Parents' educational input with year 2 students : a qualitative inquiry

Abstract

Pupils, more often than not, are a reflection of their parents' attitudes, beliefs and values. The main rationale behind this research is to investigate which concepts parents work with when they intervene in the educational development of their children. The focus is on the educational intervention of the parents as regards homework and extra-curricular activities when buying educational resources, when making decisions relevant to educational provision and when evaluating this provision. Interviews were conducted with 20 parents coming from different socio-economic backgrounds and having their children attending year 2. This sample was chosen from two schools, one being a state school and the other a private school. The semi-structured interviews helped to throw light on the philosophy parents adopt as regards their children's education.