Parenting Practices at Play in the Educational Experiences of Adolescent Students: as Perceived Through the Eyes of Teachers

The approaches parents take in raising their children, and the aspirations and values they choose to transmit, are all highly influential in shaping the child’s personality and life goals. The various impacts that parenting styles have on children is a topic widely researched, however, it is not very often that the impacts are discussed in regards to a child’s educational experience, specifically in a classroom setting. When thinking about the influence of parenting in a school setting, teachers then enter the picture as they interact with students for a large portion of the day. This qualitative study aims to investigate how various parenting practices play a role in the experiences, achievements, and outlooks of intermediate and senior students in a school setting, as observed through the eyes of teachers. Data is collected through face-to-face interviews with two school teachers. The findings uncover a series of themes regarding patterns that are observable for classroom teachers. These patterns suggest a correlation between the parenting practices students are exposed to at home and the ways they approach their school experiences. Although there is more to be discovered and researched regarding this topic, the findings of this paper provide a glimpse of how teachers are able to view the influence and implications of certain parenting practices. Additionally, the findings illustrate a series of factors that impact a teacher’s understanding of parental roles, thus providing a better understanding of the teacher’s role as a bridge between home and school