{"id":{"repo_id":"alverno","oai_identifier":"oai:alverno.omeka.net:1023"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/alverno/oai:alverno.omeka.net:1023","repository":{"repo_id":"alverno","name":"Alverno College","base_url":"https://alverno.omeka.net/oai-pmh-repository/request"},"display":{"title":"An Examination of Urban, Minority Parents’ Perceptions of Barriers Faced in Being Involved in School-Based Events in Early Childhood Education","abstract":"Mathis, Vernique Abstract This phenomenological qualitative study examined the barriers that parents in urban, minority communities faced when participating in campus-provided activities designed to enhance early childhood education. While parental involvement is widely recognized as a critical predictor of academic success, a significant disparity persisted between ideal involvement levels and actual participation rates in underserved urban settings. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, this research sought to understand the involvement paradox, a phenomenon where high levels of parental emotional and psychological investment coexisted with low physical presence at school events. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 participants from an urban early childhood campus in the southwestern United States. Using a six-phase thematic analysis process facilitated by NVivo software, the study identified five primary thematic clusters of barriers: Occupational Rigidity, Linguistic and Intergenerational Alienation, Institutional Information Gaps, Logistical and Transit Disconnection, and Competing Personal Obligations. The findings revealed that Occupational Rigidity was the most pervasive barrier, affecting 90% of the sample, as parents often traded physical presence at school for the financial stability of the family unit. Furthermore, 70% of participants experienced Linguistic and Intergenerational Alienation, perceiving the school as a space requiring a cultural or linguistic currency they did not feel they possessed. The study concluded that low participation was rarely a reflection of parental apathy but was instead a calculated response to formidable structural and systemic constraints. To bridge this gap, the research recommended a shift from traditional parental involvement models focused on headcounts toward a parental engagement framework. Practical applications included implementing a mandatory 14-day notification window for school events and developing asynchronous, digital pathways for participation to accommodate the socioeconomic realities of urban, minority families.","abstract_html":"Mathis, Vernique Abstract This phenomenological qualitative study examined the barriers that parents in urban, minority communities faced when participating in campus-provided activities designed to enhance early childhood education. While parental involvement is widely recognized as a critical predictor of academic success, a significant disparity persisted between ideal involvement levels and actual participation rates in underserved urban settings. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, this research sought to understand the involvement paradox, a phenomenon where high levels of parental emotional and psychological investment coexisted with low physical presence at school events. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 participants from an urban early childhood campus in the southwestern United States. Using a six-phase thematic analysis process facilitated by NVivo software, the study identified five primary thematic clusters of barriers: Occupational Rigidity, Linguistic and Intergenerational Alienation, Institutional Information Gaps, Logistical and Transit Disconnection, and Competing Personal Obligations. The findings revealed that Occupational Rigidity was the most pervasive barrier, affecting 90% of the sample, as parents often traded physical presence at school for the financial stability of the family unit. Furthermore, 70% of participants experienced Linguistic and Intergenerational Alienation, perceiving the school as a space requiring a cultural or linguistic currency they did not feel they possessed. The study concluded that low participation was rarely a reflection of parental apathy but was instead a calculated response to formidable structural and systemic constraints. To bridge this gap, the research recommended a shift from traditional parental involvement models focused on headcounts toward a parental engagement framework. Practical applications included implementing a mandatory 14-day notification window for school events and developing asynchronous, digital pathways for participation to accommodate the socioeconomic realities of urban, minority families.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Mathis, Vernique"],"institution":"Alverno College","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026","date_published":"2026","updated_at":"2026-07-27T18:44:43Z","subjects":[],"languages":["English"],"rights":["These materials may be used by individuals and libraries for personal use, research, teaching (including distribution to classes), or for any fair use as defined by U.S. Copyright Law."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://alverno.omeka.net/items/show/1023","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Mathis, Vernique"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2026"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Alverno College"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Text","Dissertation"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["These materials may be used by individuals and libraries for personal use, research, teaching (including distribution to classes), or for any fair use as defined by U.S. Copyright Law."