Abstract
Parental involvement is a key factor in student success, yet schools struggle with effectively engaging diverse families in the education of school-age students. This article proposes a model of hospitality as a flexible framework for parental engagement. In this model, schools build safe and trusting environments by attending to physical, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual spaces for parent involvement, integrating inclusion and embrace of differences. The author examines literature on the historical and theological concepts of Christian hospitality—primarily Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Volf’s theory of exclusion and embrace, and Pohl’s reminder of hospitality as a Christian tradition—and explains how practicing hospitality may bridge gaps in concept and understanding while addressing ideas of inclusion necessary for effective parental involvement. These frameworks challenge the employment of common perceptions and practices used to involve diverse parents and offer more effective and flexible alternatives for educators.
Recommended Citation
Latunde, Y. (2016). Towards More Inclusive Schools: An Application of Hospitality in Parental Involvement. International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal, 11(1).