Parent perceptions of school/teacher effectiveness with Punjabi-Sikh students and their families

ABSTRACT

Participants in this study included Sikh/Punjabi parents who had a child enrolled in the K-12 school system. These parents were invited to complete a survey and participate in a focus group. The purpose of this study was to gauge the current experiences of children within the Sikh/Punjabi community by eliciting parents for their perceptions of whether schools and educators possess an understanding of their identity/culture and respond accordingly. Findings indicate that parents believed their child's school/teacher respected their cultural background but felt that the ability to understand and engage with them as Punjabi-Sikhs was lacking.

KEYWORDS:

• parent voice
• parent perceptions
• participatory action research
• Punjabi
• Sikh
• Asian Indian diversity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).