Preschool Teachers' Perspectives About the Engagement of Parents With and Without Immigrant Background

• In Event: Meeting the Needs of Dual Language Learners and Immigrants

Abstract

The paper explores on the basis of a diverse sample the perceived engagement of immigrant and non-immigrant parents from a preschool teacher perspective and examines the extent to which preschool characteristics and teacher-specific features predict those beliefs. Individual-level data obtained from 1397 preschool teachers as well as preschool-level data from the center’s head, based on 203 preschools, were involved for multilevel analysis. The present study is part of the evaluation of a governmental preschool initiative in Germany with a focus on fostering inclusive pedagogy and parental cooperation. The results illustrate the importance of multicultural beliefs at both individual and institution level, especially for the perceived engagement of parents with immigrant background.

Authors

• Csaba Kurucz, Freie Universität Berlin

• Simone Lehrl, University of Bamberg