Toward Home-School Partnership: Parents' Perspectives on School-Based Parent Activities in Childcare Centers in Hong Kong

• In Event: Supporting or Challenging Families Engagement With Schools

Abstract

Childcare centers are increasingly recognized as education agents, and school-based parent activities are part of home-school partnerships. Based on a survey of 265 parents, this study examined: (1) What made school-based parent activities useful? (2) What factors facilitated or inhibited parents’ participation? (3) What topics interested parents the most? Results showed that both structured activities (e.g., training workshops) and unstructured activities (e.g., parent-child tours) could meet parents’ needs. Parents were more likely to participate in activities that they perceived useful and allowed them to cope with the restrictions imposed by their work and family demands. Parents were most interested in activities that taught them how to deal with their children’s emotions. Finally, parents’ interests and participation varied by demographics.

Authors

• Nan Xiao, The Ohio State University

• Xiao ZHANG, University of Hong Kong

• Weiyi Xie, University of Hong Kong

• Wai Ling Chan, Education University of Hong Kong

• Ting Liu, East China Normal University