PARENT INVOLVEMENT AND VIEWS OF SCHOOL SUCCESS: THE ROLE OF PARENTS'LATINO AND WHITE AMERICAN CULTURAL ORIENTATIONS

摘要

We examined ethnicity and cultural orientation as predictors of parents' views of and involvementin children's education, using data gathered from the Latino (n = 74) and non-Latino (17 Whiteand 13 ethnic minority) parents of children in an elementary school's dual-language program.Parents completed a questionnaire that assessed Latino and White American cultural orientations,importance of children's academic and social success, and self- and significant other involvementin children's education. Results indicated that Latino (and other ethnic minority) parents valuedacademic and social success equally and more strongly than did Whites and that Whites valuedsocial success more strongly than academic success. Latinos also reported greater involvement ofsignificant others. These differences were largely accounted for by cultural orientations. Educa-tional practices that take into account differences in cultural orientations and the involvement ofsignificant others thus seem more likely to improve academic outcomes than do efforts intended topromote the valuing of education.