An Examination of Urban, Minority Parents’ Perceptions of Barriers Faced in Being Involved in School-Based Events in Early Childhood Education
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.
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