| Citation: | Moreno, R. P., & Lopez, J. A. (1999). Latina parent involvement: The role of maternal acculturation and education. The School Community Journal, 9(1), 83-101. EJ589416. |
Annotation:
This study investigates the influence of acculturation and family socioeconomic status on Latina mothersÕ involvement in their childrenÕs schooling through the investigation of the influence of socio-cultural factors on (1) personal and psychological factors, (2) contextual factors, (3) and level of involvement. The findings showed a significant effect for maternal educational on parentÕs role definition in their childrenÕs education, a main effect for acculturation on barriers, indicating that less acculturated mothers reported more barriers regarding their involvement compared to more acculturated mothers, and that there was no significant difference with respect to quantity of parental involvement. However, a main effect was found for maternal education on frequency of involvement, indicating that mothers with more education engaged in parental involvement activities more frequently. The sample included parents of first grade children from one of five elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District that participated. The five schools all had high Latino student enrollments and participated in a federally-funded school dropout prevention research program. Because most recent qualitative research suggests that the processes by which Latino parents impact their childrenÕs academic achievement may differ from their White middle class counterparts (Delgado-Gaitan, 1990; Gandara, 1995; Valdez, 1996), more in-depth research is necessary to identify the unique issues facing Latino familiesÕ ability to participate in the education of their children. The study implies that Latino parentsÕ lack of familiarity with the American school system may influence their efficacy beliefs regarding involvement in their childrenÕs schooling.
The Connection Collection: ©SEDL 2024