The purpose of this qualitative interpretive research study was to explore the
perceptions and experiences of seven second- and third-generation U.S.-born Latino
parents in a high-poverty urban school district in Texas regarding their role in their
children’s schooling. Specifically, this study was organized to understand what the
selected Latino parents perceived as parent involvement, what expectations they had
of the school and, conversely, what expectations the school personnel had of them,
and finally, what perceptions the parents held about their role in school-parent
activities.
Though parent involvement is considered to be one of the most important factors
in a child’s success in school, this study also explored the perceived chasm in the
alignment between the school and the home of the U.S.-born Latino family. The
interpretative approach and dialogical exchange, through a semi-structured interview process, provided the opportunity to add the voices of second- and third-generation
U.S.–born Latino parents to the current discourse about parent involvement.
All of the participants met a general description as a second- or third-generation
U.S.-born Latino, whose primary language is English, whose children have been
involved in the identified school system for at least five years and were academically
successful, and who the school considered to be uninvolved in the schooling process.
The data analysis process involved a methodical process of breaking down the
information presented in in-depth interview transcripts, observation, field notes,
documents, and participant and researcher texts. By using a focused coding technique,
patterns or concepts that best represented the participants’ voices surfaced. The codes
were reviewed and categories or themes were then developed.
The parents’ voices also provided information suggesting that the perceived lack
of participation in the sanctioned school activities by some U.S.–born Latino parents
stems from an apparent failure on the part of school personnel to recognize the
cultural capital and richness of the culturally diverse household. Specifically, through
the theoretical framework of funds of knowledge, the stories of the seven second- and
third-generation U.S.-born Latinos noted that Latino families have assets that
contribute to the academic success of their children, yet they are often dismissed by
school personnel.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2338 |
| Date | 15 May 2009 |
| Creators | Reyna, Sylvia Ramirez |
| Contributors | McKenzie, Kathryn Bell |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Book, Thesis, Electronic Dissertation, text |
| Format | electronic, application/pdf, born digital |
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