School‑Friendly Parents? Characteristics of Parents’ Involvement in Vocational Schools in Hungary

Abstract

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: Our goal is to examine parental involvement in schools with higher dropout rates, lower dropout rates and disadvantaged family backgrounds. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: In our study, we focus on vocational schools that do not offer a baccalaureate (matura) degree as well as vocational schools that do offer a baccalaureate (matura) degree. In the present study, we used data from a large sample database in Hungary. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: . A number of international studies have examined the importance of parental involvement, especially for pre‑school children and primary school students. Few studies have focussed on parental involvement in secondary education, especially in Hungary where it has only recently become a focus of educational research, but the relationship between secondary education and parental involvement has only been partially investigated. RESEARCH RESULTS: Our results show that we need to pay more attention to these two types of schools. CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND APPLICABLE VALUE OF RESEARCH: Based on our questions on parents’ involvement in school, we obtained several significant results. Of the barriers we investigated, we found one to be relevant. Our study is exploratory in nature and aims to gather data and information on parents of VET students. Our objective was to obtain results relevant to VET.