The International Observatory on Academic Achievement - Documentary search

File number :
CS-CEFC-22e

Bibliographic reference :
Akkari, A. (1999). Participation des parents au processus de scolarisation : recherches, modèles d’action et débats théoriques. Journal of Educational Thought, 33(3), 231-253.

Abstract :

This article synthesizes the main studies that examined parental involvement in the schooling process. First, the evolution of the parental role is presented; next, an account is given on research work conducted on this topic, for the most part in the United States. In addition, the issue of the critical role played by teachers is addressed.

Evolution of the Parental Role
When mandatory schooling was introduced, the debate on the place of parents in their children’s schooling was already well underway. For instance, at the beginning of the last century, some were against homework; it was believed that parents, deemed not competent enough, could jeopardize the benefits of schoolwork.

With the development of educational psychology in the early 1950s, the family and school spheres were increasingly considered as complementary. The implementation of the Head Start project in the United States is a suitable example. During this period, the influence of certain family factors on academic achievement was recognized; for instance, the influence of socio-economic status was emphasized by Coleman. Nowadays, parental involvement is viewed favourably and has become the object of many research projects aimed at optimizing its effects.

Three Main Research Trends
The first trend is pragmatic in that it identifies parental involvement as a key factor in a child’s academic achievement. This trend particularly helped to improve communication among the different players involved by promoting the benefits of socio-pedagogical efforts.

The second trend is sociologically-focused on school discrimination against minority-group or low-income parents. It explores the underlying reasons for these families’ lack of involvement, not necessarily related to a lack of interest (e.g., insufficient understanding of school functioning). This trend highlights the cultural inequalities of families with regard to school.

The third trend focuses on the longitudinal observation of relationships between school and family. It helped identify certain family features that make a difference in youth academic achievement. For instance, a home curriculum matching that of the school appears to be much more determining for academic achievement than socio-economic status.

Typologies of Parental Involvement
Models and typologies were developed to facilitate the analysis of parent-school relationships:
The protective model, where schools protect themselves from parental influence and are solely responsible for education;
The school-to-home transmission model, where parents and schools communicate with each other;
The family impact model, where schools contact families directly (e.g. home visits);
The school impact model, where parents are involved in school activities;
The community impact model, where community resources serve the school-family-community partnership.

Epstein’s typology identifies six types of school-family cooperation: (1) parenting; (2) school-family communication; (3) parental involvement in school activities (volunteering); (4) home learning activities; (5) decision-making; and (6) cooperation with the community.

Lastly, three areas of activity can be identified with regard to school-parent relationships: (1) monitoring of children’s schooling; (2) interactive feedback; and (3) organizational communication.

Parental involvement can occur at two levels, i.e. pedagogical and institutional, and in two ways, i.e., natural involvement (e.g., socio-cultural belonging) and encouraged involvement (invitations from the school).

Role of Teachers
There can be no doubt about the importance of the role of teachers in school-parent cooperation. To ensure productive cooperation, the school and family spheres must agree on three main counts: (1) ensuring academic achievement for all students; (2) serving children on the whole (e.g., social, emotional and educational development); and (3) sharing responsibilities. Finally, the author emphasized the importance of making teachers more sensitive to the need for parental involvement in school and various means to encourage their engagement.

Links :
This journal is available in electronic format. Publisher’s Website Address:
http://education.ucalgary.ca/dean/htdocs/pages/item.php?id=50"

Key Words :
Parental Involvement, Evolution of Parental Role, Educational Psychology, Typology of Parental Involvement, Parent-teacher Communication, Teachers’ Role, Socio-economic Status, Cultural Inequalities, Educational Inequalities, Synthesis, Newsletter12