Kindergarten teachers promote the participation experience of African Asylum‐Seeker families

Abstract

African asylum seekers live in Israel in the realities of poverty, racism, and personal insecurity. From a sociological point of view, Participation is taking part in social processes, interacting with people, texts and technologies and it may affect all areas of life. This is a qualitative‐interpretive study that examines through interviews the participation experience from the perspective of eight African couples and six Israeli kindergarten teachers. The findings indicate: (1) Increasing the parents' sense of belonging, (2) Increasing the cultural participation, (3) Increasing community cohesion. Findings reveal a tension between the parents' desire to be involved and my reality of poverty and working around the clock that prevents their presence in educational activities. Under such complex conditions, kindergarten teachers worked to establish a positive personal relationship, strengthen the parents' sense of ability, overcome language barriers, and cultivate a sense of belonging from a perception that increasing participation would help them deal with integration challenges and livelihoods social rejection. The study has a theoretical and practical contribution, and its findings may be used by educators and policymakers regarding principles for action to promote the experience of participation and involvement of parents in educational settings.