Parental Involvement Among Middle-Income Latino Parents Living in a Middle-Class Community

Abstract

Parental involvement has often shared a positive correlation with student academic achievement. To better understand parental involvement dynamics among middle-class Latino families, in-depth parent interviews were conducted among 21 such parents. Results from this study which add to the educational literature include high levels of academic socialization between parents and their children as early as elementary school, and perceived barriers to involvement similar to those often found among poor and working-class Latino families. Other findings which support the literature are the ways in which home-based and school-based involvement practices change over time, and the implementation of childrearing strategies previously linked to middle-class families. Parents in this study were primarily concerned with the emotional well-being of their children, and with affording their children autonomy over extracurricular activities and future career choices. Implications for future research are further presented.