| Parents and teachers often have different perspectives on parental involvement which influences their participation in that involvement. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to discover any similarities and differences among the differing perspectives on parental involvement in the lives of students with autism, to understand factors related to those perspectives, and to use the findings to suggest effective programming that targets this issue. Data were taken from eight parent and teacher interviews that were transcribed, segmented, and coded for similarities and differences. From the hand coding and utilization of the QSR XSight 2 qualitative software concepts and themes were developed. Findings were presented through an in-depth discussion of the cases and commentaries, which were built on the constructivist theory emphasizing the participants generated meaningful knowledge from their interactions between their experiences and ideas. The findings showed all participants valued communication, though parents wanted respectful communication and collaboration, teachers wanted more initial and consistent communication. Results further indicated there were a number of factors contributing to parental involvement, such as having resources and advocacy skills, and a number of impeding factors, such as a lack of knowledge in educating students with autism and preconceived ideas of involvement. The implications of social change are respectful team building between home and school through collaborative efforts that aid in the construction of meaningful parent-teacher partnerships, which have the potential to increase social justice and equitable learning for all involved. |
