International Handbook of Early Childhood Education by Marilyn Fleer & Bert van Oers

Author:Marilyn Fleer & Bert van Oers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht

37.3 Implications for Theory, Research, and Practice

The underlying principle associated with the expanded view of US parent involvement discussed in this chapter is that all parents are involved in their children’s learning in some manner and want their children to be successful in school. The studies we refer to, as well as many others, collectively show that parents of diverse education levels, economic backgrounds, or cultural backgrounds in the United States are involved in their children’s learning at home. These studies also collectively suggest that the defining factor in parents’ involvement at school is the schools’ effort to not only involve but also to understand the varied contributions of families. However, despite the argument in support of an expanded view of parent involvement, a more limited view continues to exist in the realms of both research and practice in the United States. With this disconnect as well as these guiding assumptions in mind, we outline a selection of implications for research and practice that grow from the expanded view of parent involvement presented in this chapter.

In consideration of the goal to affect the manner in which schools, families, and communities practice family involvement, it is necessary to expand how involvement in the United States is defined in relevant research. While typologies have proven their usefulness, there are some overall characteristics to consider as we work to expand our conceptualizations of involvement that follow recommendations of various researchers and authors (e.g., Cooper 2009; Doucet 2008; Graue and Hawkins 2010; Henderson and Mapp 2002, 2003).

The first characteristic to consider is that involvement is a relational concept. As noted by Graue and Hawkins (2010), relationships are collaborative, built over time, and, to be positive, require consideration and effort by all of those involved. In other words, it is unfair to expect a relationship, professional or personal, to exist without time and effort. Considering involvement as a relationship, it is then unfair to expect involvement to take place without taking the time and effort to understand each other’s experiences, knowledge, and values to support children’s learning and growth, as well.

A second characteristic to consider is that parent involvement is culturally driven. A number of studies described in this chapter (e.g., Doucet 2008; Graue and Hawkins 2010; Henderson and Mapp 2002; Lareau and Horvat 1999; López and Stoelting 2010) have demonstrated that involvement in the United States is often measured through the lens of a school culture that assumes universality in participation of its families, which leads to many involvement efforts going unnoticed. In turn, the manner in which people are perceived and treated at both the societal and school level affects the ways they become involved (Hoover-Dempsey et al. 2005a, b). Therefore, it is evident that investigations of involvement must consider the cultural variations of the parents and children, especially given the diversity present in the United States’ population.

Third, by considering the relational and cultural aspects of parent involvement in the United States, investigations would also recognize its dynamic nature. Collaborations between parents, students,

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