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Artefact 1 Parental Engagement

This piece of evidence is an essay examining the effect that parental
engagement has on student learning and student outcomes (7.3).

Topic: Does Parent engagement contribute to student learning?

Parental engagement is understood by educational researchers to refer to

the

involvement

of

parents

in

their

childs

educational

learning

(Henderson, 2002). The greater the extent to which parents engage in

their childrens learning is anecdotally considered to have a positive
impact on student learning outcomes. The nature of parental contribution
to student learning outcomes is impacted on by a number of factors
including parent social background, maternal level of education and
maternal wellbeing (Nechyba, 1999). There are however a range of
challenges facing both the teachers and the families when considering
parental involvement.

These include the unique social context of

contemporary Australian schools and communities, cultural conditions and

factors unique to individuals, families and school communities and extend
through to religious, economic and immigrant standings of parents and
family

groups.

perception

of

Although
the

educators

positive

impact

sometimes
and

have

contribution

an

idealistic

that

parental

engagement has on student learning; we are yet to see strong academic

results which supports this and cements all the research about the
importance it plays in a students success.

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The history and evolution of education in Australia has significantly

shaped the way in which parents view their engagement with their childs
schooling. Recent media and political attention given to school funding is
but one of the obvious indicators that as a nation we have developed a
much sharper attentiveness to the business of education. The once
named Gonski reforms and now re-badged Better Schools Funding
program from the Australian Government, despite education being a State
constitutional responsibility has been a significant contributor to the public
dialogue around and about education. These and other drastic changes to
both education and the educators in our contemporary society means that
as a community we need to update the views of what engagement
means. Parents and educators need to build a deeper and broader
understanding

of

learning,

contemporary

schools

and

parental

engagement can mean. The days of sending children to school with large
classes and whole class rote style teaching and small glimpses of
parental engagement, largely as bus drivers and canteen mums have
gone. Instead, today there are specialised student programs with small
classes and rich syllabus; there is indeed a need for a dramatic change in
how parents view their role in the childs education. Not only is there the
challenge of what we have done in the past, but also what we are not
doing now. According to Henderson (2002), the number one challenge
educators face today, is the lack of professional development given about
parental engagement. Not only is there minimal professional development
2

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in this domain given to teachers once they are in the profession, but also
a lack of education about engagement in the course work they undertake
in teacher preparation training (Henderson, 2002). The challenges of
knowing how to engage parents meaningfully and getting parents
engaged in their students education purposefully with a learning focus is
a difficult task and one that both parents and educators need to improve
on in the future if there is to be a genuinely positive impact on student
learning as a result of parent engagement.

The role of the parent is first and foremost as the primary educators of
their children as outlined in the Sacred Catholic Congregation for Catholic
Education encyclical titled The Catholic School (1977). The faith formation
of children is obviously a life long journey that is shaped by faith practices
in the home and those modelled by parents, extended family and parish.
Through the explicit practice of parents in the sacraments children learn
about their own and the wider global Churches sacramental life. As first
educators of their children, parent engagement with their children in
understanding scripture, celebrating the Eucharist and entering into
prayer life contributes significantly to bringing student learning about
their faith to life. The simple methods of engaging students in learning
about faith as offered through Pope Francis Five Finger Prayer (Pope
Francis, 2013) is one contemporary method. Parent engagement in such

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dimensions of prayer and spiritual life offers the most meaningful link
between students and their faith life in the short and long term.

The social and cultural dimensions of the community that students live
and learn in, is a significant part of their lives. Understanding and
empathising with this very important element of students lives is critical
in ensuring that educators understand how to engage parents in the
schooling of their child, in their unique context. Embracing the diversity of
cultures within the classroom is the first step in getting parents active in
their students education. Henderson (2002) explains that home visits to
their students houses helps build relationships with the whole family, but
particularly with the parents. Ensuring comfortable communication lines
between parents and teachers leads to active interest and participation in
education. Inviting parents and members of the community into the
classroom

could

also

achieve

further

involvement

that

leads

to

conversation about culture, expectations, social norms and school

expectations that might not be fully understood or already established as
usual in family life (Sacker, 2002). This not only shows respect and a
vested interest in students families and background but also teachers
their class about the diversity of the school and how to respect the
different cultures all around the world. Similarly in schools where a low
level of diversity in cultural backgrounds exists, such cultural outreach can
be enriching for students and parents in that they have raised awareness

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of the wider community.

Engaging parents in education in low-income communities is often viewed

as quite a challenge. Not only are their family dynamics to consider but
also the view of education in the society. While there are many problems
in the way, there are also many ways in demonstrating your respect for
the local community. Henderson (2002) believes that being visible within
the community is the single most important factor. Organizing activities
and walks in the local community is an easy way to show your interest in
their families and the places where they live. It also allows for the
teachers to view the local community and instead of judging the area they
get to understand where their pupils are coming from and understand the
challenges that they may face in their home lives. Understanding why
parents are unable to get involved in their childs education is extremely
important. The issue of being a single parent or the inability to get
childcare are quite common reasons why parents are not able to be
present within classroom and why they may lack time to give their childs
education the time it needs (DeGarmo, 1999). Overall, being visible to the
community is very important in demonstrating how important it is from
parents to be engaged in the childs learning.

Research in parental engagement is very extensive and is steadily

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providing results about how and why it is important to become engaged

(Epstein, 2001). However, there is no concrete evidence showing that
there is a definite correlation between parental engagements leading to
high achieving student. While a common factor of parental input in a
pupils education is there, there are also many other correlations
appearing in high achieving students. It is also reasonable to conclude
that positive value and impact of parental engagement in the early and
primary years might not come to fruition in the older and young adult
years of their schooling (Epstein, 2001).

Parental engagement contributes to student learning as there is a vested

interest in what and how pupils are learning. Although there are many
different approaches in how to get parents involved and ways parents can
be involved, the results of this vested interest are the same (Epstein,
2001). When parents are active in their childs education, the student
learns that education is important and that they have support both at
school and out of school. Overall, there is correlation between parental
engagement in schooling and the students attitude to education (Parent
Teacher Association, 2012).

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Reference List
DeGarmo, D.S., Forgatch, M.S., Martinez, C.R. (1999). Parenting of
divorced mothers as a link between social status and boys academic
outcomes: Unpacking the effects of socioeconomic status, Child
Development, 70 (5), 1231-1245.

Epstein, J. (2001) School, family and community partnerships: preparing

educators and improving schools, Boulder, CO: Westview Press .

Henderson, A., Mapp, K., (2002). A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of
School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement.
Texas, U.S.A: National Center for Family and Community Connections with
Schools SEDL.

Nechyba, T., McEwan, P., and Older-Aguilar, D (1999). The impact of

family and community resource on student outcomes: An assessment of
the international literature with implications for New Zealand. Retrieved
September 8, 2013 from www.minedu.govt.nz/web/document.

Parent Teacher Association. (2012). Parental Engagement. Retrieved

September 8, 2013, from www.pta.org.

Pope Francis. (2013). Five Finger Prayer. Retrieved Septembe r 6, 2013,

from www.patheos.com.

Sacker, A., Schoon, I., and Bartley, M. (2002). Social inequality in

educational achievement and psychological adjustment throughout
childhood: magnitude and mechanisms. Social Science and Medicine, 55,
863-880.

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Sacred Catholic Congregation for Catholic Education encyclical. (1977).

The Catholic School. Retrieved September 8, 2013, from www.vatican.va.