Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Diverse Perspectives of Parents, Diverse Concepts of Parent Involvement and Participation: What Can They Suggest to Researchers?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Foundational Aspects of Family-School Partnership Research

Part of the book series: Research on Family-School Partnerships ((RFSP,volume 1))

Abstract

Diversity of experiences and perspectives, it is widely agreed, should be a source of strength in home–school partnerships, as in other aspects of educational endeavor. Yet often, in the literature, diversity is presented as a complication to be overcome. A limiting mindset often prevails, both in theory and practice, where diversity is regarded as an issue or barrier, even amidst the best of intentions to be inclusive. In this chapter, we argue that this limiting mindset on diversity may in fact derive in part from the conceptual frameworks with which we in the USA contemplate and conduct research on diversity issues in home–school relationships. We make this point by taking the discussion outside the framework of the American literature. First, we offer our summary and interpretation of several general principles that describe the purpose, nature, and value attached to parental involvement in the USA. Next, we turn to the field of Italian education, in particular, to conceptualizations about partecipazione, or participation, a term for the idealized way in which parents, teachers, and community members should take an active part in the life, culture, and decisions concerning children and the educational services created for them. We draw mainly from the writings of a network of early educational leaders from cities of northern and central Italy (e.g., Bologna, Milan, Modena, Pistoia, Reggio Emilia, and others)—places which have carried out the strongest experiments in creating and sustaining systems of home–school community.

Prepared for S. M. Sheridan and E. M. Kim (Eds.), Research on Family–school Partnerships: An Interdisciplinary Examination of State of the Science and Critical Needs. Vol. III: Family–School Partnerships in Context. New York: Springer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ada, A. F., & Zubizarreta, R. (2001). Parent narratives: The cultural bridge between Latino parents and their children. In M. de la Luz Reyes & J. J. Halcon (Eds.), The best for our children: Critical perspectives on literacy for Latino students (pp. 229–244). New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnold, D. H., & Doctoroff, G. L. (2003). The early education of socioeconomically disadvantaged children. Annual Review of Psychology, 54, 517–545.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Banks, J. A. (1995). Multicultural education: Historical development, dimensions, and practice. In J. A. Banks & C. A. McGee Banks (Eds.), Handbook of research on multicultural education (pp. 3–24). New York: Macmillian.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becchi, E. (2010). Una pedagogia del buon gusto: Esperienze e progetti dei servizi educative per l’infanzia del Comune di Pistoia. Milan: Franco Angeli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boethel, M. (2003). Diversity: School, family, and community connections. Austin: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bove, C. (2007). Italy: Parent involvement. In R. S. New & M. Cochran (Eds.), Early childhood education: An international encyclopedia. Vol. 4 The Countries (pp. 1141–1145). Westport: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cagliari, P., & Giudici, C. (2001). School as a place of group learning for parents. In C. Giudici, C. Rinaldi, & M. Krechevsky (Eds.), Making learning visible: Children as individual and group learners (pp. 136–141). Reggio Emilia: REGGIO CHILDREN, srl.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cline, K., Edwards, C. P., Gandini, L., Giacomelli, A., Giovannini, D., & Galardini, A. (2012). A day at Filastrocca Preschool, Pistoia, Italy: Meaning making through literacy and creative activity. LEARNing Landscapes, 6(1), 107–128. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/83/. Accessed 30 Dec 2014.

