Parent engagement with their children’s primary school: a case study of two Indian migrant families

Recent research has highlighted the need for attention to migrant families and their experiences with the school system, to understand factors affecting student learning and success. While there is research endorsing the importance of the school-home partnership (Glick & Hohmann-Marriott, 2007; Markose & Simpson, 2016), there has been limited research attention to the growing demographic of families from India who represent the fourth highest migrant population group in Australia. This project is a case study of two Indian migrant families, and their perceptions of, and experiences with their children’s primary school. The study adopts a qualitative approach and families were selected by purposive sampling in line with pre-defined criteria. Data were collected in semi-structured interviews, in two stages. Interviews focussed on parents’ migration journeys and views on parent involvement. Findings suggest that, being transnationals, both families had a global outlook and wished to contribute to a critical evaluation of the education system. The project has brought to light challenges faced by two families from a minority group, in their perception of barriers to their participation in the parent community at the school. This investigation seeks to contribute to existing literature on education in diaspora communities. Through two case studies, it hopes to shed light on the school-home partnership as a factor in better student outcomes and makes suggestions on ways of strengthening this partnership.