Parent-School Partnership: Perspectives Of Australian School Career And Pathway Transition Leaders On Parental Involvement In Student Subject Choice

Author(s):

Sarika Kewalramani(presenting / submitting)Sivanes Phillipson(presenting)

Conference:

ECER 2016

Network:

14. Communities, Families and Schooling in Educational Research

Format:

Paper

Session Information

14 SES 02 B, Parent-school Partnerships: From Parental Involvement to Homeschooling

Paper Session

Time:

2016-08-23

15:15-16:45

Room:

OB-Theatre B

Chair:

Angelika Paseka

Contribution

Research overview

Families and schools mutually exert a significant influence on children’s educational success. Despite a seeming consensus in the literature around the importance of family–school connections, there is less agreement surrounding how these acquaintances inclusive of parental background, familial practices and beliefs about education, parental aspirations and expectations can influence their child’s subject and career choice decisions.

Given the wealth of research devoted to the activities in which parents engage at home and school (eg: homework, readings, attending parent–teacher conferences) or the efforts teachers make to involve parents, aspects of parent–child interaction quality, such as communication, have been shown to mediate the experiences children absorb and assimilate while making subject choices (Sheridan et al. 2012; Fantuzzo et al. 2004). Indeed, the focus on parent–school collaboration can currently be observed in a number of recent international initiatives (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2012) as well as German initiatives (Sachver-standigenrat Migration Und Bildung, 2012) that are focussed on enabling parents from less-well-educated background to acquire the necessary information and competencies to better support their children educational careers. These kinds of arguments highlight gaps in policies especially when initiatives are taken to implement home-school partnership in many schools throughout Australia. Home-school partnership conceptualisation and operationalisation are based on the premises that parents and carers have an invaluable role in boosting their children’s learning and wellbeing by being actively informed and involved from the early years through to adolescence (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, DEECD, 2013).

In addition, a substantial amount of research has shown that sociocultural aspects significantly affect how students view and value education (Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 1996; McDermott & Rothenberg, 2000; Wherry, 2009). More importantly, the goals, aspirations and values that parents hold relay to their children’s school-related outcomes including subject choices, persistence in school and school-related accomplishments (Spera, 2005).

Research Questions

This study examines the perspectives of school’s Career and Pathway Transition (CPT) leaders on how parents influence subject choices of students from Asian and Mediterranean descent in senior secondary schools in Melbourne, Australia. The dimensions and factors investigated in this study are:

• Identify and understand perspectives of school career and pathway transition leader on parental involvement in student subject choice

• Investigate how school’s acquaintances with parents of Asian and Mediterranean background influence student subject choice decisions

Theoretical Framework

To understand the perceptions of school’s CPT’s regarding parental involvement and the impact on their children’s subject selections, the Vygotskian framework of mediation is taken as the theoretical paradigm of this research (1978). This is grounded in Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory (1978) that takes mediation as its central theme. A mediator is considered to be the More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) who frames, filters and interprets information with the aid of cultural and psychological tools to facilitate development of higher mental functioning (Vygotsky, 1978). Parents, as part of students’ socio-cultural context, are viewed as mediators who, through their cultural values, beliefs and practices, influence and promote students’ learning and development (Rogoff, 1990). Cognitive development results from the social interaction of children with more competent persons whether parents and/or CPT’s in schools.

Thus, to be able to make their subject choice decisions, children internalise the cultural tools when transferred through parental expectations and parents’ own past educational experiences, either implicitly or explicitly (Dandy & Nettelbeck, 2002; Phillipson, 2009a, 2009b). This in turn, directly or indirectly, is seen to determine the way children perceive their educational goals and subject selection decisions.

Method

Methodological Framework and Participants The purpose of this research study was to examine the perspectives of CPT’s regarding parental involvement and the influences parents can have on their children’s aspirations to make informed subject choice decisions in senior school (Years 10-12). To address and explore these perceptions, a qualitative case study approach was employed. Three Career and Pathways Transition leaders (CPT) from three low socio-economic status (SES) public schools in Western Metropolitan Region (WMR) of Melbourne, Australia, were invited to participate in this study. A brief analysis of the Australian My School website page was made to determine the choice of schools from the WMR. The contributing factor of school’s Index of Community Socio-Education Advantage (ICSEA) was taken into account and kept controlled for the purpose of this research. Interviews The recruitment of participants was completed in accordance to Monash University Human Ethics procedure. Email invitations were sent to six principals of WMR schools out of which three principals responded and gave permission to interview the school’s CPT leader. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews to gain insights of the CPT’s perceptions about parental acquaintances and involvement in school particularly with respect to their child’s subject choice and career decision making process. Given the Australian-Victorian state schooling context, career counselling process typically occurs in Terms 2 and 3 (June-August) of the Victorian school calendar year. Semi-structured interviews that lasted up to 60 minutes were conducted over a period of two school terms. An interview schedule guide was constructed in response to this study’s research questions. Examples of questions were “What type of acquaintances have you had with parents at this school?” “Can you briefly describe giving examples if and how do parents communicate with you and/ CPT team about their child’s available subject choices? “What kind of things do you do as a school for parental involvement/awareness in their child’s subject choices?” In accordance with the recommendations of Gray (2009) follow up questions such as “What educational experiences, values and expectations these parents have?” were posed to obtain richer data responses.

