Essay on Barriers of Parental Involvement in Education
In order to create active partnerships with culturally- and linguistically-diverse parents and families within the school environment, it is first important for educators to understand possible barriers that may impact parent and family involvement in the school environment. Understanding these variables is an important first step so that appropriate steps can be taken to ensure that parents and families are considered when making any steps towards increasing involvement. Research indicates that several barriers may exist that limit parent and family involvement, including time, lack of access to the environment, financial constraints, and a lack of awareness of the importance of involvement (Williams & Sanchez, 2011). Principals have also indicated that the provision of parent resources, as well as community and mental health services, may also impact parent involvement in the school environment.
For this lesson, you will read two pieces of research on common barriers to parent and family involvement in schools. You will also review the findings of a large national study on parental involvement in education. As you review these materials, think of the following guiding questions:
What barriers have you seen/do you think you will see in your teaching experience?
What barriers do you think educators have the most control over impacting through their work in a classroom? What barriers might be outside of an educators’ control? Why is that an important differentiation to make?
Assigned Readings
Lynch & Hanson, Chapter 4
Hornby, G., & Lafaele, R. (2011). Barriers to parental involvement in education: An explanatory model. Educational Review, 63, 37-52.
Williams, T. T., & Sanchez, B. (2011). Identifying and decreasing barriers to parent involvement for inner-city parents. Youth & Society, 45, 54-74.
Review the findings related to parent involvement at this website: http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/frss/publications/98032/index.asp?sectionid=7
Parental engagement may relate to various actions, but it most often refers to parents’ and group members’ usage of and motivation in their children’s education. These contributions may be made both within and outside of the classroom to boost students’ development. Parental participation at home might take the form of chats about education, homework assistance, and reading aloud to youngsters. Volunteering in the classroom, attending seminars, and going to school plays and athletic activities are all examples of parental involvement at school.
