Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Home-School Relations pp 89–111Cite as

Chinese Immigrant Parents’ Involvement in Their Children’s School-Based Education: Behaviours and Perceptions

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

This chapter explores how Chinese immigrant parents are involved in their children’s school-based education and what factors shape the formats of their involvement. Twelve Chinese immigrant families were interviewed. Data analysis revealed that Chinese immigrant parents believed that parental involvement was beneficial to both the school and children and they involved themselves in school-based activities regardless of personal experiences. However, generally speaking, participants did not go to their children’s school without teachers ’ invitation. Language barrier , lack of time and energy and unfamiliarity with the Canadian school culture were reported as the main factors that limited participants’ involvement in school-based activities. Particularly, new immigrants often felt intimidated to talk to teachers since they did not know what they can say and what not to say given their unfamiliarity with the Canadian school culture .

Note: This chapter was developed based on a paper previously published in Brock Education (Volume 20, No. 2, 4–21) with a tile “Chinese immigrant parents’ involvement in their children’s school education: High interest but low action”.

This is a preview of subscription content, 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   79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   129.99
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

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adams, K. S., & Christenson, S. L. (2000). Trust and the family-school relationship: An examination of parent-teacher differences in elementary and secondary grades. Journal of School Psychology, 38, 447–497.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amatea, E. S., Smith-Adcock, S., & Villares, E. (2006). From family deficit to family strength: Viewing families’ contribution to children’s learning from a family resilience perspective. Professional School Counselling, 9, 177–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benson, F., & Martin, S. (2003). Organizing successful parent involvement in urban schools. Child Study Journal, 33(3), 187–193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berg, B. L. (2009). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (7th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernhard, J. K. (2010). From theory to practice: Engaging immigrant parents in their children’s education. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 56(3), 319–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brough, J., & Irvin, J. (2001). Parental involvement supports academic improvement among middle schoolers. Middle School Journal, 32(5), 56–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bush, T., & Qiang, H. (2002). Leadership and culture in Chinese education. In A. Walker & C. Dimmock (Eds.), School leadership and administration: Adopting a cultural perspective (pp. 173–186). NY: RoutledgeFalmer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Citizenship and Immigration of Canada. (2015). Facts and figures—Immigration overview: Permanent residents. Retrieved from: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/statistics/facts2014/permanent/10.asp.

  • Coleman, P. (1998). Parent, student and teacher collaboration: The power of three. California: Corwin Press Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Commins, N. L. (1992). Parents and public schools: The experiences of four Mexican immigrant families. Equity and Choice, 8, 40–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Constantino, R., Cui, L., & Faltis, C. (1995). Chinese parental involvement: Reaching new levels. Equity & Excellence in Education, 28(2), 46–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2000). Introduction: The discipline and practice of qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 1–29). London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyson, L. L. (2001). Home-school communication and expectations of recent Chinese immigrants. Canadian Journal of Education, 26(4), 455–476.

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, J. L. (2001). School, family, and community partnership: Preparing educators and improving schools. Boulder, CO: Westview.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, J. L., & Dauber, S. (1991). School programs and teacher practices of parent involvement in inner-city elementary and middle schools. The Elementary School Journal, 91, 279–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Espinosa, L, M. (1995). Hispanic parent involvement in early childhood programs. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. EDO-PS-95-3. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED382412.

