“We are not able to speak English, so we don't know what is happening:” Missed opportunities for families' engagement in their children's learning

Abstract

Drawing from equity and plurilingual lenses, this qualitative research explores opportunities for parents from Language Backgrounds other than English (LBOTE) to engage in their children's school learning. Twenty-six Vietnamese and Burmese parents from two Australian primary (elementary) schools were interviewed. Three family engagement strategies, 1) open communication between teachers and families 2) homework/home learning 3) student conversations with their families about school learning were pertinent, and at times, problematic according to the parents. Implications from the study are how to find equitable and inclusive ways for teachers and schools to engage families with LBOTE in their children's learning.