publisher
Parent engagement and disaffection in child education: initial development of two multidimensional parent-report measures using qualitative methods
- Source
- Frontiers in Education
- Published
- Last verified
- 14 Aug 2026
- Confidence
- Moderate
- Evidence
- Original document retained
- Reading time
- 1 min
- Country
- International
- Relevant to
- Research & Evidence, Partners & Funders, Executive Leadership
Executive summary
What happened, and why should leadership care?
The conventional understanding of parent engagement in child education primarily focuses on observable actions and practices. This report highlights the limitations of this perspective, proposing a broader view that encompasses parents' thoughts, feelings, and relationships. It also introduces the concept of parent disaffection as a critical counterpart to engagement, suggesting a more comprehensive approach is needed to optimize parental support for educational outcomes.
Why this matters
Why is this strategically important?
Optimizing parent engagement is crucial for improving educational outcomes and fostering holistic child development. A more nuanced understanding, incorporating psychological dimensions and disaffection, can inform more effective strategies for collaboration between educational institutions and families, thereby enhancing the overall efficacy of educational systems.
Key insights
What should be noted from the evidence?
- Existing definitions of parent engagement are often limited to parents' actions and practices.
- Children and adolescents benefit significantly from parental support in education and collaboration with schools.
- Schools frequently encounter difficulties in maximizing parent engagement.
- A lack of consensus on the definition of parent engagement may contribute to these challenges.
- The study advocates for expanding the understanding of parent influence to include parents' thoughts, feelings, and relationships.
Evidence and confidence
How far can this assessment be trusted?
Moderate confidence. Provenance established; supporting evidence remains partial.
Analysis is prepared editorially by Aziz Shuaib Ausi. The original publication remains the authoritative record, and executive judgement remains entirely human.
Source
Where does this originate?
Reported by Frontiers in Education · International. This briefing summarises the publication for executive use; the document itself is not reproduced here.
Read the original publication