Barriers that impede parental involvement in urban high schools: The parents' perspective

The purpose of this study is to discover the barriers that impede parental involvement in urban high school setting. The researcher took a qualitative approach when conducting the study. The 25 participants were interviewed in the setting of their choice. The use of an in-depth interview allowed the parent to have a voice that could be used to determine possible barriers that impede parent involvement in the educational setting. The study focused on an urban high school located in Tennessee. The families are predominately from disadvantaged, urban backgrounds. The results of the study yielded six barriers that influenced parental involvement in the educational setting. They include time restraints, family responsibilities, the parent's own educational experience, lack of teacher cooperation, lack of communication, and the relationship between community and school.