Understanding Syrian parents’ educational involvement in their children's primary education in Turkey

Abstract

Parental involvement in education is significant for children's schooling experience and their cognitive and academic development. It also plays a role in refugee children's success and integration in the host country. However, understanding refugee parents’ educational involvement can be a complex issue because of their different cultural beliefs and unique challenges as refugees. Drawing on 20 in-depth interviews with Syrian parents in Turkey, this study examines how they are involved in their children's primary education. The findings indicate that the type and degree of parents’ involvement are shaped by their capabilities, resources, and challenges. Focusing only on parents’ perspectives, this study fills a gap in understanding Syrian parents’ involvement in their children's education in Turkey. Syrian parents were interested and involved in their children's education, but home-based involvement, the most frequent type, is often invisible to school staff. They were less involved in other ways because of a variety of challenges and a lack of capabilities and resources.

Keywords

• Parental involvement
• Primary education
• Refugees
• Syrian children
• Syrian parents
• Turkey