  • Corradini, L. (2012). For a more participatory and human society. In One city, many children: Reggio Emilia, a history of the present (pp. 128–130). The Preschools and Infant-Toddler Centres—Istuzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia and Reggio Children.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corsaro, W. A. (1994). Discussion, debate and friendship: Peer discourse in nursery schools in the United States and Italy. Sociology of Education, 67, 1–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corsaro, W. A., & Molinari, L. (2005). I compagni: Understanding children’s transition from preschool to elementary school. New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corsaro, W. A., & Rizzo, T. A. (1988). Discussione and friendship: Socialization processes in the peer culture of Italian nursery school children. American Sociological Review, 53, 879–894.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crosnoe, R. (2009). Family–school connections and the transitions of low-income youths and English language learners from middle to high school. Developmental Psychology, 45, 1061–1076.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Crosnoe, R., Wirth, R. J., Pianta, R. C., Leventhal, T., Pierce, K. M., & NICHD Early Child Care Research Network. (2010). Family socioeconomic status and consistent environmental stimulation in early childhood. Child Development, 81, 972–987.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dahlberg, G. (2012). Pedagogical documentation: A practice for negotiation and democracy. In C. Edwards, L. Gandini, & G. Forman (Eds.), The hundred languages of children, 3rd ed: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation (pp. 225–231). Santa Barbara: ABC–CLIO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahlberg, G., Moss, P., & Pence, A. (2007). Beyond quality: Languages of evaluation. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dearing, E., Kreider, H., Simpkins, S., & Weiss, H. B. (2006). Family involvement in school and low-income children’s literacy performance: Longitudinal associations between and within families. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 653–664.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dearing, E., McCartney, K., & Taylor, B. (2009). Does higher-quality early child care promote low-income children’s math and reading achievement in middle childhood? Child Development, 80, 1329–1349.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Delgado-Gaitán, C. (1996). Protean literacy: Extending the discourse on empowerment. London: Falmer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delrio, G. (2012). Our responsibility toward young children and toward their community. In C. Edwards, L. Gandini, & G. Forman (Eds.), The hundred languages of children, 3rd ed: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation (pp. 81–88). Santa Barbara: ABC–CLIO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, C. P., Sheridan, S. M., & Knoche, L. L. (2010). Parent-child relationships in early learning. In E. Baker, P. Peterson, & B. McGaw (Eds.), International encyclopedia of education (Vol. 5, pp. 438–443). Oxford: Elsevier. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/psychfacpub/606. Accessed 30 Dec 2014.

  • Edwards, C. P., Cline, K. D., Gandini, L., Giacomelli, A., Giovannini, D., & Galardini, A. (2014). Accessed 12/30/2014. Books, stories, and the imagination at ‘The Nursery Rhyme’: A qualitative case study of the learning environment at an Italian preschool. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 28, 1–25. http://kellogg.nd.edu/events/calendar/spring2012/learning.shtml. Accessed 30 Dec 2014.

  • Epstein, J. L. (1987). Toward a theory of family-school connections: Teacher practices and parent involvement. In K. Hurrelmann, F. Kaufmann, & F. Losel (Eds.), Social intervention: Potential and constraints (pp. 121–136). New York: DeGruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, J. L. (1995). School/family/community partnerships: Caring for the children we share. Phi Delta Kappan, 76(9) 701–712 (EJ502937).

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, J. (2001). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educations and improving schools. Boulder: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson, C., Ramos, M., Rudo, Z., & Wood, L. (2008). The school-family connection: Looking at the larger picture. Austin: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleharty, H., & Pope-Edwards, C. (2013). Family–school partnerships: Promoting family participation in K-3 teacher professional development. Mathematics Teacher Educator, 2(1), 55–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galardini, A., & Giovannini, D. (2001). Pistoia: Creating a dynamic, open system to serve children, families, and community. In L. Gandini & C. P. Edwards (Eds.), Bambini: The Italian approach to infant/toddler care (pp. 89–108). New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gandini, L. (2012). Parent participation in the governance of the schools: An interview with Sergio Spaggiari. In C. Edwards, L. Gandini, & G. Forman (Eds.), The hundred languages of children, 3rd ed: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation (pp. 117–134). Santa Barbara: ABC–CLIO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghedini, P. (2001). Changes in Italian national policy for children 0–3 years old and their families: Advocacy and responsibility. In L. Gandini & C. P. Edwards (Eds.), Bambini: The Italian approach to infant/toddler care (pp. 55–66). New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, K., Horgan, M., Ridgway, A., Murphy, R., Cunneen, M. & Cunningham, D. (2010). Loris Malaguzzi and the Reggio Emilia experience. London: Coninuum International Publishing Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, A. T., & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Austin: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill, N. E. (2001). Parenting and academic socialization as they relate to school readiness: The roles of ethnicity and family income. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 686–697.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, N. E. & Craft, S. A. (2003). Parent-school involvement and school performance: Mediated pathways among socioeconomically comparable African American and Euro-American families. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95, 74–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hornby, G. (2011). Parental involvement in childhood education: Building effective school-family partnerships. New York: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Istituzione Scuole e Nidi d’Infanzia of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia. (2010). Principles of the educational project. In Istituzione Scuole e Nidi d’Infanzia of the Muncipality of Reggio Emilia (Ed.), Indications of preschools and infant-toddler centres of the municipality of Reggio Emilia (pp. 10–14). Reggio Emilia, Italy: Reggio Children.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohl, G. O., Lengua, L. J., & McMahon, R. J. (2000). Parent involvement in school: Conceptualizing multiple dimensions and their relations with family and demographic risk factors. Journal of School Psychology, 38, 501–523 (EJ621108).

