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Unlock This CourseParents play a huge role in how well children do at school. Their beliefs about education, how they support learning at home and how they interact with schools all make a difference to their children's educational success.
Key Definitions:
This includes helping with homework, reading with children, discussing school activities, creating a study space and showing interest in what they're learning. Research shows that this type of involvement has the strongest link to higher achievement.
This includes attending parent-teacher meetings, volunteering at school events, joining the PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) and communicating regularly with teachers. This shows children that their parents value education.
Parents influence their children's education in several important ways:
When parents expect their children to do well and continue into higher education, children often live up to these expectations. This is sometimes called the 'self-fulfilling prophecy' – children become what they believe they can be and parental expectations shape these beliefs.
Studies show that children whose parents expect them to go to university are more likely to achieve the grades needed, regardless of their social background. When parents regularly talk about university as the natural next step after school, children tend to internalise this goal.
French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu developed the concept of 'cultural capital' to explain why middle-class children often do better in education. Parents with higher levels of education themselves often pass on knowledge, language skills and cultural experiences that help their children succeed in the education system.
Knowledge, skills and attitudes gained through upbringing (e.g., vocabulary, accent, confidence)
Cultural goods owned (e.g., books, computers, art, educational toys)
Qualifications and credentials that parents have achieved
Research shows clear patterns in how parents from different social backgrounds approach education:
It's important to understand that differences in parental involvement aren't just about attitudes – practical factors matter too:
For example, a single parent working two jobs may strongly value education but have limited time to attend school events or help with homework.
Research in the UK found that children from disadvantaged homes often lack the resources needed for homework – like quiet study spaces, computers and internet access. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this 'homework gap' became even more apparent when learning moved online. Many families had to share one device between multiple children or had poor internet connections. Schools that provided equipment to disadvantaged families saw better engagement and results.
Research has identified several effective ways parents can support their children's education:
Schools play a crucial role in encouraging parental involvement, especially for families who might not naturally engage with education:
Successful schools use multiple channels to reach parents: apps, text messages, social media, translated materials for families who speak other languages and face-to-face opportunities that work around parents' schedules.
Recognising that involvement takes many forms – not just attending school events but also supporting learning at home. Schools can provide resources and specific guidance on how parents can help with learning.
A secondary school in East London implemented a 'Parent Partnership Programme' where parents of Year 7 students were invited to attend six workshops throughout the year. These sessions taught parents about the curriculum, how to support homework and techniques for discussing learning with their children. The school provided childcare and ran sessions in the evening to make attendance easier. After two years, students whose parents participated showed significantly better progress than those whose parents didn't attend. The biggest improvements were seen among students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
While parental attitudes clearly matter, it's important to consider some criticisms of this focus:
Parental attitudes and involvement clearly make a difference to educational achievement, but they're part of a complex picture. The most effective approaches recognise that:
Understanding these complexities helps us move beyond simplistic explanations of educational achievement and develop more effective strategies to support all children's learning.