​Journal of Applied Communication Research,​ ​31​(2), 140-163.

Berkowitz, R., Astor, R., Pineda, D., Depedro, K., Weiss, E., & Benbenishty, R. (2017). Parental

Involvement and Perceptions of School Climate in California. ​Urban Education,

Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., Battiato, A. C., Walker, J. T., Reed, R. P., DeJong, J. M., & Jones, K.

P. (2001). Parental Involvement in Homework. ​Educational Psychologist​, ​36​(3), 195-209.

Izzo, C., Weissberg, V., Kasprow, R., & Fendrich, P. (1999). A Longitudinal Assessment of

Teacher Perceptions of Parent Involvement in Children's Education and School Performance.

American Journal of Community Psychology,​ ​27​(6), 817-839.

Lawson, M. A. (2003). School-Family Relations In Context. ​Urban Education​, ​38​(1), 77-133.

Urie Bronfenbrenner and Child Development - Child & Adolescent Development: Overview.

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gulfbend.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=7930&cn=28