Learning the rules: Immigrant Chinese parental involvement during their child’s transition to kindergarten

• In Event: Parent perceptions, involvement, and decision-making for ECD

Proposal

Purpose of the study
Parental involvement has been identified as important for children’s educational outcomes (Domina, 2005; Jeynes, 2005). Parental educational involvement refers to parental practices that support children’s education in school, at home, and in the community (Epstein, 1995; Goodall & Montgomery, 2014). Previous studies that have examined immigrant status and parental involvement of children aged 3-8 found that immigrant parents are less involved than non-immigrant parents (Nord & Griffin, 1999; Turney & Kao, 2009). Scholars have found that Chinese immigrant parents in the United States are often described as being less involved in their children’s schooling and face many challenges to their involvement (Muller & Kerbow, 1993; Turney & Kao, 2009; Ji & Koblinsky, 2009). In addition, most studies on parental involvement of Chinese immigrant parents in the United States have been conducted in large metropolitan cities with densely populated Chinese communities (Zhou & Kim, 2006).
The transition to kindergarten has been identified as an important milestone for children and their families. Kindergarten is the formal start of schooling in the United States and is an opportune time for parents and teachers to work together to support children’s schooling. Most parents are involved in preparing their children for kindergarten and attend to children’s cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral development (Alexander, Entwisle, & Dauber, 2002; Entwisle & Alexander, 1989). Few studies have studied Asian or Chinese parental involvement during the transition to kindergarten.
Immigrant parents who are unfamiliar with the American education system may have difficulties fostering knowledge, skills, and habits for their child’s transition to kindergarten (Hughes, White, Foley, & Devine, 2018; Skinner, 2018). In addition, Asian immigrant parents of young children perceive more barriers to their involvement than native parents, such as not feeling welcome at their child’s school (Turney & Kao, 2009). For Asian immigrant parents, cultural differences and language proficiency has been identified as barriers to their involvement in their children’s schooling (Li & Sun, 2019). However, few studies have systematically examined Chinese immigrant parents’ support for their children during the transition to kindergarten. In this study, we investigate the experiences of 10 Chinese immigrant parents in a small metropolitan area to better understand how these parents understand, support, and negotiate their involvement in their children’s transition to kindergarten in the United States.

Theoretical Framework
This study is framed within a cultural capital perspective. Cultural capital theory proposes that cultural capital is accessible only to those who hold the code to decipher them (Bourdieu, 1986). The degree to which parents understand school requirements for their educational involvement in the kindergarten transition depends on parents’ linguistic competency, cultural knowledge, and educational experience (Lamont & Lareau, 1988). Most immigrant Chinese parents have little first-hand experience with American education system. Therefore, their understanding of kindergarten transition may little the cultural capital they bring to their involvement in their child’s schooling. The linguistic ability of Chinese parents may be limited, which may serve as a barrier to their understanding of American schools and their expected relationship with the school.

Methods
Our qualitative study includes multiple forms of data, including document analysis, participant observation, and in-depth interviews with parents. We reviewed school and state parental involvement policies. We conducted participant observations in the home, school events, and community events to observe interactions between parents, teachers, and community members. We conducted in-depth interviews with 10 parents about kindergarten transition. All 10 parents are Manderin speakers from mainland China. Two semi-structured individual interviews were conducted on two separate occasions. Each interview lasted approximately 60 to 90 minutes. The first interview included background information, children’s academic experience, parents’ educational expectations, and parental experience in kindergarten transition (i.e. parental role, supports parents received, barriers they encountered, and concerns they had). In the second interview, we further examined parental experience in kindergarten transition. Both interviews were recorded and transcribed for data analysis. Each interview was coded for key emergent themes. Team members coded the data in NVIVO and discussed key emergent themes. The theoretical framework and research questions guided the review, coding, and presentation of the data.

Results
Results show that Chinese immigrant parents recognize the importance of education and their involvement in their child’s kindergarten transition. We find that Chinese parents are not passive when it comes to involvement in their child’s education, but that the forms of involvement are shaped by personal experiences, length of stay in the United States, education level, and familiarity with the education system.
Parents position their role and understanding of kindergarten transition from the perspective of being a foreigner in a new land. They are willing to face challenges such as migrating to a new country with a different language and culture to provide better opportunities for their children. However, they are cognizant that they do not understand the American educational system. Moreover, they bring their own educational experiences in preparing their children for kindergarten. As part of being a foreigner, Chinese parents acknowledge that there are some gaps in their language proficiency and that their proficiency in English hinders their ability to collaborate or advocate for their children. Parents are also concerned with the English language proficiency of their children as they enter kindergarten and as such seek out support and resources to improve their children’s language proficiency.
Safety is a key concern among Chinese parents. Parents report that safety is a top concern and that parents will actively speak with school personnel to ensure the safety of their child. In a small metropolitan area that has a low density of Chinese immigrant families, we find that parents work together to create an ethnic network to support their children and each other.

Significance and Conclusion
This study contributes to the understanding of Chinese immigrant parents’ educational involvement in children’s kindergarten transition in an area with limited ethnic resources. While findings highlight the barriers in school involvement due to limited English proficiency and insufficient knowledge of American education system, our findings challenge the long-held opinion of invisibility of Chinese immigrant parents in schools. It is worth emphasizing their resourcefulness in creating active home and community networks.

Authors

• Peggy A. Kong, Lehigh University

• Xinwei Zhang, Lehigh University

• Anu Sachdev, East Stroudsburg University

• Xiaoran Yu, Lehigh University