Empowering parents of students with and without learning difficulties to collaborate with schools: how are family–school partnerships related to parents’ motivational beliefs?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Although parental involvement is known to be crucial for the academic and social development of students, especially those with learning difficulties, little is known about the relationship of schools’ invitations with parents’ motivational beliefs. A sample of N = 881 German parents of secondary school students, of which N = 119 were identified as parents of children with learning difficulties, participated in the study. Structural equation models were analysed to examine how different aspects of family–school partnerships are related to parental motivational beliefs. Our findings suggest that a welcoming culture and the quality of parent-teacher collaboration are positively associated with higher parental motivation, regardless of students’ learning difficulties. These results highlight the need for inclusive secondary schools to foster not only individual contacts between teachers and parents but also a positive and welcoming school culture.