Date of Award
Summer July 2012
Access Restriction
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate in Education
Department
Education
School or College
School of Education
First Advisor
Shane P. Martin
Second Advisor
Fr. Tom Batsis, O.Carm
Third Advisor
Frank Montejano
Abstract
This qualitative study investigated parents’ and principals’ expectations of their roles in the parent-school relationship and how they defined, encouraged, and realized parental involvement within an urban Catholic high school setting. Through pattern analysis and axial coding of the data collected from parents and principal interviews, documents, and observations at parent-school meetings and events, four patterns emerged: (a) the underlying child-centered mission, (b) the parents’ role in supporting the student, (c) the parent-school relationship created to support the student, and (d) the principals’ role in creating a trusting environment that promotes parental involvement. Further analysis was guided by the parental involvement frameworks of Epstein (2001) and Barton, Drake, Perez, St. Louis, and George (2004) and the Catholic school mission. The findings revealed that the child-centered goal guided the parents’ and principals’ expectations of shared responsibilities, although the parents varied in how they defined parental involvement activities. Parents expressed the importance of the school’s role in creating a caring and respectful environment that encouraged a strong parent-school relationship. The principals addressed the Catholic school mission and how they developed the school culture, climate, and environment to support that mission.
This study author concluded that Catholic schools have the opportunity to create strong parent-school relationships that encourage differentiated parental involvement. In addition, she concluded that the role of all schools is to provide a relationship built on trust and the knowledge that parental involvement requires consideration of the varied types of involvement and ways in which parents choose to mediate the types of parental involvement.
Recommended Citation
Holyk-Casey, Karen Elayne, "A Qualitative Study of Three Urban Catholic High Schools: Investigating Parent and Principal Expectations and Realizations of Parental Involvement and the Parent-School Relationship" (2012). LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations. 242.
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/242
