Parents' Social Networks and Beliefs as Predictors of Parent Involvement

Research on parent involvement has tended to characterize parents as relatively isolated individuals who interact with their child and their child's teacher. This study acknowledged that parents are social actors and maintain social networks that may affect the role they play in their children's education. Survey responses were collected from 195 mothers of students in grades 1-5 in 2 elementary schools (1 urban, 1 suburban) in order to analyze the degree to which parents' social networks predicted parent involvement at home and at school, taking into account parental beliefs and background factors. Multiple regression analyses showed that the size of parents' social network predicted the degree to which parents were involved at home or at school. Furthermore, different networks predicted different types of parent involvement. The research highlighted the importance of examining both individual beliefs and social networks as influences on parent involvement and suggested that parents' social networks can function as a resource for schools and teachers.