    Google Scholar 

  • Mantovani, S. (2001). Infant-toddler centers in Italy today: Tradition and innovation. In L. Gandini & C. P. Edwards (Eds.), Bambini: The Italian approach to infant/toddler care (pp. 23–37). New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mantovani, S. (2007). Italy: Pedagogy. In R. S. New & M. Cochran (Eds.), Early childhood education: An international encyclopedia. Vol. 4 The countries (pp. 1115–1118). Westport: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKenna, M.K., & Millen, J. (2013). Look! Listen! Learn! Parent narratives and grounded theory models of parent voice, presence, and engagement in K-12 education. The School Community Journal, 23(1), 9–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, K. F., & Parades, D. R. (1996). On the shoulders of giants: Cultural tools and mathematical development. In R. J. Sternberg & T. Ben-Zeev (Eds.), The nature of mathematical thinking (pp. 83–117). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moss, P. (2012). Micro-project and macro-policy: Learning through relationships. In C. Edwards, L. Gandini, & G. Forman (Eds.), The hundred languages of children, 3rd ed: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation (pp. 101–113). Santa Barbara: ABC–CLIO.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Center for Children in Poverty. (2006). Who are America’s poor children? The official story. New York: Sarah Fass & Nancy K. Cauthen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oyserman, D., Coon, H. M., & Kemmelmeier, M. (2002). Rethinking individualism and collectivism: Evaluation of theoretical assumptions and meta-analyses. Psychological Bulletin, 128, 3–72.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pappas, L. N. (2012). School closings and parent engagement. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 18(2), 165–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piccinini, S., & Giudici, C. (2012). Reggio Emilia: A transforming city. In C. Edwards, L. Gandini, & G. Forman (Eds.), The hundred languages of children, 3rd ed: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation (pp. 89–99). Santa Barbara: ABC–CLIO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pomerantz, E. M., Moorman, E. A., & Litwack, S. D. (2007). The how, whom, and why of parents’ involvement in children’s academic lives: More is not always better. Review of Educational Research, 3,373–410.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pomerantz, E. M. & Moorman, E. A. (2010). Parents’ involvement in children’s schooling: A context for children’s development. In J. L. Meece & J. S. Eccles (Eds.), Handbook of research on schools, schooling, and human development (pp. 398–417). New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Putnam, R. D. (1993). Making democracy work: Civic traditions in modern Italy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rinaldi, C. (2006). In dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, researching and learning. New York: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Sheridan, S. M., Knoche, L. L., Edwards, C. P., Bovaird, J. A., & Kupzyk, K. A. (2010). Parent engagement and school readiness: Effects of the getting ready intervention on preschool children’s social-emotional competencies. Early Education and Development, 21, 125–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheridan, S. M., Knoche, L. L., Kupzyk, K. A., Edwards, C. P., & Marvin, C. (2011). A randomized trial examining the effects of parent engagement on early language and literacy: The getting ready intervention. Journal of School Psychology, 49, 361–383.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Starkey, P., Klein, A., Chang, I., Qi, D., Lijuan, P., & Yang, Z. (1999). Environmental supports for young children’s mathematical development in China and the United States. Paper presented at the biennial conference of the Society for Research in Child Development, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, H. W., Lee, S. Y., & Stigler, J. W. (1986). Mathematics achievement of Chinese, Japanese, and American children. Science, 231(4739), 693–699.

    Google Scholar 

  • Study Group on “Identities and Functions of the City and Childhood Councils.” (2002). Charter of the city and childhood councils. Reggio Emilia: Documentation and Educational Research Center, Infant-Toddler Centers and Preschools, Municipality of Reggio Emilia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuzawa, M., Bart, W. M., Kinne, L. J., Sukemune, S., & Kataoka, M. (1999). The effect of “origami” practice on size comparison strategy among young Japanese and American children. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 13, 133–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies and Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA

    Carolyn Pope Edwards EdD

  2. Center for Science, Mathematics & Computer Education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA

    Traci Shizu Kutaka PhD

Authors
  1. Carolyn Pope Edwards EdD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Traci Shizu Kutaka PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carolyn Pope Edwards EdD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nebraska Center for Research on Children Youth, Families and Schools, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

    Susan M. Sheridan

  2. Nebraska Center for Research on Children Youth, Families and Schools, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

    Elizabeth Moorman Kim

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Edwards, C., Kutaka, T. (2015). Diverse Perspectives of Parents, Diverse Concepts of Parent Involvement and Participation: What Can They Suggest to Researchers?. In: Sheridan, S., Moorman Kim, E. (eds) Foundational Aspects of Family-School Partnership Research. Research on Family-School Partnerships, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13838-1_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation