JABAR, Melvin Allena

1
Parental Involvement as a Form of Social Capital
in a Japanese Elementary School

• JABAR, Melvin Allena
• Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan
• Keywords parental involvement, Japanese
  education, social capital theory, childrens
  schooling, parent-teacher relationship.

2
What is my paper about?

• This study examines parental involvement in a
  Japanese elementary school in the context of
  social capital theory discourses.
• It is part of an on-going doctoral dissertation
  on bicultural childrens educational experiences
  and outcomes.

3
Research Questions

• The aim is not to examine the extent of
  involvement but rather to document school
  activities or practices that require parental
  presence. It endeavors to answer the following
  questions
• What are the school programs aimed at fostering
  parental involvement in a Japanese elementary
  school?
• How can the school programs be viewed in terms of
  social capital?

4
Methodology

• The data for this article were drawn from my
  five-month (from April to June, September-October
  2009) field work in a Japanese elementary school
  in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, Japan. Oita
  prefecture is the northeast part of Kyushu Island
  of Japan.

5
Methodology

• My fieldwork at the school was intended to
  provide me with a deeper understanding of Japans
  primary education system and school culture.
• Aside from the data that I got through my
  limited-participant observation, I also used
  document review to supplement my discussion in
  this article.
• Documents included school correspondence,
  announcements, and the school website.

6
The Elementary School

• The school has a population of 324 students from
  15 classes (kindergarten to grade 6) and 30
  school staff.
• I was hired by the city government as an
  interpreter for a Japanese-Filipino bicultural
  child.
• This opportunity allowed me to become familiar
  with the Japanese elementary school educational
  system.

7
Courtesy of Google Earth
Imagery Date October 28, 2004
8
What is Parental Involvement?

• The concept of parental involvement is quite
  broad.
• For Epstein (1992 ) parental involvement
  includes keeping children safe, attending
  childrens activities, and collaborating with
  community organizations for the purpose of
  addressing the educational needs of children
  (p.235).
• Parental involvement can also mean the actual or
  perceived expectations for performance, verbal
  encouragement or interactions regarding homework,
  direct reinforcement for academic improvement,
  and general academic guidance and support (Keith
  et al., 1986).

9
What is Parental Involvement?

• In Japan, parental involvement is translated as
  oya no kanyo.
• Japanese teachers make explicit and exacting
  demands on parents. (Holloway, Yamamoto, Suzuki,
  and Mindnich, 2008)
• In other words, the schools put pressure on
  parents for them to be involved in their
  childrens education.

10
How is Parental Involvement related to Social
Capital?

• Parental involvement is an important area of
  consideration when one is talking about social
  capital in childrens education.
• It is, by itself, a field where structural
  relations (i.e. parents, children and teacher)
  are manifested and each of these actors function
  according to their own or other peoples
  expectations, familial and social norms, and
  personal and social obligations.
• Parental involvement plays a crucial role in
  developing social capital both in and outside the
  home (Dika and Singh, 2002, p.5)
• As social capital, it constitutes several
  structures of relationships such as
  student-parent, parent-teacher, and child-teacher
  relations (McNeal, 1999, p. 120).

11
But what is Social Capital?

• The SCT was popularized in the 80s by Pierre
  Bourdieu although the theory itself was already
  coined in the early 1900s in the educational
  context (Nishide, 2009).
• Two proponents Pierre Bourdieu and James Coleman.

12
But what is Social Capital?

• the aggregate of the actual or potential
  resources which are linked to possession of a
  durable network of more or less institutionalized
  relationships of mutual acquaintance or
  recognition- Bourdieu
• the structure of relations between and among
  actors and is defined by its function-Coleman
  (more used in sociology of education)
• Coleman also characterizes social capital into
  three aspects, namely obligations and
  expectations, the information flow capability of
  the social structure, and the presence of norms
  with attached sanctions (Burnheim, 2004, p.3).

13
How can social capital be applied in parental
involvement?

• Parent-teacher association forms the structure of
  relations and the obligations, duties, and
  actions they perform define such relationship.
• In Japan, elementary schools expect parents
  (school expectations) to be active in the
  parent-teacher association (PTA) meetings
  (obligation).
• It is through these meetings that parents are
  able to get information that will enable them to
  best help their children in their studies
  (information flow capability of the structure).
• Parents are obliged to call the teachers (norm)
  if their children cannot attend classes
  regularly. The failure of the parents to inform
  the school authorities of their childs long
  absence from classes may prompt police
  authorities to visit the family for investigation
  (sanction).

