Barriers To Parental Involvement

Significance of Parental Involvement to Student Achievement Education is one of the basic rights of a person and improving the state of education has become the priority for almost all nations. Innovations in teaching lessons such as the use of computers and multimedia became an established way in achieving quality education. However, improving the state of education does not solely rely on new technologies and better books or other utilities.

Research done by the United States Department of Education in 1994 showed that parental involvement in a child’s learning can have greatly decrease drop-out rates in schools and have positive effects on a child’s achievement (Educational Resources Information Center, 1998, p. 1). Involvement of parents can be defined as the inclusion of dyadic relationships between the child, parent, teacher or the child’s legal guardian (Edgrowth, http://www. edgrowth. com/p2. html).

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Parental involvement that can enforce positive effects on a student’s performance can also be classified into different types. The three broad types that are often used to categorize parental involvement are “at home” or “at school”. At home parental involvement means that the activities the parent’s take part in are limited to school works that are brought home such as home works or school projects. The second type of parental involvement is at school which basically means that the parents are involved in school activities (Patrikaku, 2005, 8).

Another type of parental involvement is through advocacy activities such as being a member of PTA/PTO organizations and other organizations which greatly boost the representation of parents and students in the school and community (Chavkin, 1993, p. 191). Since the early 1980s, the United States has stressed the importance of parental involvement in children’s development. In order to stress out the importance of this involvement, many states in America enacted legislations that will increase the involvement of parents in school programs.

Some of these legislations are in Connecticut, Michigan, Ohio and South Carolina. These states require the student’s parent or guardian to be actively involved in school activities. They also require the parents or guardians to record and report the activities they do with their child (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2006, p. 152). The greatest gains that can be made when parents are involved in their children’s learning can be achieved when the parent’s are not only mere supporters but also if they are greatly involved in the activities.

Deep involvement means that the parent’s not only supervise the children but also act as tutors when the children are at home. (Hornby, 2000, p. 3). Therefore the establishment of extensive parental involvement is a very important element in maintaining and securing the effectiveness of quality education. Numerous benefits of involving parents in a student’s learning justify why this kind of involvement is important. Research done in the United States show that when parents play a role in their child’s education, the students do not only benefit academically but also socially.

The research also showed that family income and social status are not accurate indicators of whether a student will succeed. (Franklin, et. al. , 2006, p. 630). The environment that a family creates when they are involved in a student’s learning makes a student want to achieve more. Also, when they support and express high expectations from their children’s education, the children tend to achieve more. Additionally, children learn the value of their achievements no matter how big or small it is therefore encouraging them to be proud of who they are.

Other researchers were able to deduce that parental involvement is directly related to student achievement. The students who had their parents involved in their education were observed to have better performance in school. The students had better attendance and decreased drop-out rates. The attitudes and behaviors of the students were also improved. School bullying was not observed from the students who are effectively guided by their parents (Hawes, et. al. , 2001, p. 742). When a parent guides their child in school through positive involvement, the child also learns how to be responsible and have good leadership skills.

Studies show that the ability to make wise decisions start from decisions that are made within the family. Therefore if a child is taught wisely, the child will be able to make sound decisions when he is at school and especially when he grows up (Michigan Department of Education, 2010l). From the very early stages of studying, parental participation deeply enhances the academic achievement as well as a child’s adjustment in school. It also allows students to have better opportunities to cultivate scholastic and social skills.

These skills if developed well will be helpful in later school success and long-term cognitive benefits (Wong, K. , et. al. , 2002, p. 184). Importance of parental involvement is also highlighted because students whose parents are involved in school have good discipline at school and have better communications with their teachers. Unlike other students who disobey their teachers and do not behave well in class, these students do not get detentions often. They also respect their teachers like how they respect their parents (Va Educational Research Service (Arlington), 1997, p. 7).

School administrators also refrain from unsatisfactory work when it comes to monitoring children. Indeed parental involvement is very significant in a student’s development and their achievement. Its importance is proven by numerous studies done not only in the United States but also in other countries. Its significance encourages more schools to pursue their students’ parents to become more actively involved in school activities. It also makes communication between school and the parents better. Children are undoubtedly stimulated to achieve more and do well in school. Socio-Economic Barriers

Making majority of parents involved in the children’s education is not an easy task for educators. There are many impediments in parental involvement that school administrators face. Though there are legislations made for this, barriers such as socio-economic factors are not easily eradicated. Socio-economic status or SES can be defined as an individual or family’s social and economic position that is basically based on the family income and occupation, parental education level, and social status in the community (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, http://www.

ncrel. org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/earlycld/ea7lk5. htm). Students who belong in lower socio-economic class or the working class have lesser parental involvement than those who belong in the upper socio-economic class. This is partly because the parents of the latter spend more time with their children than those from the lower social class. Parents who are not very affluent spend majority of their time at work therefore reducing the time that is supposed to be spent guiding their children (King. W. , 1999, p. 64).

