Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Barriers To Parental Involvement, Emily J. Berry

M.S.Ed. in Early Childhood Research Projects

The research discussed in this paper explores parent and educator perspectives towards family involvement activities, and the barriers that cause lower participation rates. The foundation of this research is built from Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological theory, asserting that children have more meaningful experiences when there is a positive connection between their mesosystems. This study surveys pre-k families regarding their perspective on the importance of parental involvement in school activities. Such activities include class celebrations, family activity nights, parent trainings/workshops, volunteering in the classroom, and attending pre-k parent groups. Parents report on the barriers preventing them from being able to attend school …