Cultural Considerations for Parent Participation in Education

The National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (2018) mentions how different cultures and backgrounds guide our views on specific topics such as family roles, caregiving practices, education, behaviors, and childhood itself. Home languages play an important role in shaping identities from an early age. Parent involvement relates to the behaviors towards school and home activities, which are meant to support their children’s success in education. This participation is influenced by their culture, values, and the concept they have created about academic achievement and the aspirations they have for their children (Bachman, et al., 2011). The following information will provide information that SLPs can use to enhance their relationships with these families. Please note that these are general statements and in no way reflect every member of a particular cultural group.

What does parent involvement look like?

Common parental views in dominant U.S. culture

• Goal of cultivating a sense of autonomy in children, to be more independent.

• View intense academic training as inappropriate for children. 

• Emphasis on developing academic skills, but also emotional and academic adjustment. 

• Want their children is for them to achieve their best, and this should not be questioned.

• Assist children in becoming engaged learners by getting involved and enhancing their emotional functioning. (Sin-Sze Cheung, C. & Pomerantz, E., 2011)

Common parental views in Mexican-American culture

• Participation in their children’s lives ensures that their formal education is complemented with the education taught at home. 

• Monitoring their children’s lives and providing moral guidance results in greater learning opportunities. 

• Encourage siblings to look out for each other. 

• The parent must check if homework was done completely at home. The teacher is obligated to make any corrections. 

• Attending school meetings may result in submitting time-off requests from work, putting at risk wage earnings to sustain their families. 

• High standards for academic performance.

• Importance of being aware of peer groups and their interactions with this group’s parents.  

• Exercise discipline and provide behavioral cueing. (Zarate, 2007)

In other minority cultures, parents may 

• Work long hours at multiple jobs. 

• Have additional family responsibilities that conflict with school meetings.

• Perceive greater barriers to getting involved in their children’s education, especially if recent immigrants. 

• Finding the language barrier is among the obstacles to effective communication between parents and teachers. 

• Come to feel isolated, ignored, and unwelcomed in schools as a result of cultural differences. 

• Teachers may view parental involvement as an indicator of how much parents care about their children’s educational achievements. (Leddy, H., 2018)

Cultural characteristics which shape school expectations of parents in the U.S. education system

To encourage parent participation in the school setting, SLPs and educators must learn about and recognize how mainstream cultural values and beliefs shape the U.S. education system. Listed below are the values and beliefs of the dominant U.S. culture that are embedded into U.S. schools.

Orientation toward individualism and independence.

• Celebration of each child’s individuality.

• Appreciation of the habits, tastes, and intentions that make every child unique. (Hymowitz, 2021)

Orientation toward equality 

• Parents are seen as influential agents who can intervene and advocate on behalf of their children.

• Parents can make adaptations to improve education environments and resist barriers to their children’s learning. (Baquedano-López et al., 2013)

Low-context culture, the verbal message contains the most information

• Parents talk more energetically to their children to stimulate their intrinsic selves. 

• They encourage babbling, smiles, and giggles. (Hymowitz, 2021) 

Orientation that stresses activity and action

• Recruiting efforts to involve families as volunteers and audiences.

• Involves families with children in learning activities at home (e.g., homework, curricular-linked activities).

• Collaborates and coordinates with the work and community-based agencies, colleges, and other groups to strengthen school programs. (Foulidi & Papakitsos, 2022)

Low power distance and belief in social equality

• Communicate with families about school programs and student progress with two-way communications.

• People of higher status are expected to adapt to those of lower status in terms of communication and environment (e.g., baby-proofing a home).

• A teacher should respect students’ independence. 

• During a conflict, parents are expected to side with the student. (Denessen et al., 2001)

Knowledge is displayed through the dimension of exhibitionism concerning dominant and subordinate roles (the dominant person is the spectator and the subordinate person the exhibitionist)

• Parents encourage children to solve their problems and to avoid requiring constant adult attention. 

• Prepare children to be independent thinkers and to focus on their individual needs. (Faitar, 2006)

How cultural minority values may affect parents' view of their role in their child's education?

If services to culturally diverse families are to be effective, SLPs and educators need to grapple with the complex issues surrounding culturally-based values and beliefs related to communication. Listed below are possible values and beliefs of the minority cultures in the U.S. that may clash with the dominant culture's value system. 

Orientation toward collectivism, dependence, and cooperation

• Personal success is not as important as collective accomplishments.

• They are hesitant to talk about their success because they come from a culture oriented toward sustaining a dependent society.

