Abstract
Academic accomplishment is a global issue with local problems in each country. One of the most important indicators of academic achievement is parental engagement, which sets high expectations. Given the schools’ current environment, there is a need to develop parental involvement initiatives to help bridge the gap between schools and homes and enhance overall academic achievement and experiences.
Nonetheless, it was found that parental contribution and expectations do not appear to be at an appropriate level. Many programs have been established to reduce these obstacles. However, parents still have limited resources, and since those resources are scarce, they should focus on essentials. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs illustrates the resolutions parents formulate regarding parental participation in academics and academic expectations.
Introduction
Academic success entails a general objective for schools and teachers. However, annually, educational establishments have students who are not sufficiently motivated in this regard. School districts, along with individual learning institutions, use a report card that generally shows academic achievement across different demographic categories.
Based on the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 34% of students performed at or above a proficient level, while 64% were below proficient in all academic areas: geography, civics, reading, mathematics, writing, technology, and science (Street et al., n.d.). Given the importance of parental involvement in academics since the 19th century as a significant factor in public schooling politics, it has diverse impacts that may hinder or support equity and student achievement.
Summary and Context
Parental participation and expectations have often been touted as critical to resolving the achievement gap in United States learning institutions. Parents viewed the growing separation between public schools and parental control as a problem. Mothers sought intermediate action and, in 1897, developed the National Congress of Mothers (NCM) (Herrera et al., 2020). The group met with educators on Saturdays to articulate their issues to the school administration via petitions. Its influence spread swiftly and later led to the formation of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), which is currently active in nearly every school in the US.
It is evident that the PTA connected school and home during the 20th century, and by the 1940s, parents from all walks of life regarded monthly PTA meetings as a compulsory social event (Jeynes, 2022). The 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act required parents to serve on school boards and participate in classroom activities (Young et al., 2020). The knowledge was integrated into educational laws that mandated elements of parent participation.
Furthermore, based on the tussle of parents’ encounter in balancing everybody’s needs, the hierarchy of needs model can illustrate certain differences in parental expectations in academics. Countries globally have developed regulations and laws to improve parental involvement and increase academic expectations (Li et al., 2019). One of these national initiatives is the US No Child Left Behind Policy, introduced in 1996 and supporting schools in establishing parent-school associations.
The UK’s Children’s Plan, which stresses the importance and role of parents in students’ academic performance, along with the school approach in New Zealand, identifies enhancing parent-school partnerships as the key priority. In US educational reforms, according to the Department of Education (1996), school districts receive direct funding. They are authorized to establish and sustain parent participation, which bridges the gap between schools and homes (Jeynes, 2022). The states demanded that school districts create and promote parental involvement policies.
School financing is significant in the US for facilitating parental contributions and expectations in academics. Educational institutions in the US receive Title I funds established in 1996, which are federal resources purpose-built for creating and implementing school-parent partnerships and initiatives (Sadaf et al., 2020). Further, several states offer financial support and require parental engagement to be at the center of learning enhancement schemes, although parental involvement and associations remain a challenge for school districts.
In 2011, Hornby and Lafaele developed a model to understand the gaps between intended parental participation and the difficulties parents experience. The framework spots barriers to engagement in education and classifies them into four elements: family and individual aspects, child, societal, and parent-teacher factors (Li et al., 2019). This mix of challenges created a complex matter for schools and educators to promote advanced parental involvement in the learning center, which is a well-documented need for academic achievement.
Additionally, the initial model was reviewed to understand existing obstacles to parental participation in the classroom. They noted that the original gaps persist, although schools have adopted an active strategy to involve parents and support parental engagement (Nurit & Schalkwyk, 2020). Parental involvement benefits teachers, children, and parents by enabling them to meet their expected goals. It benefits students through academic achievement, grades, literacy development, and long-term academic advancement (Li et al., 2019). Hence, regardless of the obstacle, perceived or real, accidental or intentional, high academic expectations and parental involvement in academics differ based on demographics.
Critical Analysis
Parental expectancies improve with the establishment of a correlation and investment of time in schooling; this emerged as a central focus across program implementations. Institutions of learning are projected to build parent-school rapport through initiatives and seal the gap between school and home to increase academic achievement and performance. Restricted parental academic involvement or declined expectancies have several causes and are directly connected to academic underachievement (Sadaf et al., 2020). Parents with lower academic expectations tend not to pay enough attention to their children’s achievements within the scope provided.
