This paper presents the findings and implications of a qualitative study conducted in Guatemala, which focused on rural, indigenous parents’ perceptions of their children’s schooling and educational quality. For these parents, the simple fact that their children had improved access to school signifies a satisfactory educational accomplishment; this conceptualization is shaped in large part by their own limited experiences with formal education. Although these parents recognized the importance of ... education, they held low expectations of and aspirations for their children’s academic performance, likely reflecting their own low educational levels. They identified homework as a key indicator for learning, and parental involvement in homework should be a point of departure in fostering learning environments that help improve student outcomes. The social organization and corresponding family responsibilities of children and youth dictate much of the parents’ thinking with respect to schooling and the children’s future.
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