  • Fan, X., & Chen, M. (2001). Parental involvement and students’ academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 13(1), 1–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grolnick, W. S., Kurowski, C. O., Dunlap, K. G., & Hevey, C. (2000). Parental resources and the transition to junior high. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 10(4), 465–488.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gu, W. (2008). New horizons and challenges in China’s public schools for parent involvement. Education, 128(4), 570–578.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo, Y. (2006). “Why didn’t they show up?” Rethinking ESL parent involvement in K-12 education. TESL Canada Journal, 24(1), 80–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo, Y. (2011). Deconstructing parental involvement: Chinese immigrant in Canada. In L. Suryadinata (Ed.), Migration, indigenization and interaction: Chinese overseas and globalization (pp. 97–122). Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co., Pte. Ltd.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Guo, Y. (2012). Diversity in public education: Acknowledging immigrant parent knowledge. Canadian Journal of Education, 35(2), 120–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo, S., & DeVoretz, D. J. (2006). The changing face of Chinese immigrants in Canada. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 7(3), 275–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo, Y., & Mohan, B. (2008). ESL parents and teachers: Towards dialogue? Language and Education, 22(1), 17–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, D. (2012). Parental involvement and achievement outcomes in African American adolescents. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 43(4), 567–582.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill, N. E., & Taylor, L. C. (2004). Parental school involvement and children’s academic achievement. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(4), 161–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., & Sandler, H. (1995). Parental involvement in children’s education: Why does it make a difference? Teachers College Record, 97(2), 310–331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., & Sandler, H. (1997). Why do parents become involved in their children’s education? Review of Educational Research, 67(1), 3–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howard, T. C., & Reynolds, R. (2008). Examining parent involvement in reversing the underachievement of African American students in middle schools. Educational Foundations, 22, 79–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huntsinger, C. S., & Jose, P. E. (2009). Relations among parental acceptance and control and children’s social adjustment in Chinese American and European American families. Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 321–330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Inaba, A., Thoits, P. A., Ueno, K., Gove, W. R., Evenson, R. J., & Sloan, M. (2005). Depression in the United States and Japan: Gender, marital status, and SES patterns. Social Science and Medicine, 61, 2280–2292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. H. (2003). A Meta-analysis: The effects of parental involvement on minority children’s academic achievement. Education & Urban Society, 35(2), 202–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. H. (2005a). A meta-analysis of the relation of parental involvement to urban elementary school student academic achievements. Urban Education, 40(3), 237–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. H. (2005b). Effects of parental involvement on the academic achievement of adolescents. Marriage and Family Review, 37, 99–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. H. (2007). The relationship between parental involvement and urban secondary school student academic achievement. Urban Education, 42, 82–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2012). A meta-analysis of the efficacy of different types of parental involvement programs for urban students. Urban Education, 47(4), 706–742.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, F., Zhou, G., Zhang, Z., Beckford, C., & Zhong, L. (2012). Chinese immigrant parents’ communication with school teachers. Canadian and International Education, 41(1), 59.

    Google Scholar 

  • John-Steiner, V., & Mahn, H. (1996). Socio-cultural approaches to learning and development: A Vygotskian framework. Educational Psychologist, 3(3), 191–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Juang, L. P., & Silbereisen, R. K. (2002). The relationship between adolescent academic capability beliefs, parenting, and school grades. Journal of Adolescence, 25, 3–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kao, G. (1995). Asian Americans as model minorities? A look at their academic performance. American Journal of Education, 103(2), 121–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kao, G., & Tienda, M. (1998). Educational aspirations of minority youth. American Journal of Education, 106(3), 349–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lareau, A. (2003). Unequal childhoods: Class, race, and family life. Berkeley: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J., & Bowen, N. (2006). Parent involvement, cultural capital, and the achievement gap among elementary school children. American Educational Research Journal, 43(2), 193–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, C. W., James, M., Hancock, S., & Hill-Jackson, V. (2008). Framing African American students’ success and failures in urban settings: A typology for change. Urban Education, 43, 127–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, D. (2005, July). Attitudes, motivations and identities in learning Chinese as a heritage. Paper Presented at the 14th World Congress of Applied Linguistics, Madison, WI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, J. (2001). Expectations of Chinese immigrant parents for their children’s education: The interplay of Chinese tradition and the Canadian context. Canadian Journal of Education, 26, 477–494.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, N. H. (2015). Communication, conflict and mental health: Chinese immigrant parents and their children (Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Windsor).

