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Utah's Foremost Platform for Undergraduate Research Presentation
2014 Abstracts

The Parent-Teacher-Student Triad in Mexico

Jonathan Welling, Brigham Young University

Education

The demographic shift of Mexican immigrants within the public school system in the US has created a great need for teachers to better understand the expectations that immigrant families bring with them from their education system in Mexico. This research provides contextual information to educational stakeholders in the US to better accommodate to the needs of immigrant students from Mexico. This study explores the norms, roles and expectations of teachers, parent and students in the education system in Irapuato, Mexico. Data was collected from observations and interviews with teacher, parents and students from three different public high schools in Irapuato, Mexico: CBTis- a technical school, The Official Preparatory School of Irapuato- a standard public school and SABES- a small rural school. Analysis was done using a systematic approach of open coding to identify emergent themes. Preliminary results provide contextual information explaining the expectations parents hold for the teachers in Irapuato, Mexico. The data is valuable in understanding the norms, expectations and perceived roles held immigrant Mexican families. Applications of this data may be used to facilitate both collaboration between teachers and Mexican immigrant parents and the adjustment of immigrant students to a new educational system.