Date

4-25-2023

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)

Chair

James Eller

Keywords

Parent, Parents, Parent Involvement, Parent Responsibility, Parent Engagement, Qualitative, Overlapping Spheres of Influence, Epstein, Family, Families, Family Involvement, Family Engagement, School, Schools, School Parent Partnership, Partnership, School Community, Community, Education, Middle School, Secondary School, Junior High

Disciplines

Education | Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe lived experiences of parents of middle school students who are engaged in their children's educational achievement as stakeholders within the overlapping spheres of influence. Eighteen participants were selected from three middle schools in a school district in central Delaware. The central research question is: What lived experiences motivate parents of middle school students to engage in their children's educational achievement as stakeholders within the overlapping spheres of influence? Research sub-questions deal directly with the participants' understanding of the theory guiding this study, Epstein's theory of overlapping spheres of influence, as it explains the necessity for all stakeholders to synergize as partners for student development. This study employed a transcendental phenomenological design as this design aims to describe the participants' lived experiences. Data were collected via questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups and were analyzed and coded for themes in Atlas.ti. Data analysis showed that parents experience communication and support as the cornerstones of how stakeholders function within the overlapping spheres of influence.

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