Abstract:
The aim of this study was to reveal views of parents whose children enrolled in the Bogaziçi University Preschool Center regarding parent involvement, their experienced barriers for participation and their suggestions for practice. Because data was collected both from the mothers and the fathers, it provided the opportunity to get an idea about the differences and similarities between the views of mothers and fathers. Moreover, the collected data contributed to implications to program planning for parent involvement. Qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches were used together for this study. Fifteen parents participated in the interviews and 143 parents participated in the survey study. To investigate the subject of parent involvement, Joyce Epstein’s classification of parent involvement which is formed by the categories called ‘parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, desicion making and collaborating with the community’ was considered as the base of this study. According to the study, it was found that parents considered the center as contributing to their parenting skills, and that although they suggested some aspects be improved, they had reported positive views for the communication between themselves and teachers, the administration of the center, and other parents. In terms of volunteering, most of the parents were willing to volunteer in various ways if they were directed and motivated by the center. Involvement in their children’s learning at home was also an appealing aspect for the parents, and their reports show that any attempt of the center to support them related to this aspect would be welcomed by the parents. Regarding the participation of parents in the desicion making processes of the center’s administration, almost all of the parents advocated that parents should have a say in the administration of the center through ways like parent representative groups. Lastly, regarding ‘communicating with the community’, most of the parents expressed a need to be informed by the center about the exterior resources such as psychological counseling services, health services, cultural events, educational activities, etc.
