Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education: A Cross-Sectional Study of Home-School Connections and Socioeconomic Patterns in Indonesia

Purpose – This study describes three forms of parental involvement in early childhood education, examines their interrelationships, and explores differences across parental education and monthly income groups in an urban Indonesian sample.Design/methods/approach – A cross-sectional survey included 157 parents of children aged 5–6 years from 12 kindergartens in Semarang. Data were collected in January–March 2025 using a 34-item Indonesian Family Involvement Questionnaire adaptation comprising 10 school-based, 13 home-based, and 11 home–school conferencing items, each rated 1–4. Analyses included descriptive summaries, Pearson correlations, and approximate one-way comparisons calculated from rounded group summaries.Findings – The three domains were positively correlated (r = .363–.532, p < .001). Approximate item means were 1.88 for school-based involvement, 3.15 for home-based involvement, and 2.52 for conferencing. Education and income summaries showed increasing group means and approximate omnibus differences (F = 4.143–6.346, p = .0004–.0074). Scoring and aggregate inconsistencies in the group summaries limit socioeconomic inferences.Research Implications – The descriptive patterns support examining coordinated opportunities for communication and learning at home. The nonprobability sample, summary-statistic limitations, and lack of adjustment for kindergarten clustering warrant caution. The cross-sectional findings do not establish causal mechanisms or child outcomes.