Arab teachers’ perception of parent involvement (PI): components and differences

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of parental involvement among 317 teachers in the Arab education system in Israel. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire measured teachers’ attitudes regarding parents’ involvement in the school relating to pedagogy, resources, and control. Findings The findings show that Arab teachers perceive parents’ involvement as related to pedagogy and resources rather than control. In addition, the research results revealed that young teachers in terms of age, and seniority of teaching, and teachers who are not members of the management team demonstrated a stronger perception of the pedagogy and control components than did older and senior teachers and teachers who are members of the management team. However, older and senior teachers and teachers who are members of the management team had a stronger perception that parental involvement related to resources than did young teachers and teachers who are not members of the management team. Social implications Implications and directions for future research are discussed. Originality/value The paper contributes to our understandings of the different components that affect parental involvement in developing and minority societies.