An Examination of Urban, Minority Parents’ Perceptions of Barriers Faced in Being Involved in School-Based Events in Early Childhood Education
type: CreativeWork
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 fo…
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 fo…
author: Mathis, Vernique
language: English
date published: 2026
date modified: 2026-07-27T18:44:43Z
provider: Alverno College
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Alverno College