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://alverno.omeka.net/items/show/1023"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Mathis, Vernique Abstract This phenomenological qualitative study examined the barriers that parents in urban, minority communities faced when participating in campus-provided activities designed to enhance early childhood education. While parental involvement is widely recognized as a critical predictor of academic success, a significant disparity persisted between ideal involvement levels and actual participation rates in underserved urban settings. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, this research sought to understand the involvement paradox, a phenomenon where high levels of parental emotional and psychological investment coexisted with low physical presence at school events. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 participants from an urban early childhood campus in the southwestern United States. Using a six-phase thematic analysis process facilitated by NVivo software, the study identified five primary thematic clusters of barriers: Occupational Rigidity, Linguistic and Intergenerational Alienation, Institutional Information Gaps, Logistical and Transit Disconnection, and Competing Personal Obligations. The findings revealed that Occupational Rigidity was the most pervasive barrier, affecting 90% of the sample, as parents often traded physical presence at school for the financial stability of the family unit. Furthermore, 70% of participants experienced Linguistic and Intergenerational Alienation, perceiving the school as a space requiring a cultural or linguistic currency they did not feel they possessed. The study concluded that low participation was rarely a reflection of parental apathy but was instead a calculated response to formidable structural and systemic constraints. To bridge this gap, the research recommended a shift from traditional parental involvement models focused on headcounts toward a parental engagement framework. Practical applications included implementing a mandatory 14-day notification window for school events and developing asynchronous, digital pathways for participation to accommodate the socioeconomic realities of urban, minority families."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["PDF"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An Examination of Urban, Minority Parents’ Perceptions of Barriers Faced in Being Involved in School-Based Events in Early Childhood Education"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Mathis, Vernique"],"dc:date":["2026"],"dc:description":["Mathis, Vernique Abstract This phenomenological qualitative study examined the barriers that parents in urban, minority communities faced when participating in campus-provided activities designed to enhance early childhood education. While parental involvement is widely recognized as a critical predictor of academic success, a significant disparity persisted between ideal involvement levels and actual participation rates in underserved urban settings. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, this research sought to understand the involvement paradox, a phenomenon where high levels of parental emotional and psychological investment coexisted with low physical presence at school events. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 participants from an urban early childhood campus in the southwestern United States. Using a six-phase thematic analysis process facilitated by NVivo software, the study identified five primary thematic clusters of barriers: Occupational Rigidity, Linguistic and Intergenerational Alienation, Institutional Information Gaps, Logistical and Transit Disconnection, and Competing Personal Obligations. The findings revealed that Occupational Rigidity was the most pervasive barrier, affecting 90% of the sample, as parents often traded physical presence at school for the financial stability of the family unit. Furthermore, 70% of participants experienced Linguistic and Intergenerational Alienation, perceiving the school as a space requiring a cultural or linguistic currency they did not feel they possessed. The study concluded that low participation was rarely a reflection of parental apathy but was instead a calculated response to formidable structural and systemic constraints. To bridge this gap, the research recommended a shift from traditional parental involvement models focused on headcounts toward a parental engagement framework. Practical applications included implementing a mandatory 14-day notification window for school events and developing asynchronous, digital pathways for participation to accommodate the socioeconomic realities of urban, minority families."],"dc:format":["PDF"],"dc:identifier":["https://alverno.omeka.net/items/show/1023"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:publisher":["Alverno College"],"dc:rights":["These materials may be used by individuals and libraries for personal use, research, teaching (including distribution to classes), or for any fair use as defined by U.S. Copyright Law."],"dc:title":["An Examination of Urban, Minority Parents’ Perceptions of Barriers Faced in Being Involved in School-Based Events in Early Childhood Education"],"dc:type":["Text","Dissertation"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T18:44:43Z"}