Parent Socialization of Student Engagement: The Role of Culture, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status

• In Event: Fostering Engagement for All: Advancing Socioculturally Inclusive Theory, Research, and Practice in Student Engagement

Abstract

Parents influence children’s engagement through academic socialization, or the beliefs, values, and practices that convey to their children about their expectations and the significance of education (Hill & Tyson, 2009). To date, research on parent socialization of engagement has focused primarily on White middle-class parenting practices in Western contexts. To address this gap in this literature, in this presentation, I review the research on parent socialization of engagement in African American, Latino, and Asian American families. The integrative model of development (García Coll et al., 1996) is used as the overarching theoretical framework to explore how adaptive culture shapes parents’ beliefs and involvement and in turn how these parenting factors influence student engagement. Research on parental expectations, parental school and home involvement, parental autonomy support, and parental emotional support influence on student engagement, with particular attention to differences by socioeconomic status and ethnicity, is presented. Next, I review limitations with this research and outline suggestions for future work. Finally, the presentation will conclude with a discussion of ways that schools can partner with diverse families to support the goal of fostering student engagement.

The presentation will highlight the following provocative/novel insights:
● Ethnically and economically diverse families support children’s engagement in many ways that are not captured by traditional parental socialization models
● While cultural beliefs shape socialization practices, there are large variations in parents’ beliefs and practices within cultures and ethnicities. Suggestions for future research which explore variations by socioeconomic status, immigration, and nationality will be outlined.
● Schools tend to hold deficit models of economically and ethnically diverse children and families. To better support diverse families, schools need to acknowledge and address potential barriers to parental involvement and the perception that school personnel are unwelcoming and insensitive to their cultural beliefs and practices. Instead, schools should respect cultural differences in how diverse families perceive their roles at both school and home and partner with families to support children’s engagement.

Author

• Jennifer A. Fredricks, Union College