PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCA-TION IN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

To improve the quality of education, it is important that parents participate in the education of children. The primary objective of this study is to examine the different forms of parental involvement in the English language learning process of children in Kazakhstan and to identify the challenges parents encounter in offering support, utilizing a qualitative research methodology. To collect relevant information, a semi-structured interview was conducted with seven parents living in Astana. Questions were asked and analyzed in relation to Epstein’s Typology of Parental Involvement. According to the results, all parents noted the importance of children’s learning English for their children’s future lives. In addition, the findings demonstrated that the study sample’s parental participatory action types were mainly in line with Epstein’s Typology. To be specific, Epstein identi-fies six types of parental involvement. This research found that parents engaged in four types similar to those in Epstein’s the-ory: home-based support, such as providing English books and educational apps; school communication, including regular engagement with teachers; community engagement, like utilizing libraries and language centers; and learning facilitation, which involves encouraging independent study habits and a positive attitude toward English learning. However, two types from Epstein’s model were not observed among parents. Interestingly, the study also identified two additional forms of paren-tal involvement that go beyond Epstein’s Typology. Based on the findings, it is suggested that the school should help parents with resources for home learning and involve them in school activities, while teachers should communicate regularly with par-ents and create fun English learning events. Parents should connect with community groups for extra learning opportunities.