In contrast, it appears typical that academic parental connection influences academic outcomes; data from the Child Development Supplement and the National Educational Longitudinal Research of Income Dynamics measure contributions to academic performance. It shows that academic parental participation, in certain instances, enhances educational achievement, even though, when analyzing racial differences and social classes, the outcomes are often not positive (Li et al., 2019).
For instance, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians are socioeconomically underprivileged. However, a study shows that they do not pay as much attention to their children’s academic success in comparison with white parents (Huguley et al., 2020). Nevertheless, the same groups exhibit variations in parental participation in schools, which may stem from limited resources and access to the institution of learning due to logistics, transportation, and competing duties.
Additionally, given the culturally aware strategy of exploring obstacles parents face when attempting to engage in their children’s education. It was noted that Black and Hispanic parents struggled more with school procedures and considered the school a governmental agency with influence, leading to a power struggle between learning institution representatives and parents (Huguley et al., 2020). Parents were more accepting when children were in elementary school, but as they progressed in grade level, the level of challenge for their participation increased. Parents felt that teachers and representatives viewed them as having hidden motives and that they had to confirm their interest in engaging in the classroom or at school.
There are many samples offered that illustrate perceived resistance from learning centers, especially when parents investigate school procedures, policies, the process of advocating on behalf of a student, or specific student information (Otani, 2019). Therefore, while the schools offer avenues for parental participation, they provide a limited scope for matters or topics regarded as school-approved, such as parenting.
Biblical Perspective
From a biblical worldview, as the different levels of expectations and participation in academic success vary, so do the extents of spiritual or religious belief. 1 Samuel 3:3 states that “For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them” (New International Version, 2023). Christian parents should illustrate their love for their kids by protecting them and teaching them right from wrong, which involves restraint and praise.
Thus, parents commit to preventing and correcting their kids’ beliefs, direction, actions, and attitudes. If they fail to have an active role in controlling values, beliefs, and behaviors, children are obliged to assume their way for themselves while receiving misguided directives from other people. Besides spiritual direction, parents must offer academic guidance while holding their kids in the highest consideration, anticipating greatness, and not restricting their potential.
Conclusion
There are several programs developed to close the gap, although the intervention must occur in the early years of a child’s education. As one becomes older, parents are less engaged in school; hence, developing a correlation between schools and parents ought to be part of the typical routine during the pre-school period. Institutions of education can implement these correlations by requiring parents to partake in classroom tasks frequently. However, those parents who are unable to participate may contribute using other means.
Although teachers are seen as professionals, parental input plays a critical role in children’s academic success, as parents are the decision-makers, while instructors concede. Schools need to keep accountability to get federal, state, and local funds. Teachers, administration, and parents should work together to establish successful initiatives that address students’ needs and reduce obstacles for all, while improving academic achievement and ensuring success for all.
References
Herrera, S. G., Porter, L., & Barko-Alva, K. (2020). Equity in school–parent partnerships. teachers college press.
Huguley, J. P., Delale-O’Connor, L., Wang, M.-T., & Parr, A. K. (2020). African American parents’ educational involvement in urban schools: Contextualized strategies for student success in adolescence. Educational Researcher, 50(1), 6–16.
Jeynes, W. H. (2022). A meta-analysis: the relationship between the parental expectations component of parental involvement with students’ academic achievement. Urban Education, 59(1).
Li, Y., Hu, T., Ge, T., & Auden, E. (2019). The relationship between home-based parental involvement, parental educational expectation and academic performance of middle school students in mainland China: A mediation analysis of cognitive ability. International Journal of Educational Research, 97, 139–153.
New International Version (2023). Holy Bible.
Nurit, K. T, & Schalkwyk, V. (2020). Parental involvement : practices, improvement strategies and challenges. Nova Science Publishers.
Otani, M. (2019). Parental involvement and academic achievement among elementary and middle school students. Asia Pacific Education Review, 21.
Sadaf J, Mubashira K, & Tahira K. (2020). Relationship between parental involvement, students’ performance goal orientation and academic achievement at elementary level. Sjesr, 3(2), 329–337.
Street, 800 N. C., NW, Washington, S. 825, & Dc 20002. (n.d.). Mathematics framework for the 2019 national assessment of educational progress. Nagb.
Young, N. D., Fain, A. C., & Citro, T. A. (2020). Mastering the art of co-teaching: Building more collaborative classrooms. Vernon Press.