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15
Sharing of Norms and Expectations

• In order for a capital to be maximized, actors of
  structured relations (e.g. parents and schools in
  home-school relationship) should embrace each
  others expectations, or at least be familiar
  with it, in order for certain functions and
  obligations to be fulfilled.
• To ensure that parents and school personnel meet
  each others expectations, Japanese schools
  provide different school related activities for
  parents to be aware of their roles as partners in
  their childrens education.

16
School Orientation

• Before the start of the classes, parents of
  incoming first grade students are obliged to
  attend the school orientation or the
  shinnyuugakujidousetsumeikai.
• Attendance is mandatory because the orientation
  provides parents with needed information about
  school norms and policies as well as what to
  prepare prior to the opening of the new school
  year (e.g. school supplies and materials for
  their children).
• The orientation is usually held every January or
  February of the year, 2-3 months prior to the
  opening of the school year.

17
School Orientation

• Parents are also informed about school
  prohibitions for students such as 1) no wearing
  of earrings, necklace, watch, and bracelets 2)
  no bringing of food 3) no bringing of toys 4)
  no bringing of dangerous items and 5) no
  bringing of cellular phones.
• They are asked to monitor the time when their
  children go back home and sleep. Children should
  be at home by 5pm and should sleep before 9 pm.

18
Jyogyousankan or Open School

• This activity, which happens at the beginning of
  the school year, allows parents to observe
  classes of their children.
• Parents sit in on a class and listen to the
  teachers lecture. When students have school
  tasks to accomplish, the parents may glance at
  their childrens work.
• Parents are also encouraged to visit school for a
  one-on-one consultation with their childs
  homeroom teacher should they wish to know the
  performance and behavior of their children at
  school.

19
Gakushuuhappyoukai (presentation of study)

• Another annual event to which parents are
  invited.
• Some schools ask their students to write poems,
  draw paintings, write reports or perform skits.
• Last March 16, 2010, I attended such event at a
  junior high school in Beppu City, Japan.
• First year high school students were asked to
  report about what they learned during their
  hatarakuhitonimanabukai (similar to career
  talk/seminar).
• Parents watched the presentation of their
  children.

20
Enhancing Involvement through Communication

• One aspect of social capital is what Coleman
  (1990) refers to as the information flow
  capability structure.
• This implies that, through ones relations with
  other people, parents are able to get vital
  information which will consequently enable them
  to perform effectively.
• By communicating with their childrens teachers,
  parents are able to assist their children in
  accomplishing school work (see Hoover-Dempsey and
  Sandler, 2007)

21
Renrakuchou (correspondence notebook)

• Renrakucho is a very important means of
  communication between the parents and the
  teachers. Students use this to note down
  information pertaining to school events and
  reminders for parents to be fully aware of the
  affairs of their children.

22
Renrakuchou

• July 4, 2009 (Saturday)
• From Megumi (not her real name), a mother
• ????????????? ????????????????????????????????????
  ??????????????????????????????????????????????????
  ?????????????
• Good morning. Thanks a lot as always. I am trying
  my best to force Tarou (not real name) to
  practice his katakana (a Japanese system of
  writing). Tarou is attending basketball training.
  Should this cause him a problem like sleeping
  inside the class, please let me know. Looking
  forward to hearing from you.
•  
• July 6, 2009 (Monday)
• From Megumis sons teacher
• ???PTA????????????????????????????????????????????
  ??????????3???????(??????)???????
• Because there will be a PTA meeting tomorrow,
  even if it is short, I think it would be nice if
  we can talk about Tarou if possible. There are
  times that he is tired from his basketball.
  Today, we had 3 exams but Kenji-san (interpreter,
  not his real name) tried his best to help Tarou.

23
Renraku Purinto or Otegami (School Letters)

• Each student is also required to have a renraku
  bukuro (contact envelope).
• This is a plastic envelope where all the school
  correspondence for parents are placed.
• From time to time, the school sends out letters
  to inform parents about school activities and
  their possible participation in these activities.

24
Kateihomon or Home Visit

• Kateihomon is a homeroom teachers (tannin no
  sensei) visit to his/her students homes to talk
  with the parents about school concerns and to
  observe the family environment.
• In the school where I conducted my field work,
  the teachers had this activity during the first
  month of the school year (i.e. April 2009).
• The homeroom teachers visited all the families of
  their students. This is mandatory and it is
  expected that one of the parents will be at home
  to entertain the teacher.

