JABAR, MELVIN ALLENA

RITSUMEIKAN ASIA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY, JAPAN

KEYWORDS: PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT, JAPANESE EDUCATION, SOCIAL CAPITAL THEORY, CHILDREN’S

SCHOOLING, PARENT-TEACHER RELATIONSHIP.

Parental Involvement as a Form of Social Capital in a

Japanese Elementary School

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 children’s educational experiences and outcomes.

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?

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.

Methodology

My fieldwork at the school was intended to provide me with a deeper understanding of Japan’s 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.

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.

Courtesy of Google Earth Imagery Date: October 28, 2004

What is Parental Involvement?

The concept of parental involvement is quite broad.

For Epstein (1992 ) parental involvement includes keeping children safe, attending children’s 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).

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 children’s education.

How is Parental Involvement related to Social Capital?

Parental involvement is an important area of consideration when one is talking about social capital in children’s 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 people’s 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).

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.

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).

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 child’s long absence from classes may prompt police authorities to visit the family for investigation (sanction).

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 other’s 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 other’s expectations, Japanese schools provide different school related activities for parents to be aware of their roles as partners in their children’s education.

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.

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.

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 teacher’s lecture. When students have school tasks to accomplish, the parents may glance at their children’s work.

Parents are also encouraged to visit school for a one-on-one consultation with their child’s homeroom teacher should they wish to know the performance and behavior of their children at school.

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.

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 one’s relations with other people, parents are able to get vital information which will consequently enable them to perform effectively.

By communicating with their children’s teachers, parents are able to assist their children in accomplishing school work (see Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler, 2007)

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.

Renrakuchou

July 4, 2009 (Saturday)From: Megumi (not her real name), a mother

おはようございます。いつも　ありがとうございます。カタカナの練習もがんばってさせます。いまバスケットをさせていますが、授業中に居眠りをしたり、問題はありませんでしょうか？ありましたら教えてください。よろしくおねがいいたします。

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: Megumi’s son’s teacher

明日はＰＴＡなので少しでも太郎君のお話が出来ればいいなと思います。バスケでつかれていることもありますが、きょうはテストを３まいも金治さん ( インタプリタ ) 頑張りました。

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.

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.

Kateihomon or Home Visit

Kateihomon is a homeroom teacher’s (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.

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 children’s learning.

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.

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.

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 children’s education.

The school-parent relationship, particularly in Japan, fosters inter-dependence and cooperation.

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.

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.

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.

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 children’s names, their corresponding contact numbers, and chain/order of communication

Contact Network (renrakumou)

Conclusion

The different parental involvement practices in Japan, both at home and at school, suggest of the importance of the teacher-parent relationship in children’s 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.

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 children’s 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.