Parents’ School-Based Involvement and Children’s Education in Asian Societies

The roles of Asian parents in children’s education extend beyond the home and encompass active involvement within school. However, there has been relatively limited research focused on parents’ school-based involvement in Asian societies. Studies consistently show that Asian parents tend to be less involved in school settings, despite their high degrees of involvement in children’s education at home. Examining parents’ school-based involvement within their educational and cultural contexts in Asian societies can advance research and inform educational policy. This chapter reviews and synthesizes research on parents’ school-based involvement and family-school relations in four East Asian societies: Chinese Mainland; Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; Japan; and South Korea. It first reviews findings related to the impact of parents’ school-based involvement on children’s outcomes and development. Then it describes school practices, patterns, and opportunities for parents’ school-based involvement. Thirdly, the chapter delineates elements promoting parents’ school-based involvement, with a particular focus on educational systems and cultural beliefs. After addressing issues of inequality, especially in relation to families’ socioeconomic status, the chapter concludes by discussing implications for future research and educational policy and practices.