Unit 2: Why Are Parents Not Involved?

Return to: Mini-course Main Page | Unit 1: Parenting Styles You May Encounter
Advance to: Unit 3: Methods to Get Parents Involved

Objectives:

Recall the parenting types from Unit 1 and use them to classify parents in Unit 2.
Explain the various reasons a parent would have decreased involvement in education of their child.
Analyze the level of involvement of the parents discussed below to determine if intervention methods are necessary.

To do:

Download the Unit 2 Google Doc by opening it and going to File - Download. Use this to complete the specified activities as we go along.
Prepare to contribute to the Unit 2 Padlet.

Brainstorming

By now you've probably got some ideas on what may cause a parent to not be involved in their child's education process. Before we go any further, let's record all of these possible causes in our Unit 2 Padlet. In your note, post your own original ideas on why you think parents might not be involved. These can be things inside or outside of a parent's control. These thoughts can come from your experiences. Feel free to look through others' ideas and expand on them. Check back to the padlet periodically to see if anyone has commented to you or expanded on your reasons.

Let's see if you got any of the following reasons! As we go along, add to your notes and answer the prompts in the Unit 2 Google Doc.

Parent's Belief About Education

One of the reasons that a child's parents may not be involved in their education is that the parent(s) themselves did not do well in school. Perhaps the parent did not graduate high school or they struggled throughout school. The parent may have experienced failure and felt discomfort in school. These feelings carry with them into adulthood and parenthood. The parent still believes that education is not important and there is no value in helping or pushing their child to do well.

In contrast to this, Donald Partin claims that "parents who value their child’s education will ensure they are in school and on time. They will try to make sure that the student is in class and engaged. They will also be more likely to encourage their child to participate in academically related trips and activities" (2017, p. 38). A parent who does not value education is likely to pass that indifference to their child. When parents are not enforcing attendance and being timely, children get the message that school is not important. When a student feels that school and learning is not important, they are less likely to complete assignments, do well on assessments, and "buy in" to the expectations and norms of schools and classrooms.

Don't forget to add notes to your Unit 2 Google Doc before moving on.

Worn Down and Giving Up

Sometimes, a parent feels that they have tried everything they can with their child and are having no success. For instance, they may battle with the child every night for hours on end to get their homework done. The particular child may wear down their parent by asking over and over to get what they want. On top of other stressors for the parent like work and taking care of other children, this can become too much. The parent may just want to preserve the relationship with their child rather than continue to nag and beg them.

Going forward, when a teacher from school tries to contact the parent regarding the child, the parent may react negatively out of their feelings of helplessness and frustration. The parent may get angry at the school personnel that is just trying to help. The parent feels it is easier and less draining to let the child do what they want rather than continually fight with them or try to make a difference.

Think: what type of parent is most likely to be associated with this behavior? Answer in Unit 2 Doc, #1. Don't forget to add to the table in your notes in the same document before moving on.

Bigger Fish to Fry

Some parents have very limited time to devote to their child's schoolwork because of work demands or family obligations. This may cause the parent to be absent from their child's life at home, after school. This does not mean that a parent wants to be away from their child, but it can be a contributor as to why they are not able to be involved. What is a child to do if they have no guidance or support at home when they are supposed to be doing their homework? Who helps them get ready for school or cook their meals? Sometimes children are left on their own out of necessity. It is possible that they live in a single-parent household and that parent works long or odd hours. They may have chores that need to get done or younger siblings to take care of. These needs usually come before school work.

Even if youngsters are not making meals or providing child care in their after school time, they still need that support and guidance from a parent when it comes to school work. Research indicates that students whose parents are involved in the educational process are more likely to perform better and achieve more than students whose parents are absent from the process (Partin, 2017).

As you can see from the map pictured on the right, single parent homes in the U.S. make up around 1/3 of all households in most states. Based on this data, all educators will have to manage single parents at some point. The methods and strategies discussed in Unit 3 will be very helpful when dealing with single parents and their children.

Think: what type of parent is most likely to be associated with this behavior? Answer in Unit 2 Doc, #2. Don't forget to add to the table in your notes in the same document before moving on.

Just Don't Know What's Going On

It is possible that the parent has no idea about the classroom practices, rules, and expectations set forth by the teacher of their child. The parent could be accustomed to another teacher's practices and just expects this year or this teacher's to be the same. The teacher could be expecting one thing and the parent another, never really aligning with each other.

The parent may also not be aware, or may refuse to believe, that there even is a problem in school should one arise. The child may be acting out a certain way in school because of needs that are not being met at home. For instance, a child that does not get enough attention at home may resort to acting out in class for an attempt at even bad attention. The parent may not see this behavior at home or have no idea how to fix it. It is important for teacher and parent to be on the same page, and Unit 3 will outline specific ways in which we can do this.

Think: What does the quote above mean? If you forgot about Moslow's Hierarchy of Needs or Bloom's Taxonomy, do a quick search here. Type your answer to the question in Unit 2 Doc, #3. Don't forget to add to the table in your notes in the same document before moving on.

Reflecting

We are going to reflect on the reasons listed in this Unit that a parent may become uninvolved in their child's schooling. You will draw on your personal experiences with parents.

Which of these types of parents have you dealt with? If you personally have not, think about friends or colleagues that you know have had experiences with these parents. What did you/they ask of the parent? How did you/they contact them? What was said to the parent? What was the parent's response to you and/or how did they receive your message? How did you/they react? Think about these questions and record your thoughts in Unit 2 Google Doc under "Unit 2 Reflection."

Advance to: Unit 3: Methods to Get Parents Involved