25
Provision of Students Needs

• One important feature of social capital is the
  ability of the actors to access resources through
  their own network. In the case of the parent and
  child relationship, parents provide their
  children different forms of capital.
• In other words, children get access to school
  materials through their parents and their school.
  Schools enhance parents participation by
  mandating them to provide their children with the
  material and economic resources to enhance their
  childrens learning.

26
Learning materials (kyozai)

• Parents are left with no choice but to provide
  their children with economic capital in the form
  of payment, such as in the case of kyozai or
  learning materials procured by the school on the
  parents behalf.
• Schools oblige parents to buy the needed school
  materials because students are discouraged to
  borrow from each other.
• The homeroom teacher (tannin no sensei) will give
  the collection envelopes (shuukin bukuro) to the
  students indicating the amount due, which the
  students have to return on or before the due date.

27
Lunch at School

• One important focus of early education in Japan
  is the promotion of positive physical health and
  well-being (Bertram and Pascal, 2002, p.30).
• This explains why the school provides lunch to
  children. Every month, the school plans the daily
  lunch menu, taking into account the appropriate
  nutritional contents and the requirements of a
  balanced diet.

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School-Parent and Parent-Parent Relationships

• One predictor of social capital, as theorized
  by Bassani (2003), is social interaction.
• Through this interaction, members of a structure
  of relationships communicate with others to
  mobilize or to access resources vital to their
  childrens education.
• The school-parent relationship, particularly in
  Japan, fosters inter-dependence and cooperation.

30
Summer Break

• During summer break (from 3rd week of July to end
  of October), parents are expected to help their
  children accomplish their summer homework.
• Before the break starts, schools send letters to
  parents informing them about school work during
  the break.
• Aside from school correspondence, parents are
  also invited for a PTA meeting to inform them
  about how best they can help their children.

31
PTA Association (hogoshakai)

• The school also holds a monthly PTA meeting to
  update parents with school activities, the
  progress of on-going projects, officers reports,
  and other matters. The PTA and the school also
  provide seminars and training workshops for
  parents.
• The school also provides venues where parents can
  participate and learn. Parents are asked to fill
  up a volunteer form and choose their interests,
  expertise and experience from a wide array of
  fields.

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Undoukai (Sportsfest)

• Undoukai is a much anticipated sporting event
  among elementary school students in Japan. This
  closely resembles what is known as intramurals or
  sports fest in other countries.
• The undoukai brings people, young and old,
  together in a school-turned-community event.
  During this event, family members (parents,
  siblings, and grandparents) come to witness their
  kids play games and perform dances. Parents, like
  children, also prepare for this event, such as
  preparing an elaborate bentou or lunch box.
• The school also gives the parents and the
  teachers a chance to participate in the games.
  In the school where I conducted my field work,
  some parents enjoyed themselves by taking part in
  an athletics track event.

34
Contact Network (renrakumou)

• One salient feature of parental involvement in
  Japanese schools is the renrakumou or the contact
  network.
• The contact network is used when they schools
  need to convey information to other parents
  regarding school-related matters such as
  cancellation of classes due to disaster.
• During start of the school year, parents are
  already given this predetermined network-type
  list/directory containing the school childrens
  names, their corresponding contact numbers, and
  chain/order of communication

35
Contact Network (renrakumou)
36
Conclusion

• The different parental involvement practices in
  Japan, both at home and at school, suggest of the
  importance of the teacher-parent relationship in
  childrens education.
• It is therefore imperative that schools should
  educate teachers how best they can involve their
  students parents.
• Moreover, universities teaching education, should
  also integrate parental involvement into their
  curriculum.

37
Issues of Social Capital A Need for Research

• First, one definition of social capital is the
  existence of trust and that relationship should
  be of mutual recognition and acquaintance.
  However, a question should be raised here do
  Japanese parents get involved in their childrens
  education or communicate with school authorities
  and other parents for the sake of compliance or
  as a personal choice based on personal
  expectations?
• Second, it is also important to look at how
  parents perceive school norms and practices such
  as the kateihomon (home visit) and the renrakumou
  (contact network) in terms of privacy issues.
• Third, it is also worthwhile to explore the
  parents perception, the extent, the degree, or
  the level of participation in these school
  activities and practices.