2.1. Introduction
PI is one of the influential aspects that enhance children’s learning. Many schools are coming forth to encourage parents´ to take part in the education of children and assist the school community in so many ways. The district believes that parents´ can play an influential role in children thus they are including them in children’s learning will benefit the school and make things easier by creating a bond between educational stakeholder. Moreover, when parents´ are involved, it motivates children to keep on learning and building a relationship with their families. In this regard, it is deemed essential to dig through and explore what do benefits schools through the parents’ participation. This chapter examines the importance of PI to the school community as well as to the children’s learning.
2.2. Parental involvement in the school community
According to Ho (2013), parental involvement in school education of their children has been the focus of many home-school studies carried out locally and abroad for more than a decade.
However, different in concept and inconsistent findings make it difficult for researchers and practitioners to find key constructs that could help establish methods for active parental involvement. Ho (2013) further stresses that parental investment is a measure of the types and amounts of resources parents spend on fostering their children for both social-psychological and intellectual development. It has a direct effect on student’s self-concept as well as on academic achievement of children. In support, Harper (2010) indicates that parents play a significant role in their children’s educational development. Most research has shown that there is a positive relationship between children’s school success and their parents’ involvement in their education.
Blandin (2017) states that when it comes to providing children with equal opportunity to learn remains a responsibility of all stakeholders to put more effort. Much has been emphasised about home and school-based factors that contribute to children learning. The home and school connection include the collaboration between the parent and the teachers in the educational interest of children. Parents are provided with the opportunity to be involved in the educational process of their child. It yields direct participation in which both teacher and parents attend conferences, and parents can offer to volunteer to school activities. Effective communication between parents and teachers is vital for connecting the two institutions.
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Moreover, Chang, Park, Singh, and Sung (2009) shows that many educators are making an effort to involve parents in children education through parenting workshops, volunteer opportunities and fundraising initiatives. Similarly, Soininen and Merisuo-Storm (2012) indicated that home should not be just viewed as a setting social context but as a learning context and thus parents' influences should be put into consideration. Both the school and home are part of the same system in which children’s academic development happen in their daily lives.
Parent volunteering may also differ from culture and social setting. To define parent volunteering, Lockstone‐Binney, Holmes, Smith, and Baum (2010) indicate that, volunteering includes free will, availability of reward, and formal organisation. This suggests that parent will volunteer when they want to and when given some direction and guidance on how to go about it and what will be their expectations and outcome from the volunteering activity. Ho (2013) adds that; parent volunteering can be an additional form of resource for school development. There has been a growing interest in enhancing children’s education and to improve school effectiveness as parents are a key part of stakeholders and are involved in decision making. According to Epstein (2018), PI is beneficial to students, strengthen schools, assist teachers as well as build a strong relationship between parties involved. Teachers’ hopes parents can support, guide and influence their children to their schoolwork while parents are seeking help from teachers on how they should help their children at home. Some teachers are advocating for parents to be involved however they are not suggesting in what way they should in which it confuses parents.
One of the best approaches identified by Epstein (2018) is a partnership, in which educators, families and community members work as a team to share information, guide students and assist children. During the partnership, there are equally divided responsibilities between home and school in promoting children’s learning. Additionally, Ho and Kwong (2013) claim that most schools found parental involvement to be enhancing home-school communication and result in improved home-school cooperation. This is supported by Al-Qaryouti and Kilani (2015), who indicate that educators are encouraging parents to offer activities at home to help their children emerging literacy. Besides, Christenson and Sheridan (2001) suggest that to prevent children from failure is through partnering parents and the school. These kinds of relationship are meant on fostering a positive environment. Most schools are promoting partnership which increases parent participation in the academic growth of their children. When it comes to the school community, this does not only refer to teachers but all educational
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personnel and the whole school climate. In this case, the relationship between the home and school and collaborations should be promoted and given value.
2.3.Parental involvement in regard of children’s learning
According to Wheeler, Godwin, Connor, and National children’s (2009), ongoing parental involvement continue to have a more significant impact as children progress through primary schools. Where primary schools work actively to communicate with parents, children make better academic progress and show better self-regulation. Strong parental support for learning leads to better improvement in reading at the age of 10. It indicates that children at that age are in the fourth grade which is when they start the medium of English. Parents being involved in their children’s education enhances children’s intellectual and social development, and it may help to build parents the confidence to continue involvement and communication with schools as their children progress through their education.
Additionally, Epstein (2018) claims that student’s hope their families are knowledgeable about their schools and be helpful to them on school matters at home. Moreover, Fan, Williams, and Wolters (2012), who focus more on the relationship between parents and children suggest that students build a positive relationship with their parents through their involvement which creates more family bonds. PI is regarded as one of the critical aspects of the social environment which provide a powerful influence on children's motivational beliefs and behaviours.
As Al-Qaryouti and Kilani (2015) claim on the social perspective of the children, many specialists in this field have confirmed that when parents are involved, it shapes children personality and prepare them for the future challenge and make them ready to be prepared to go to school and learn. They will stimulate self-confidence and high self-esteem in children.
Parents can help children to develop a sense of literacy by exposing them to texts. This will make children to be curious and want to learn more. Moreover, Robinson and Harris (2014) add that, when parents help in the accomplishment of their children, it assumes a variety of positive roles and children will gain confidence about accomplishing and obtain better grades in the second language learning. English, foreign language (EFL) Parent’s Involvement in children’s learning a foreign language has a significant impact on learners acquiring the target language. Robinson and Harris (2014) emphasise that, when parents are involved, it is beneficial to children concerning reducing absenteeism, improving discipline and increasing children school completion. It also helps to promote children’s engagement, emotional and academic growth.
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Furthermore, Wong, Ho, Wong, Tung, Chow, Rao, and Ip, (2018) show that, during parent-child interactions, parent-children learn from their parent’s expressions of emotions and those can have an impact on them as they grow up. Children learn how to handle their feelings which is much influenced by how parents are involved in their life. Children get a picture of what their parents expect from them and especially with their academic outcome which makes them make the right decision. It makes them have a positive feeling towards learning and lead those to be well academic behaved. This is supported by Fan and Williams (2010), who indicated that when parents are involved and participate more in school events, children tend to be more engaged with school activities which leads to academic achievement and they hardly drop out of school. Similarly, Chang, Park, Singh and Sung (2009) add that, when parents have involved it boost children’s level of competence and autonomy. Children gain a sense of security and connectedness and help them to internalise educational values.
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3. PARENTS INVOLVEMENT IN CHILDRENS FOREIGN LANGUAGE