Creator

Mary Ellen Good

Advisor

Vogel, Linda R.

Committee Member

Rodriguez, Katrina

Committee Member

Milian, Madeline

Committee Member

Whitaker, Kathryn

Department

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

Institution

University of Northern Colorado

Type of Resources

Text

Place of Publication

Greeley (Colo.)

Publisher

University of Northern Colorado

Date Created

5-1-2010

Genre

Thesis

Extent

316 pages

Digital Origin

Born digital

Description

Meaningful parental involvement is an important component of the academic success of all children; however, little is known about how this construct plays out in the lives of migrant farm worker families. To gain a deeper understanding of the research problem, a qualitative case study was conducted to address the primary research question: How do migrant parents understand and construct meaning in parental involvement? Grounded in an epistemological foundation built on constructionism, this inquiry was guided by a critical theory framework and was informed by case study and portraiture methodologies. Participants were 6 migrant parents purposefully selected to include mothers and fathers of elementary, middle, and high school students enrolled in a Migrant Education Program in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. Data were collected over 6 months from 2 focus group interviews, 17 individual interviews, over 50 hours of direct observations in natural settings, documents, and audiovisual materials. Viewed as equally knowing subjects, participants helped co-construct the findings presented as four interconnected themes: Migrant Parents as Mexican Immigrants, Academic Ethos, Critical Relationships, and Empowerment. Recommendations are made to provide meaningful learning opportunities for migrant parents to strengthen communication with school staff and other parents, and to promote equitable access for migrant students to preschool, post secondary education, and health services. Further research is needed to expand the ways educators think about the relationships between migrant families and the U.S. public education system. Findings from this inquiry justify parental involvement as a focus for current educational research.

Notes

[Released from 2-year embargo]

Degree type

EdD

Degree Name

Doctoral

Language

English

Local Identifiers

Good_unco_0161N_10033

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by author.

COinS