Are the expectations of families the same as those of teachers in relation to immigrant students?

Abstract

This research aims to describe future expectations of immigrant families and classroom teachers about students of Primary Education in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. First generation transnational immigrant settlement in the last decade highlights the need to pay attention to the processes of incorporation of their children. Expectations with respect to academic and professional achievements, language learning and development of social relationships of 302 immigrant families and their form tutor are studied. Results indicate a direct relationship between the expectations of families and teachers in academic achievement when it comes to college expectations and Secondary Education. It highlights, simultaneously, a direct positive relationship between teachers’ and families’ expectations towards Basque and English achievement, being highest the families’ ones towards Basque achievement, and very similar in the case of English achievement. The families’ and teachers’ expectations regarding professional achievement, Spanish language learning, the maintenance of the language of origin as well as the development of social relations are not directly related.

Keywords

• Expectatives
• family
• teacher
• school-family relation
• immigrant families
• inclusive school