Research Summary: Parent engagement and disaffection in child education: initial development of two multidimensional parent-report measures using qualitative methods

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 it matters

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

• 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.
• It is proposed that parent engagement should be considered in conjunction with parent disaffection to gain a more complete picture.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1916143