Attitudes of Bilingual Education Parents Toward Language Learning and Curriculum and Instruction

Abstract

Abstract This article reports on the findings of a study on parent attitudes and school participation. The assumption that strong support for bilingual education weakened the belief that English should be taught as quickly as possible or vice-versa was examined and rejected. Furthermore, it was found that both parents and school personnel viewed bilingual education positively and believed that learning Spanish had both social and economic benefits. The change in attitudes toward the value of Spanish, suggested by these findings, are discussed in light of social class position and employment strategies in the Chicano community.