Date
12-19-2023
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Sharon Michael-Chadwell
Keywords
achievement gap, parental involvement, academic achievement, Black parents, perceptions
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Dixon, Gabrielle T. S., "The Perceptions of Black Parents of Middle School Children Concerning Parental Involvement in a Northeastern U.S. Inner-City District: A Case Study" (2023). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5120.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5120
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative collective case study is to explore the perceptions of Black parents of middle school children concerning parental involvement in a Northeastern U.S. inner-city district. The theory guiding this study is Epstein's Parental Involvement Theory, which defines types of involvement: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision-making, and collaborating with the community. This qualitative research study used a case study approach. This case study occurred in a Northeastern inner-city district. Participants in this study were 12-15 Black parents of middle school children in a northeast U.S. inner-city district. The researcher collected data through individual interviews, focus group interviews, and document analyses. Additionally, the researcher conducted data analyses based on Creswell by using coding, memoing, analyzing transcriptions from interviews, and analyzing notes. The data showed that the majority of Black parents of middle school children perceived parental involvement as important and beneficial, but some parents lacked time due to their busy schedules. Overall, parents’ perception of their involvement was impacted due to their role of parenting at home, communication with their child, and partnership with the school in shared decision-making.
