Date

3-10-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)

Chair

Christine Saba

Keywords

Parental Involvement in Rural South, Parental Involvement, Teacher's Perspective, Educator's Perspective, Academic Achievement, Achievement, Parental, Teacher, Educator, home-based involvement, school-based involvement, self-efficacy

Disciplines

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of educators regarding parental involvement in a rural South Carolina school district. Guided by Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory and Epstein's Parental Involvement Theory frameworks, the study examined how teachers perceive, promote, and experience parental engagement, and what barriers influence effective collaboration between school and home. The Central Research Question answered in the study is: What are the lived experiences of educators with students with low parental involvement at a local school district in South Carolina? The methodology of this manuscript begins with the phenomenological research design.The sample size included 11 educators with 3 or more years of experience from the local school district. The site from where the data was collected was in the northeastern region of South Carolina. The data was collected using interviews, focus groups, and letter-writing activities. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method to identify common themes and meanings.The analysis revealed six major themes: parental involvement as partnership, barriers to involvement, trust and emotional safety, teacher-driven initiatives, empowerment and capacity-building, and communication as connection. The triangulation of data confirmed that when teachers foster trust and maintain transparent, consistent communication, parents are more likely to engage in their children's academic and social development.

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