• Children are less likely to share their opinions about what they learned in school. (Faitar, 2006) 

High-context culture, meaning does not need to be communicated through words

• Rely more on physical context and nonverbal contextual cues for information. Sometimes the child is discouraged from asking questions.

• Multiparty interaction (Caregiver helps children initiate and maintain interactions with a third party). (Bornstein, 2012) 

High power distance and the presence of a social hierarchy

• Teachers request and guide parents on how to assist their children at home.

• Adults direct topics of conversation with children.

• Persons of lower status are expected to adapt to those of higher status in terms of communication and environment (e.g., lack of child-directed talk simplifications by adults).

• Parents may defer to professionals to make decisions about their child's education. It is expected that they side with the teacher during conflicts. (Denessen et al., 2001)

Knowledge is displayed through the dimension of spectatorship concerning dominant and subordinate roles (the dominant person is the exhibitionist rather than the spectator)

• Children are expected to be spectators and learn from observation and listen carefully. 

• Value quietness or silence in children. Avoid expressing misunderstandings or sharing opinions, which is reserved for people with higher status. (Faitar, 2006)

Obstacles to Multicultural Parent Involvement

It should not be assumed that lack of parent involvement in the school setting is due to a lack of interest in a child's education. Some of the barriers that may hinder parents' participation from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are included below.

School environment

• Teachers lack training on how to cooperate with foreign parents and challenging situations. (Foulidi, X., Papakitsos, E., 2022)

• Feeling unwelcomed to interact with English-only speakers. 

• Teachers and other staff do not understand their English. 

• Difficulties building trust and shared understanding.

• Misconception regarding immigrant parent’s disinterest in their children’s education. (Ozturk, M. 2013) 

Culture and language

• Language differences make routine communication about homework, grades, and concerns difficult. 

• Speakers of other languages will have difficulty helping their children with homework in English. 

• Cultural differences in nonverbal communication and the fear of disrespecting the other person. (Ozturk, M. 2013) 

Education level and background of parents

• Parents with a limited level of education may not feel comfortable with teachers of higher education and may not give education the relevance it needs. 

• Negative personal experiences may influence their opinions about the education system. (Foulidi, X., Papakitsos, E., 2022)

Psychological issues

• Hesitation to ask teachers about concerns fearing the teacher’s behavior will change towards their child. 

• Recent immigrants may find discomfort when facing different cultural groups. (Ozturk, M. 2013) 

Logistical issues

• Long hours low-paidpaid jobs with minimum flexibility to attend school meetings.  

• Serious living problems that affect school expectations.

• Additional family obligations (Single parents, multiple children, household tasks). (Foulidi, X., Papakitsos, E., 2022)

What can SLPs and Schools do to Increase Multicultural Parent Involvement?

Regularly

• Be intentional about understanding the value of multiculturalism. Likewise, to develop training on how to face the challenges of being a teacher to immigrant students since most teachers do not know how to engage with different groups of parents. 

• Challenge misconceptions about immigrant parents. Invite them to participate in meetings or events without consideration of socioeconomic, sociocultural, and sociolinguistic differences. 

• Create a school environment that is welcoming to people of all cultures and receptive to parents. This can include a welcome sign and greeting parents when they enter the school and engaging in small talk. (Ozturk, M. 2013) 

During the IEP process

• Have important documents translated into the family’s first language, such as assessment results and other materials, using accurate and liable translation services. Likewise, provide skilled interpreters experienced in the area of therapy and education. 

• Challenge the complexity of individualization during therapy based on each family’s strengths, needs, and experiences.

• As professionals, initiate a self-examination about cultural beliefs and experiences toward the family’s culture. 

• Overcome the tendency of viewing one’s own culture as superior and be open to other cultures. Avoid making assumptions about the family’s motives and capabilities. 

• Schedule meetings at times parents can attend. This may mean holding meetings in the evening.

• Communicate the child’s progress and positive experiences, rather than only the problems. (Rossetti et al., 2017)

Go the extra step

• Visit the homes of students to establish a relationship with their families and better understand the home context. Additionally, in many cultures, socializing is expected before discussing business.

• Be aware of special events, such as cultural and religious holidays, and include them on the school calendar as a day to be celebrated in the classroom. 

• Provide options for parents who cannot attend meetings due to lack of child care or limited ability to miss work. Be willing to be flexible and supportive. 

• Learn the family’s expectations for their children and the reasons behind those perspectives, which may be linked to their cultural background. 

• Train bilingual staff to be translators. 

• Advocate on behalf of the family to have access to specific services that are appropriate for their child. (Rossetti et al., 2017)

Student Contributors: April Messinetti & Emily Sherwood, Spring 2014.

Updated April 2023