Parental Involvement at the High School Level: Parents' Perspective

Abstract

This study of parental involvement in high school focused on parents' descriptions of their experiences of involvement. The study is best described as a qualitative study. Guided by a phenomenological approach, the researcher attempted to describe parents' experiences of involvement in their child's high school and elicit themes found in the interviews. The primary data source for this study was interviews with parents. Nine parents participated in the interviews. The analysis of data was based on a combination of Kvale's (1996) and Creswell's (2007) processes for analyzing qualitative data. Four themes that describe parent descriptions of their experiences of involvement were identified: technology and parental involvement, economy and parent work schedules, potential for parent growth, and parental involvement outside the school. The results of the study are informative and significant to those who research and practice in the field of parental involvement in education. Three viable conclusions concerning parents' descriptions of their experiences of involvement in their child's high school were evident. First, the major barriers for parents were the influences of the present economy on their ability to provide for their families, and their work schedules that limited available time for involvement. Second, parents believed that they were the recipients of the greatest benefits of involvement in their child's high school. Finally, the data suggest that most parents wanted teachers and administrators to know that the main reason for coming to school was to represent their children, not the agenda and priorities of the school.