Somali Refugees' Perspectives of Parent Involvement Mary L
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University of Northern Colorado Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC Dissertations Student Research 5-1-2014 Schools Are Very Different Here: Somali Refugees' Perspectives of Parent Involvement Mary L. Van Korlaar Follow this and additional works at: http://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations Recommended Citation Van Korlaar, Mary L., "Schools Are Very Different Here: Somali Refugees' Perspectives of Parent Involvement" (2014). Dissertations. Paper 266. This Text is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. © 2014 MARY L. VAN KORLAAR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO Greeley, Colorado The Graduate School SCHOOLS ARE VERY DIFFERENT HERE: SOMALI REFUGEES’ PERSPECTIVES OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Mary L. Van Korlaar College of Education and Behavioral Science Department of School Psychology Ph.D., School Psychology May 2014 This Dissertation by: Mary L. Van Korlaar Entitled: Schools are Very Different Here: Somali Refugees’ Perspectives of Parent Involvement has been approved as meeting the requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Education and Behavioral Science in the Department of School of Psychology Program of School Psychology Accepted by the Doctoral Committee ______________________________________________________ Robyn S. Hess, Ph.D., Research Advisor _____________________________________________________ Kathrine M. Koehler-Hak, Ph.D., Committee Member _______________________________________________________ Vilma (Betty) Cardona, Ph.D., Committee Member _______________________________________________________ Madeline Milian, Ed.D., Faculty Representative Date of Dissertation Defense __November 6, 2013______________ Accepted by the Graduate School _________________________________________________________ Linda L. Black, Ed.D. Dean of the Graduate School and International Admissions ABSTRACT Van Korlaar, Mary L., Schools are Very Different Here: Somali Refugees’ Perspectives of Parent Involvement. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, May, 2014. Qualitative case study with participant observation was used to explore the parent involvement experiences of nine Somali refugee parents in a small city in an agricultural area of the Rocky Mountain region. The parents of students who were attending classes through a school-based Welcome Center program were invited to participate. Parents were asked to discuss their own educational background, and their experiences prior to immigration to the United States in an effort to understand the development of their understanding, values and beliefs about education. Parents were also asked about their experiences in the local school systems to better understand their children’s adjustment to schools in the United States, and factors which proved to be either supports or barriers to parent involvement or empowering as related to their interactions with their children’s schools. Limited educational backgrounds impacted parents’ ability to assist their students with homework, or to feel like they could approach the teachers about how they might help their children. Parent perception of their role was clearly in the home, and they typically deferred to educators for matters in the school. They had no previous parallel constructs to volunteering in the schools or serving on committees or other school based iii involvement. However, parents were quite ready to come to school if they were specifically requested to do so by a parent or administrator. Key variables to student adjustment involved differences in pedagogy, discipline practices, and credit systems, as well as having interrupted formal education and the phenomenon of being over-aged and under-credited. Factors which posed barriers to parent involvement at school included differences in educational background, language barriers, perceived disrespect of culture and religion, and logistical barriers such as time, employment, and transportation. The importance of building relationship with families was a common thread throughout the study. Parents experienced empowerment when schools were proactive in communications, met with parents to help them understand expectations and to address fear and mistrust. Parents realized that schools were there to help when school personnel learned of needs and connected families with resources to help them succeed. The stories of these refugee parents in a smaller city setting lent insight to strategies which may be used to help refugee students succeed with support garnered from collaboration between school, families and community resources. Key Words: adolescents, case study, cultural adjustment, education, over-aged and under-credited, parent involvement, qualitative research, refugee, Somali, students with interrupted formal education iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I owe a debt of gratitude to the many people who have helped to make this dissertation possible. First, and foremost, I would like to thank my interpreter and assistant, Abdinasser, and all the Somali parents who took the time to talk with me and share their stories. Your courage and tenacity is evident in your stories, as is your deep commitment to the success of the students we shared. I also extend my gratitude to the Welcome Center program, the teachers and administrators and the district leadership for allowing me the opportunity to use your program as an instrumental case to examine these issues and processes. Second, I would like to thank my family, without whose love and support this would not have been possible. My accomplishments can be credited to the inspiration of my own immigrant grandparents, my parents’ commitment to higher education for all of their children, the encouragement and generosity of my brother Michael at critical points in the work. To Larry: thank you for your patience and support throughout the process, and for being willing to watch your wife disappear into the dissertation dungeon on far too many weekends. Many thanks to Craig and Abby, Erika and Richard, and Larissa for all the ways you had to share your mother with the graduate school. My mantra throughout this five and a half year journey has been “I entered graduate school married with children, and I intend to leave graduate school married with children.” Now, at the end of that journey, we have lost two of the four grandparents, but gained a daughter-in- law, a son-in law, and three beautiful grandchildren. Together, we have succeeded. v Next, I sincerely appreciate my committee members, without whose encouragement and guidance, this work would not be possible. Dr. Robyn Hess, my advisor and committee chair: your suggestions and challenges helped me articulate my thoughts more effectively, and I’ll be forever in awe of your ability to spot typos and formatting errors that I consistently miss. Dr. Kathrine Hak, my professor and first partner in qualitative research: you have encouraged me, and believed in me, and have unswervingly championed partnership with parents. I look forward to celebrating life after graduate school with you. Dr. Betty Cardona, my encourager: your insights into multicultural issues and the needs of refugees and assylees has contributed much. Dr. Madeline Milian, my faculty representative: you have a way of asking pertinent questions and guiding my understanding of multiple perspectives, which has added richness and insight to this process. To my fellow graduate students, Nadia and Rachael: thank you for your help with meeting notes, transcription, and peer review of themes. To Diane, Gloria, and Roberta: you are the friendly faces of the office for Applied Psychology and Counselor Education. Your cheerful outlooks and competent services keep the entire department working smoothly. Thank you all so much. Finally, there are so many friends who have encouraged me along the way. While I cannot list you all here, I am very grateful to each one of you for contributing to the successful completion of this study and of my doctorate. May you all be as richly blessed as I have been to have you in my life! Mary Van Korlaar vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………… 1 Background……………………………………………………… 3 Significance of the Study……………………………………….. 4 Theoretical Basis of the Study………………………………….. 5 Relevant Literature………………………………………………. 8 Purpose Statement………………………………………………., 11 Research Questions……………………………………………… 11 Delimitations…………………………………………………….. 11 Definitions……………………………………………………….. 12 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE …………………………………… 18 Background……………………………………………………… 18 Theoretical Frameworks………………………………………… 19 An Ecological Perspective of the Refugee Population…………. 30 The Needs of Refugee Children in Public Schools……………… 47 67 Conclusion………………………………………………………. vii CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY……………………………………………… 69 A Qualitative Approach…………………………………………. 69 Research Methodology………………………………………….. 78 Summary………………………………………………………… 94 IV. FINDINGS ………………….………………………………….. 96 Contexts of the Families………………………………………… 99 Adjustment to School in the United States……………………… 110 Perceived Barriers to Parent Involvement………………………. 120 Enhancing Family-School Relationships……………………….. 132 Reflections as a Participant