A Cross-National Analysis of Parent Involvement in Decision-Making: Germany, France and Turkey

Abstract

Being a cross-national analysis, the aim of this study, which draws on data from school principals, is to evaluate parents’ involvement in decision-making processes comparatively in Turkey, Germany and France, which are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and were included in the study in terms of some variables, such as data in Human Development Index (HDI) report 2016 and results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 reading skills, math and science literacy results’ based on demographic, socio-economic, socio-cultural variables as well as achievements in education, population trends and parents’ involvement in education. Phenomonology research design from qualitative research methods was used in this study. Data analyses relied on content analysis technique. School administrators from Turkey, Germany and France were included through criteria sampling method from purposeful sampling methods. Interview technique was employed in order to collect data through a semi-structured interview form. The findings of the study highlighted that all participants agree on the positive impact of parents’ involvement in decision-making but there are some ambiguity how and what level parents must involve in decision-making processes. Some recommendations are made on how to improve involvement in decision-making process.

Core leadership practices of school principals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

“…Rather than being directive educational leaders with prescriptive practices, the principals need to be open to new ideas in the field of educational leadership and should be willing to adapt them to their needs. Unlike similar studies in other parts of the world, especially in the western context where teachers and parents expect school leaders to be more open to consultation and collective decision-making (Gülcan and Duran, 2018; Yulianti et al, 2019), this study shows that teachers and parents in the KSA do not expect themselves to be included in the decision-making process. The findings clearly indicate that the principals need to be aware of the recent developments in the field of educational leadership and adapt them into their own practices.…”

Exploring elementary teacher education students’ perception on parental involvement

“…They represented other parents to determine school policies. A cross-national analysis of parental involvement in German, France, and Turkey [57], suggests positive impacts of parental involvement in decision-making even though attention arises, such as low awareness level of parents, the busy working life of parents, or negative attitude of teachers. A similar study in Indonesia shows the lowness of parent participation and passivity in decision-making practices letting the schools assert professional control of the school [58].…”

Barriers and Hindrances to the Effective Use of Games in Education: Systematic Literature Review and Intervention Strategies

“…The methodological proposal in this paper aims to address school policy barriers, based on the notion that including different voices in educational decision-making enhances satisfaction, trust, and a sense of belonging, for educators (Rosales, 2019), families (Gülcan and Duran, 2018), and students (Mitra, 2018). It can also help circumvent other individual or institutional barriers, considering that higher levels of participation tend to promote a higher engagement in educational change processes (Cook-Sather, 2018).…”