Parental Involvement

Parental Involvement and Home School Collaboration is not uncommon from kindergarten to secondary school around the world. It is a very important way for parents and teachers to know more about the children no matter at home or in school.

Based on the National PTA Website define "parent involvement" as the participation of parents in every facet of children’s education and development from birth to adulthood, recognizing that parents are the primary influence in children’s lives. (reference 1) Also, the term "parental involvement" means the participation of parents in regular, two-way, meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities. (reference 2) For instance, parent as child’s educator to assist their children’s learning at home; parents take the initiative to participate in the activities held by the school. In Hong Kong, many kindergartens invite parents as volunteers to storytelling, bazaar, and some activities like sports day, graduation ceremony and field trip regularly. It usually takes once in one or two months. This helps parents to understand children’s learning status in school.

The purpose of parental involvement in strengthening the communication between parents and teachers, assisting the activities that organized by school or teaching in school, parents participate the decision making as well in school. There are several benefits for schools, parents, and children throughout parental involvement. First and foremost, schools can help to improve student’s academics achievements, teacher morale and create a valuable relationship between parents and teachers. Also, if schools show artwork that made by parents and children at the Art Gallery in the MTR or community center, which increased the visibility of the schools. Additionally, more and more people will know that schools. Other than that, on the occasion that schools actively involve parents and community tend to establish better reputations in the community. Parents benefit from bring a big part of their child’s education. When parents are aware of what their children are learning, they are more likely to help when they are requested by teachers to become more involved in their children’s learning activities at home. Moreover, as parents gain more knowledge of child development, there is more use of affection and positive reinforcement and less punishment on their children. When parents are the part of their child’s educator, it can greatly benefit to the children, such as increase parent-child relationship, reduce the same mistake as parents. Since parental involvement in children’s education, children have self-esteem, are more self-disciplined as much show higher aspiration and motivation toward school. Furthermore, if children from various cultural backgrounds, it is better when all parents and teacher work together that smash the gap between the cultural at home or the culture in school.

On the basis of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the mesosystem is most directly affecting the parental involvement. This has included the connections and relationships of the microsystem. The microsystem is the most influential system because the child has direct interaction with these individuals; that interaction occurs on a consistent basis over an extended period of time. (reference 4) The family is the most important relationship of the microsystem, they play a complex role in the ecological model.