Exploring the challenge of involving Latino parents in the school system
Date
2009
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Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology was to explore the educational experiences of Latino parents and how that may have impacted their views of education and their roles/participation in their offspring's education. By exploring these views, the hope was that ideas would be generated that might increase Latino parents involvement in their children's education. By asking about the educational experiences of Latino parents, their value of education and their view of participation in their children's education were assessed. The interviews were conducted face-to-face with the assistance of an interpreter. Several emerging themes were identified and explored with the two most prominent ones being that of language barriers and definition of involvement. During the course of the interview process, the researcher was cast in the role of an outsider whose lack of language skills inhibited involvement. In that experience, the researcher came to more fully understand how language barriers can isolate and remove one's personal power. The discussions also brought out the differences in terms of what involvement in a child's education meant to those who had been schooled in a different culture. In addition, the reality of life's demands came to the forefront in terms of learning a second language so that a broader participation could happen. The resulting understanding forged a number of recommendations that might help schools with high percentages of English Language Learners (ELL) invite more parental participation and, thereby, increase the chance of greater student achievement in these populations. First, schools must offer a means for communication with offerings considering the needs of both sides: the parents who do not speak English and the teachers who do not speak Spanish. Second, setting up dual language opportunities in the classroom will certainly encourage additional Latino parent involvement. And, third, there must also be a revision of expectations for involvement so that parents more easily feel they are part of the system. This requires a new look at what involvement means.
Description
Rights Access
Subject
dropout prevention
Latino
Latino parents
parent involvement
student achievement
bilingual education
Hispanic American studies
parents and parenting
school systems