Tapping into true potentials of the immigrant parents and their young children in the U.S school context.

• In Event: Empowering students through technology: leadership, agency, and global connections

Proposal

The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study is to understand immigrant
parents’ perspectives on parental involvement practices utilized to support their young children’s early learning and development. To better understand the nuances of parental involvement practices, I conducted a multi-case study involving thirteen international relocatee parents representing countries such as China, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Albania whose children ages 3 to 5 years old are enrolled in the Early Education Center (EEC), a university laboratory school located on the campus of Midwestern University.

The data collection and data analysis were guided by sociocultural theory as discussed
by Rogoff (2003) and funds of knowledge as interpreted by Moll et al. (2005), and the following research questions
1. In what ways, are immigrant parents involved in their young children’s early learning and development?
2. Why are the parental involvement practices identified by the immigrant parents viewed as important to early learning and the development of their young children?
3. What are the cross-cultural similarities and differences amongst immigrant parents regarding parental involvement practices and child-rearing beliefs?

Findings indicate that immigrant parents of this study were highly involved in their
young children’s early learning and development. As the data revealed, the parental involvement practices they used to support the early learning and development of their young children consisted of several characteristics. First, it required a belief in doing what is best for their child at an early age. Second, it entailed the knowledge parents possessed on the experiences that are developmentally appropriate and helped the child to grow physically, socially-emotionally, and cognitively. Lastly, it is the lived experiences plus cultural and educational background that shaped international parents’ vision on the choice of practices they used to promote the holistic development of their children in their host country. Moreover, as parents engaged with their children and their children’s schools and communities their cultural, educational, and life experiences expanded, creating an additive effect to their existing parental involvement frameworks. The findings of this study add to the debate among schools, communities, and policy makers about what it means to be an involved parent in the U.S mainstream school system

Author

• Lolagul Raimbekova, Kent State University