Families and schools working together: A study of parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of parental involvement in education in two Fredericton, New Brunswick, middle schools
by Caines, Paul Vernon, M.Ed., The University of New Brunswick (Canada), 2000, 155 pages
Newspapers, magazines, and governments continually describe and demand increased family participation in the education of their children as a universal remedy for many educational dilemmas. In fact, much research has established a clear link between family involvement in education and student achievement. Despite this recognized value, we seldom hear about the daily problems associated with involving parents in the educational process. The purpose of this study was to explore how parents are currently involved in their children’s education and elicit the attitudes and perceptions of both parents and teachers concerning what constitutes parental involvement in education. 1219 parents and 68 teachers were surveyed at two middle schools in Fredericton, New Brunswick, about parental involvement in education. Data were gathered using parent and teacher questionnaires adapted from the work of Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University. In addition, focus group interviews were used to confirm and extend the quantitative to confirm and extend the quantitative findings.
This research also serves as an effective guide for targeting specific areas where intervention is needed to improve parental involvement in their children’s education.
See also the article by the same author in Principals Online