Working class parents also refrain from developing communication relationships with their child’s teachers thus resulting in lack of information when it comes to school activities and happenings inside the classroom (Galen, J. , et. al. , 2007, p. 169). Another barrier in parental involvement that is related to the socio-economic status of a parent is when school administrators favor students whose parents are more supportive of school policies. These parents give more to school projects in terms of monetary donations therefore making them more actively participate in school.

Also, there are cases where in students from disadvantaged families experience double jeopardy in school. The “double jeopardy” happens when students who have low socio-economic status live in disadvantaged communities and are also doubly inclined to attend disadvantaged schools. Though they can choose to attend better schools, they are sometimes segregated by these advantaged schools therefore discouraging them from doing better in class. Segregation happens when the said schools choose the most able youth in school activities thus neglecting other students (Richardson, S. , et. al. , 2005, p.

213). Another study showed that parents who live in communities with poor socio-economic status are not very easy to reach in terms of communication (Van Wyk, et. al. , 2008, p. 17). They either settle in different places in a short-p of time partly because they do not have sufficient financial resources. Some are difficult to reach because they deem parental involvement in school as a waste of time and that they should be earning money for their family than attending school functions. Lack of access to financial resources is seen to be a growing problem in schools today (Thomas, L. , et. al.

, 2007, p. 68). Cost of education is slowly increasing and some parents choose to have their children out of school in order to meet the demands of their basic needs. When this happens, the number of out-of-school children increases. Thus, the needed opinion from parents to make the quality of education better is not given. When a certain family belongs in a community from a low socio-economic status, they tend to feel isolated because of poverty and unemployment. This social isolation will have a negative impact on the parents’ and children’s socialization skills especially to the school (Lyman, R.

, et. al. , 1989, p. 211). Some parents express fear about communicating with teachers because they are afraid that they will be treated fairly by teachers. Discrimination or unfair treatment due to their class is also feared by parents from low socio-economic background. Additionally, depending on the socio-economic background of the parent, they may adapt well to the advocacies done by the school and the activities performed by schools (Porter, L. , 2008, p. 35). They can either choose to easily accept these school policies or not and this will greatly affect the success of parental involvement.

Language Barriers The use of languages sets humans apart from other living organisms. It is a vital tool that is utilized to communicate with others and understand each other. However, because of the many different spoken languages, people from different nationalities find it difficult to reach each other. In case of parental involvement, language is also another barrier in achieving the benefits of parental involvement. School activities such as Parent-Teacher Association meetings are deemed important in involving parents in the child’s school.

It is one way to let the parents know of the problems of the school and the students and how they can help the school solve these issues (Struck, D. , 1995, p. 17). However, when meetings are held in a school that caters to widely diverse nationalities, language is a problem. Not everybody speaks and comprehends one language, therefore making understanding difficult. Parents who belong to the minority or other nationality for example Asians feel that it may be disrespectful if they will talk to teachers and not be able to fully understand what the teacher is saying (Diane Publishing, 1998, p. 21).

Minority parents also feel awkward when approaching teachers and other staff from their children’s school because they feel that they will not be able to understand each other. There are also instances where in because of the language barrier, parents from the minority are no longer invited to attend school activities because instead of making understandings, more arguments are made (Rockwell, R. , et. al. , 2009, p. 95). Though there are translations services offered by some schools that advocate parental involvement school, difference in language is not that easily overcome by some school administrators (Funkhouser, J.

, 1997, p. xlv). This is because translators are unable to translate all languages that may be used by parents. Additionally, not all parents, especially from the minority are not that welcome to the idea that someone is translating for them. School Receptivity The school’s receptivity also plays as a factor in the success of parental involvement. If the school welcomes the parents well and if they are open to the opinions of the parents, hindrances to parental involvement will be avoided. School receptivity is, based on researches found to be a great predictor of how willing school’s are (Robinson, E.

, 2007, p. 11). However, not all schools are very receptive to parents at school. Research showed that there were teachers who did not communicate well with parents thus resulting to too many miscommunications (Nelson, G. , 2005, p. 253). Projects that were started both by the school and the parents in order to guide students failed. Because of this, some schools refrain from involving parents too much in school activities and other advocacies. Family members and school personnel are the people responsible for a child’s education.

Aside from this, these people also contribute to the betterment of the educational process (Hiatt-Michael, D. , 2010, p. 4). Their receptivity towards each other is fundamental to the construction of a child’s knowledge. The greater the receptivity, the better the relationship between the parents and the school is and better decisions will be made for the benefit of the students. As mentioned before, there are parents who are afraid of talking with teachers because of socio economic and language barriers. The same goes with school administrators and other school personnel.

Some of them do not accept much of the parent’s involvement in teaching students for this may cause confusion in the part of the students. Indeed, school receptivity is a major factor in the implementation of parental involvement in a child’s study. Even if there are numerous laws or regulations that encourage parents to be involved in schools, if the school itself is not receptive to these policies, the parents’ effort to support their children’s education will all prove to be futile. Parent Aspirations As parents, it is only natural for them to aspire for something good for the future of their children.

