While both commonalities and differences exist with regard to parental involvement across European educational systems, there is a dearth of comparative research and critical examination of the issue of parental involvement. The comparative dimension has been neglected, despite the fact that in many European countries legislation has given parents an increased role in both school choice and influencing school life. In the past, demands for greater parental participation were guided by the call for greater democratization in schools. Currently, the pedagogical justification for parental involvement  is emphasized through the rhetoric of “shared responsibility” for learning. As a result, parents are increasingly expected to be active partners at school-level as well as more generally in their children’s educational and learning processes across a range of European education systems.

 The central questions addressed in this round table are:

• To what extent is the national background of parental involvement (legislation, national policy, rights and duties of parents) comparable across education systems?
• What are the commonalities and differences across European countries in terms of the research base and theoretical framing of parental involvement?
• To what extent is current policy and practice pertaining to parental involvement inclusive of a diverse range of parents and students?
• What are the policy challenges pertaining to parental involvement in Europe?

In seeking to answer these questions, the  round table will draw from research findings from a comparative European research project on parental involvement. The study adopted an interdisciplinary, mixed-method approach, drawing from the fields of education, sociology, and psychology. It presents a description of the policy context and empirical research on parental involvement for each country, as well as new research on critical perspectives relating to parental involvement. These case studies bring out the variety of country experiences and policy contexts to examine parental involvement across European education systems. The round table also seeks to provide critical insights into parental involvement across a range of European countries to identify the challenges in this field for practitioners and academics. 

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