The exploration of parent self efficacy and parent involvement in early education

In America, children from urban communities come to kindergarten lacking the basic skills in literacy to be successful learners in life (Jumpstart, 2009). Students are unprepared and parents are becoming less knowledgeable of the requirements for early education and diminished confidence in their ability to prepare and assist their children is occurring. Therefore, there is a need to understand the underlying drivers of parents\u27 low self-efficacy and what can be done to support them. The purpose of this case study was to develop an understanding of a means to support parents of early education students enrolled in an urban learning center in the south bay area of Los Angeles, thereby improving parent\u27s self-efficacy to increase parent involvement in their child\u27s education. This study investigated the following research questions: (1) In what ways, if any, might parent self-efficacy be improved to enable parents to effectively assist their child in meeting the requirements for early education? (2) In what ways, if any, might parent involvement be encouraged to help them better assist their child with their education? A qualitative phenomenological single-case study design was used to explore the underlying drivers of parent self-efficacy and the best ways to support parents of early education students enrolled in an urban learning center in the south bay area of Los Angeles. The population consisted of parents of children grades Tk-3rd grade enrolled in an urban learning center in the south bay area of Los Angeles. Data were collected through in-person semi structured interviews. This study found that the underlying drivers of parent\u27s low-efficacy are lack of time, knowledge, and resources. Parents would benefit from resources to support homework, resources to supplement their child\u27s curriculum, and accommodations for working parents from schools