Parent-teacher involvement and its relations to academic and social development of children in international marriages in Taiwan

This study was intended to describe parent-teacher involvement in elementary schools of foreign-born parents from Southeast Asia and China, and its relations to their children’s academic and social development. Participants included 294 children from families with a Southeast Asian or Chinese spouse, their parents, and their homeroom teachers from 15 elementary schools purposefully chosen in central Taiwan. Results indicated that even though teachers rated that parents from Southeast Asia and China valued children’s education and shared same goals with schools, in reality, parents and teachers rarely had direct contacts with each other face to face. Indirect contacts (such as notes, phones) were more frequent. Mothers from China (including Hong Kong and Macau) were more involved with children’s school than mothers from Southeast Asia. Children whose parents were more involved with school had more popularity votes. School staffs and teachers were advised to take more active roles in engaging foreign-born parents.