Parental Involvement in Children’s Education in the United States: Evidence from Annual Survey of Refugees

Abstract

This study examined sociodemographic factors that influence parental involvement in children’s education among recently resettled refugees in the U.S. Data came from the 2018 Annual Survey of Refugees (ASR). A sample of 1007 refugees aged 16 years or older was analyzed using chi-square tests to obtain the prevalence estimates and multiple logistic regression to predict an association between independent and dependent variables. The results indicate that females, married parents, those aged 25–29, and with good English proficiency were associated with higher odds of being involved in children’s education. However, unmarried refugees aged 55 or older were associated with lower odds of being involved in children’s education. Therefore, addressing existing gender disparities, language and cultural barriers, providing cultural orientation programs, encouraging parent-teacher communication, offering empowerment workshops, and increasing social support systems can help facilitate parental involvement in their children’s education. Further implications for practice and policy are discussed.