ReDefining Boundaries: Unveiling the Schism in Teacher-Parent Perceptions of Educational EngagementDefining Boundaries: Unveiling the Schism in Teacher-Parent Perceptions of

Yael Fisher^*Shiran Baissberg

• Achva Academic College, Arugot, Israel

Here's the text summarized to 325 words:This study examines the perceptions of parental involvement among parents and teachers within the Israeli education system, comparing the perspectives of these key stakeholders on children's education. The research aimed to understand how parents and teachers perceive parental involvement, hypothesizing that significant differences would exist between the groups, potentially revealing areas of misalignment that impact the effectiveness of parent-teacher collaboration.The study employed Facet Theory as the primary methodology, supplemented by conventional statistical analyses. Participants comprised 215 teachers from various schools nationwide (grades 1-12) and 215 parents with children in the same grade range. Data were collected through an anonymous self-report questionnaire where participants classified parental functions based on their degree of agreement, ranging from absolute disagreement to approval. This approach enabled a comprehensive examination of perspectives across educational levels.Findings indicate that the perceptions of parents and teachers differ fundamentally. Teachers' current perceptions aligned with literature from three decades ago, showing they do not desire parental involvement beyond what they deem "necessary" and are averse to professional interference. Teachers perceive parental involvement as controlling school processes, participating in "obligatory" activities inherent to the parental role, and "service provision" when needed, preferring parents not to exceed "service provider" boundaries.Conversely, parents' perceptions aligned with recent research that advocates for balanced engagement. Parents view themselves as educational partners, believing that collaborative efforts between parents and school staff improve student academic achievement. Parents' perceptions encompassed supporting and supplementing school resources, supervising school processes, partnership in extracurricular pedagogical methods, and maintaining awareness of internal pedagogical processes, relating to two loci of control: the school environment and the parent alone.The comparison revealed significant differences that can foster dialogue between parties, leading to mutual understanding and agreed-upon definitions of parental involvement. Study limitations include the higher educational attainment of the parent sample, the predominantly female participant composition, online distribution challenges, and data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may limit the broader generalizability of the findings.