What is the difference between ‘Parental involvement’ and ‘Parental engagement’?

Effective teacher-parent collaboration has undoubtedly been found to be beneficial for a child’s wellbeing and academic performance with relevant research recently highlighting two distinct approaches to home-school partnerships associated with specific parent behaviours each (Epstein, 2001). Below we will attempt to shed light on the differences between ‘parent involvement’ and ‘parent engagement’ in an effort to help schools make more informed decisions on what really matters when it comes to promoting successful collaboration with parents.

Parental involvement

On the one hand, research highlights the importance of ‘parent involvement’ activities, including parents volunteering in school events, attending parent-teacher conferences, helping their children with homework or reading to them (Baker, 2016). In this context, parents are present in the school life by performing certain activities, which are pre-defined and implemented by school staff.

Parental engagement

On the other hand, Ferlazzo (2011) explores the concept of ‘parental engagement’ whereby parents become partners with the school shaping their child's learning journey by communicating their thoughts and voicing their worries.

Real parent engagement takes place when schools work together with families to set goals and develop strategies to address a child's needs; it happens when schools actively listen to parents bringing their unique insights into their child’s experiences outside school, their culture or their preferences. If parental engagement goes deeper by encouraging a more meaningful relationship between schools and parents that is based on trust and respect (Redding et.al., 2004), rather than mere participation in school-led activities, then schools may need to reflect on:

1. The role parents play in their school community. Are they valuable partners sharing their knowledge of their own children outside school, or simply participating in school activities?
2. The type of interaction the school offers to parents. Do they offer frequent opportunities for closer and more meaningful collaboration with parents showing that they value their input?

To conclude, whilst both parent involvement and engagement are necessary for a child’s progress, engagement tends to lead to a stronger bond between parents and schools, which is highly associated with students' better academic performance, and personal and emotional well-being.

References

Baker, T.L., et.al. (2016). ‘’Identifying Barriers: Creating Solutions to Improve Family Engagement’’. School Community Journal, 26(2), 161-184 Available here

Epstein, J. (2001). School, Family and Community Partnerships: Preparing Educators and Improving Schools. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Ferlazzo, L. (2011). Involvement or Engagement? Educational Leadership, 68(8), 10–14. 

Redding, S., Langdon, J., Meyer, J., & Sheley, P. (2004). The effects of comprehensive parent engagement on student learning outcomes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Family Research Project.