A small, private university was the focus of this study, where rural first-generation college (FGC) students withdraw at higher rates than their continuing-generation counterparts. An objective of the university leadership is to increase student retention to foster a greater likelihood of degree completion. The research problem was the inability to retain rural FGC students. The purpose of the study was to explore parental support that promoted rural FGC student retention. The research questions addressed the students' perceptions about parental support and their decisions to remain enrolled. The research methodology was a qualitative case study design. Data were collected through semi structured interviews with a purposeful sample of 12 full-time FGC students from rural residential zip codes or counties. Transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed following a combination of approaches described by Creswell and Stake. The analysis revealed 6 themes: (a) parental support, (b) extended family relationships, (c) campus connection, (d) financial support, (e) community networks, and (f) institutional support. The results suggested that parental support shaped the students' decisions to remain enrolled. Based on the findings, a parent development project was designed to help university leadership and parents of rural FGC students engage collaboratively to improve retention. This study may contribute to positive social change, in that the resulting project may improve the students' ability to persist to degree completion and potentially give back to their rural communities.

Researchers have emphasized the importance of parental involvement in ensuring the educational success of children. Despite the recognized value, some stakeholders continue to struggle to leverage and sustain this partnership, which may encumber students' success. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the factors influencing parental involvement in Jamaican high schools. This qualitative case study sought to unearth the motivational factors influencing parental involvement within a climate of educational accountability in Jamaican high schools. Grounded in Epstein's school-family-community partnership model, this study unearthed some of the differences and similarities of parental involvement within high schools that were described as high and under performing schools and what informed those differences. Sixteen participants from 4 high schools were interviewed using a semistructured interview guide. The data were analyzed thematically and interpreted against Epstein's theory. The findings of this study indicated that all stakeholders in a child's education had mutual interests and influences and an expressed desired to increase their involvement. The motivational factors driving their involvement varied from policies, beliefs, benefits, and personal challenges; parental involvement also differed in quality and quantity across schools and requires creativity in design for greater involvement, accountability, and impact. The strategic utility of these findings can assist in the creation of the home support engagements needed to remove the constraints impeding students and wider school success, thereby guiding students into successful directions, which is the epitome of social change.

In the changing field of education, there is awareness of the benefits of parental involvement on student achievement and the impact teachers have on the success of parental involvement programs. However, teachers may rely significantly on their personal experiences as a source of reference for parental involvement and subsequently impact student achievement. There is a gap in the research about the lived experiences of teachers regarding their perspectives and support of parental involvement in the classroom. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore teachers' lived experiences and attitudes concerning parental involvement and student achievement. The conceptual framework for the study was supported by Bandura's social cognitive theory and Bandura's self-efficacy theory. A phenomenological research design and purposeful sampling was used to conduct face-to-face, semistructured interviews with 10 participants who were currently employed teachers with at least 5 years of experience and who had an awareness of parental involvement. Data collected from interviews were analyzed using the modified van Kaam method of analysis described by Moustakas. The 3 main themes that emerged from the data were a history of high parental involvement, the fostering of open and positive communication, and teacher-parent relationship building. Understanding how teachers' experiences influence parental involvement could result in a positive social change for education by creating awareness among educators and caregivers and by improving support for students.

Studying parental involvement offers the opportunity to develop new strategies and resources to increase involvement at the middle schools serving a similar demographic population. In a large economically disadvantaged urban middle school in the southeastern United States, very little parental involvement occurs from the African American population. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to examine African American parents' perception about their involvement in their middle school students' education. Guided by Epstein, Simon, and Salinas' parental involvement model, which describes 6 levels of parental involvement, the research questions guiding this project study examined African American parents' perceptions about middle school children's educational experiences, the level of parental involvement in middle school education, and parental beliefs about student success. A purposeful participant pool of 10 African American parents of Grade 7 and 8 students was used for data collection. Ten parents completed the preliminary paper questionnaire, 10 parents participated in 1-on-1 semi-structured interviews, and 7 parents participated in a focus group discussion. Thematic analysis of data followed the open coding process and identified categories and themes. The findings suggested the need for a parent education program involving the use of new strategies and resources for increasing African American parent involvement at the middle school level. Social change will occur by empowering African American parents to be involved in their middle school students' education.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The purpose of the study was to investigate the barriers to parents supporting their children’s learning. The objectives were to determine the factors that impede parents from supporting their children’s learning and to find mitigating strategies thereof. The study further compared the practices in three types of schools, that is, the rural, township and suburban schools. The theory guiding the study was Lafaele and Hornby’s the explanatory model. The study used a qualitative research approach within an interpretivist paradigm. A phenomenology study design was used. The research study was undertaken in three high schools (rural, township and suburban) in the Volksrust Circuit. The sample of participants comprised of the principal, a Departmental Head (DH) and six parents serving in the school governing body (five from the suburban school) form each school. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and document analysis of the policies on parental involvement. They were analysed using thematic analysis. The study found that school-based barriers such as methods and reasons for communication, parental involvement policies and the language used in teaching and learning hinder parental involvement in children’s education. Parent and family based barriers such as work dynamics, knowledge of subject content, level of education, culture and delegated duties were also identified as barriers for parental involvement. The study also found that age of learners is a contributing child factor which hinders parental involvement in children’s education despite parents’ willingness to support their children’s learning. The study concludes that parental involvement is a dynamic phenomenon and that schools should not make decisions based on assumptions but on facts. Thus, this study recommends the use of technology, and other methods of communication, transformation in school structures, capacity building and the development of ‘Action Teams’ to enhance parental involvement in children’s education. / ETDP SETA (Mpumalanga)

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Understanding what constitutes typical adult processing of infant cues and the potential individual variations associated with it is an important early step in comprehending how caregiving practices arise. By adopting a multi-method approach, the present work aimed to enrich the knowledge on adults’ cognitive and electrophysiological responses to infant cues, by focusing on the role of the adults’ sex, the perceived quality of early care from caregivers, and the actual involvement in childcare. Four studies were presented to cover different perspectives on adults’ responses to infant cues, from cognition to electrophysiology and parental behaviors. Methodologies encompassed cognitive experimental tasks, EEG, standardized observations, and self-reported measures. Samples included non-parents, different-sex parents, and same-sex parents. Overall, the present work responded to the recent interest in understanding adults’ responses to infant cues going beyond a heteronormative perspective. Our findings reinforced the argument that differences between males and females, if present in the response to infant stimuli, might not always be biologically determined, but reinforced by societal norms. In addition, we supported the relevance of accounting for both past and current experiences of care when investigating the adults’ cognitive and electrophysiological responses to infant cues. Eventually, we started to gain some knowledge on the neurophysiological correlates of sensitive caregiving in different family contexts. On the whole, considering the complexity of plural family models, we hopefully contributed to socializing the idea that there are different ways of conceiving and understanding parenting nowadays.