In order to prepare them for it, they send them to the best schools, give them the best resources that they can afford and guide them very well on what decisions should be made. Their involvement in the children’s school is also another method of preparing their children that better future. Through proper academic encouragement, parents can greatly help their children achieve in school (Valencia, R. R. , 2002, p. 125). However in cases of disadvantaged families, their aspirations for their children might lack and result to the student’s poor performance in school.

Because of their status they tend to be more negative that parents who are affluent or parents who are not that disadvantaged. Parents from disadvantaged families are by research more pessimistic than those who are not disadvantaged (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2010, p. 179). Parents who are from poor families also have the tendency to settle for less than ambition for something great. When they let their children attend school, they do not pursue a college degree because they think that graduating from secondary school is enough to get a decent job (Combat Poverty Agency, 1999, p.

10). When these parents do not have high aspirations for themselves or their children, they also refrain from being involved in school activities. They think that it is just a waste of time and that it will not be necessary in finding decent jobs in the future. They also do not want to be involved in their children’s school because they might have experienced something negative which led to their low aspirations in life. On the other hand, if the parents, even if they belong in a disadvantaged family, have high aspirations for their children, then their involvement in the school will be high.

This will lead to their children’s high achievements and to do well in school. Additional Barriers Aside from the barriers to parental involvement mentioned above, there are still more problems that serves as hindrances to parental involvement for disadvantaged families. These barriers are the reasons why parental involvement is not that effective in some schools. If not dealt with properly, both y the school and the parents, the construction of education of the student will be gravely affected. The structure of the family can be considered as another barrier in parental involvement especially for disadvantaged families.

For an instance, if the family belongs to the single-parent structure, then it will be difficult for the parent to be involved in school activities. It will also be hard for her to teach the children after school because the said parent will be performing the roles of two parents at a single time (Callison, W. , 2004, p. 2). The working schedule of the parent is also another barrier in parental involvement. If the parent is working full time, then it will be difficult for them to be involved in school activities which aim to give their children better education.

Meetings such as PTA meetings will clash with their work scheduled and they will have to sacrifice one or the other based on their time schedule. If they belong to a lower socio-economic class or from a disadvantaged family then they will surely choose their work because making money for their family will be their utmost priority. Other children in the family can also be another barrier in parental involvement. There are cases where in the disadvantaged family has too many children. Because of this, they cannot focus on the welfare of one child alone.

They sometimes neglect or sacrifice the education of their other children to give way to their younger children. They cannot support the school’s advocacies because they have other things to do for their other children (Openshaw, L. , 2007, p. 60). For disadvantaged families who came from other countries or are immigrants, cultural differences may be a barrier for them. What they are used to do in their home country may vary on the place they currently reside in. Miscommunications will be the result of cultural differences between the parent and the teachers.

What the teacher will say might mean entirely different to the parent based on the culture he grew up in. Elderly parents or guardians can be another barrier in parental involvement especially for disadvantaged families. Elderly people are sometimes too conservatives when it comes to changes in policies or how things are ruled. When the school wants a new regulation that will be for the welfare of the students, there is a chance that they might resist this change. Instead of helping the school to provide better services, their being conservative will only hinder the positive changes enforced.

Transportation can also be considered as another barrier in parental involvement. For disadvantaged families especially, spending money on transportation to go to their child’s school can be called luxury. They might be unable to afford transportation so they will just skip the meetings or other advocacies implemented by the school. Negative or other traumatic experiences that a parent had when they were at school can be another barrier for parental involvement. Due to the negative experiences they had when they were students, they might shun connection with schools when they grow up.

More often than not, parents send their children to schools they went to when they were younger. Though the staff that administers the school may be different during their children’s time, the trauma brought about by their negative experiences may result in their refusal to be involved in the school again. Indeed there are more barriers to parental involvement especially for disadvantaged families that are being discovered by studies done by experts. Unless they are dealt with properly, implementation of parental involvement in schools will not be successful. References Callison, W. (2004). Raising test scores using parent involvement.

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Franklin, C. , Harris, M. , et. al. (2006). The school services sourcebook: a guide for school- based professionals. New York: Oxford University Press. Funkhouser, J. (1997). Family Involvement in Children’s Education. Washington D. C: DIANE Publishing. Galen, J. , et. al. (2007). Late to class: social class and schooling in the new economy. New York: SUNY Press. Hawes, J. , Shores, E. (2001). The family in America: an encyclopedia, Volume 1. California: ABC-CLIO. Hiatt-Michael, D. (2010). Promising Practices to Support Family Involvement in Schools (PB). New York: Information Age Publishing. Hornby, G. (2000).

Improving Parental Involvement. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group. King, W. (1999). Looking into the lives of children: a worldwide view. Australia: James Nicholas Publishers. Lyman, R. D. , (1989). Residential and inpatient treatment of children and adolescents. New York: Springer. Michigan Department of Education. Parent Involvement = Student Achievement. Retrieved August 22, 2010, from http://www. michigan. gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-5233-23090--,00. html Nelson, G. (2005). Partnerships for prevention: the story of the Highfield Community Enrichment Project. Canada: University of Toronto Press.

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