Expected Outcomes

Findings Taking into consideration the elements and the complexities of parent-child relationships using the Vygotskian framework of mediation, below two broad themes revealed the perceptions of CPT’s regarding parental involvement. 1. Parental own aspirations and expectations: Findings under this theme revealed that CPT’s identified dominant factors such as parental socio-cultural background, their values, beliefs and expectations (particularly for Mathematics-based subjects) as predictors of their child’s subject choice and career aspirations. The CPT’s highlighted concerns about situations when parents pushed their own educational aspirations and expectations on to their child. Due to such high expectations, student was perceived to be at-risk not being able to meet the entry level requirement for the chosen subject and University course. 2. Barriers to parental involvement with CPT team: Findings under this theme reported that CPT’s recognised parental non- English speaking background and lack of knowledge of the Australian senior schooling systems as hindrances to parental school involvement. This incapacitated parents to act as mediators in providing guidance with their child’s subject decision-making. Moreover, being unaware of the Australian education systems due to language barriers, it seemed parents could not transfer their knowledge and skills on to their children. Conclusion The findings of this study reveal that CPT’s perceptions of parental involvement was comprehended as a mediatory role in transmitting parental educational values, beliefs and aspirations inclusive of both realistic and unrealistic expectations of subject choices onto their children. In addition, CPT’s responses explained how parents were perceived to struggle in their interactions with schools that appeared to obstruct parental capacity to act as the more knowledgeable other. The implications of this study, both nationally and internationally, lie in providing processes by which schools and parents work together to deliver cross-setting opportunities and experiences for mediating student subject choice decisions (Sheridan & Kim, 2015).

References

Dandy, J., & Nettelbeck, T. (2002). Research note: A cross-cultural study of parents' academic standards and educational aspirations for their children. Educational Psychology, 22(5), 621-627. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development & Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority. (2013). Victoria as a Learning Community. Melbourne, Vic: Author. Fantuzzo, J., McWayne, C., Perry, M. A., & Childs, S. (2004). Multiple dimensions of family involvement and their relations to behavioral and learning competencies for urban, low-income children. School Psychology Review, 33, 467–480. Gray, D E. (2009). Doing research in the real world (2nd ed.). London: SAGE. Hill, N. (2009). An analysis of teachers' and parents' perceptions of the barriers of parental involvement in urban elementary schools based on grade level. (3359595 Ph.D.), Capella University, Ann Arbor. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global database. Lindqvist, A.-K., Kostenius, C., Gard, G., & Rutberg, S. (2015). Parent participation plays an important part in promoting physical activity. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 10. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v10.27397 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. (2012). Let's read them a story! The parent factor in education. Paris: Author. Phillipson, S. (2009a). Context of academic achievement: Lessons from Hong Kong. Educational Psychology, 29(4), 447–468. Phillipson, S. (2009b). Parent and children voices: Beliefs and expectations of academic achievement. Köln, Germany: LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing. Phillipson, S., Ku, K. Y., & Phillipson, S. N. (2013). Constructing Educational Achievement: A Sociocultural Perspective. London/New York: Routledge. Pomerantz, E. M., Moorman, E. A., & Litwack, S. D. (2007). The how, whom, and why of parents’ involvement in children’s academic lives: More is not always better. Review of Educational Research, 77, 373–410. doi:10.3102/003465430305567. Pomerantz, E. M., Kim, E. M., & Cheung, C. S-S. (2011). Parents’ involvement in children’s learning. In K. R. Harris, S. Graham, & T. Urdan (Eds.), The APA educational psychology handbook (Vol. 2). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Sheridan, S., & Kim, E. M. (2015). Processes and pathways of family-school partnerships across development (Research on family-school partnerships ; volume 2). London/New York: Springerlink. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher mental process. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Wertsch, J. V. (1985). Vygotsky and the social formation of mind. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Author Information

Sarika Kewalramani (presenting / submitting)

Monash University

Faculty of Education

melbourne

Sivanes Phillipson (presenting)

Monash University, Australia

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