The Home-School Relations: An Exploration Into the Perspectives of Parents and Schools on Asian Indian Cultural Model of Schooling
Mehra, Beloo
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/80264
Description
Title
The Home-School Relations: An Exploration Into the Perspectives of Parents and Schools on Asian Indian Cultural Model of Schooling
Author(s)
Mehra, Beloo
Issue Date
1998
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Merchant, Betty
Department of Study
Education
Discipline
Education
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Anthropology, Cultural
Language
eng
Abstract
"This study explores the attitudes, expectations, and involvement of Asian Indian parents in their children's education and schools. Semi-structured interviews with parents, children, teachers and principals, and classroom observations were used to collect qualitative data. The analysis involved looking for emerging themes and patterns that were not only common to the four participating Asian Indian families, but also unique to each of them. The study portrays the Asian Indian cultural model of schooling, which is shaped by the group's cultural values and orientation toward education in general and also by parents' individual patterns of incorporation into the dominant culture. Findings suggest that most parents in the study generally identify themselves as Indians, though they are fully aware of the bi-cultural identities of their children. The diversity in the cultural adaptation patterns of different families cautions the educators against stereotyping their Asian Indian students. While most Asian Indian children try to ""fit in"" both the cultures that they belong to, they experience a discontinuity in their transition from homes to schools where the opportunities for expression of their cultural identities are very limited. The overall history and background of Asian Indians as an immigrant group, and the unique background and experiences of different families based on their social, economic, and educational status in the society are all instrumental factors in shaping their attitudes toward and expectations for their children's education. Asian Indian parents in this study have high expectations of their children for educational attainment, academic achievement, and career choices. All parents closely monitor their children's performance in school, and some of them perceive higher academic achievement as an ""edge"" over competitors in the professional world. Most parents maintain regular contact with their children's teachers, though children's education is the primary responsibility of mothers. Parental involvement mainly includes reinforcing the learning at home and attending parent-teacher conferences, though some mothers are actively involved in children's schools. The school personnel recognize the support of Asian Indian parents for various school activities, and also confirm a visible lack of involvement of these parents in the school PTA."
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