An investigation of variables affecting parental involvement in education: The case of Kosovo

Abstract

This study examines the factors influencing parental involvement in children's education in Kosovo. The research evaluates the impact of variables such as ethnicity, gender, parents' education level, number of children, and the child's education level on parental involvement. Based on Epstein's parental involvement theory, the role of these factors in the educational process is analyzed. The study includes 1,469 Turkish and Albanian parents with children at the primary and secondary school levels in Kosovo. Data were collected using a 48-item scale based on the Epstein model, assessing parental involvement across six dimensions: parenting, communication, home learning, volunteering, decision-making, and community collaboration. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used for data analysis. The findings indicate that parental involvement is significantly influenced by demographic and cultural factors. Turkish mothers were found to play a more prominent role in the child-rearing process compared to Albanian mothers. Additionally, due to Kosovo's social structure and traditional family roles, gender-based differences in parental involvement were observed. Accordingly, it is recommended that educational policies be developed to encourage more active participation of fathers and parents with lower education levels in the process.