| Using a multi-ethnic, socioeconomically varied sample of children of immigrants attending Islamic and public schools from first through third grade, this dissertation examined the degree to which school-based family involvement predicted teacher perceptions of value differences with parents, teacher expectations, child externalizing behavioral problems, and student-teacher relationships. Three complementary studies were conducted to explore these relationships. The first study found that, in first grade, teachers who perceived immigrant parents as engaging in more school-based involvement tended to also see these parents as having similar values about education as themselves. Teachers also perceived more value differences with Asian families in comparison with Latino families. Finally, those with more teaching experience tended to perceive fewer value differences with immigrant parents. The second study found that increases over time in school-based family involvement predicted increases in teacher literacy and math expectations and decreases in their rule-breaking and aggressive behavior ratings. Gender and teacher perceptions of value differences with parents moderated these relations. Specifically, greater school-based family involvement predicted lower aggressive behavior ratings for boys, but not girls. Additionally, greater school-based family involvement predicted higher literacy and math expectations when teachers also perceived more value discrepancies with parents. The third and final study found that, in second grade, teachers had closer relationships with students whose parents they perceived as engaging in more school-based involvement. Teachers also had closer and less conflictual relationships with girls as well as students they perceived as exhibiting less externalizing behavior. Findings from this dissertation demonstrate the importance of school-based family involvement in predicting the educational development of children of immigrants in the United States. |