    Google Scholar 

  • Louie, V. (2001). Parents’ aspirations and investment: The role of social class in the educa-tional experiences of 1.5- and second-generation Chinese Americans. Harvard Educational Review, 71(3), 438–474.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mapp, K. L. (2003). Having their say: Parents describe why and how they are engaged in children’s learning. School Community Journal, 13(1), 35–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mau, W. (1997). Parental influences on the high school students’ academic achievement: A comparison of Asian immigrants, Asian Americans, and White Americans. Psychology in the Schools, 34, 267–277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maxwell, J. A. (2004). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • McNeal, R. B. (1999). Parental involvement as social capital: Differential effectiveness on science achievement, truancy, and dropping out. Social Forces, 78, 117–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra, B. K. (2013). Psychology: The study of human behaviour (3rd ed.). New Delhi: PHI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muller, C. (1995). Maternal employment, parental involvement, and mathematics achievement among adolescents. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57, 85–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ontario Ministry of Education. (2010). Parents in partnership: A parent engagement policy for Ontario schools. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/involvement/PE_Policy2010.pdf.

  • Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative evaluation and research methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perna, L. W. (2004). Impact of student aid program design, operations, and marketing on the formation of family college-going plans and resulting college-going behaviors of potential students. Boston: The Education Resources Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogoff, B. (2003). The cultural nature of human development. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogoff, B., & Angelillo, C. (2002). Investigating the coordinated functioning of multifaceted cultural practices in human development. Human Development, 45, 211–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rubin, H. J., & Rubin, I. S. (1995). Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwandt, T. A. (2001). Dictionary of qualitative inquiry (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon, S., & Epstein, J. (2002). Improving student behaviour and discipline with family and community involvement. Education and Urban Society, 35(1), 4–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shumow, L., & Harris, W. (2000). Teachers’ thinking about home-school relations in low-income urban communities. School Community Journal, 10(1), 9–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, B. S. (2004). High school outreach and family involvement. Social Psychology of Education, 7, 185–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Statistics Canada. (2013). Immigration and ethnocultural diversity in Canada. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/as-sa/99-010-x/99-010-x2011001-eng.pdf.

  • Strauss, A. L. (1987). Qualitative analysis for social scientists. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taub, D. J. (2008). Exploring the impact of parental involvement on student development. New Directions for Student Services, 122, 15–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, R. D., & Lopez, E. I. (2005). Family management practice, school achievement and problem behavior in African American adolescents: Mediating process. Journal of Applied Development Psychology, 26, 39–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1987). Thinking and speech. In R. Rieber & A. Carton (Eds.), Collected works (Vol. 1, pp. 39–285). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, J. M. T., Wilkins, A. S., Dallaire, J. R., Sandler, H. M., & Hoover-Dempsey, K. V. (2005). Parental involvement: Model revision through scale development. The Elementary School Journal, 106(2), 85–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wong, K. (2015). Implementing parent engagement policy in an increasingly culturally diverse community of new immigrants: How new is “new”? Canadian Journal of Education, 38(3).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zellman, G. L., & Waterman, J. M. (1998). Understanding the impact of parent school involvement on children’s educational outcomes. The Journal of Educational Research, 91(6), 370–380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, J. Y. (2016). Chinese immigrant parents and children’s perspectives and behaviors in extra-curriculum music learning (Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Windsor).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, G., & Zhong, L. (in press). Chinese immigrant parents’ involvement in their children’s afterschool education: Behaviors and perspectives. Journal of Global Education and Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, M. (1997). Social capital in Chinatown: The role of community-based organizations and families in the adaptation of the younger generation. In L. Weis & M. S. Seller (Eds.), Beyond black and white: New voices, new faces in the United States schools (pp. 181–206). Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada

    George Zhou

  2. Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China

    Lan Zhong

Authors
  1. George Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lan Zhong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to George Zhou .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    Yan Guo

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Zhou, G., Zhong, L. (2018). Chinese Immigrant Parents’ Involvement in Their Children’s School-Based Education: Behaviours and Perceptions. In: Guo, Y. (eds) Home-School Relations. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0324-1_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0324-1_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-0322-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-0324-1

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation