Beyond Stereotypes

This book investigates parental engagement in the transition to school in China and Australia, which were taken as representatives of Eastern and Western cultures, respectively.

A positive transition to school is important for children’s learning and wellbeing, and parents play a critical role in it. The author, therefore, compares Chinese and Australian parents’ perceptions of and engagement in the transition to school and the factors influencing it. By modifying the parental engagement scale and re-constructing the bioecological model of parental engagement in transition to school in the contexts of China and Australia, the book offers both instrumental and theoretical contributions in the field. The author further argues that parents are facing challenges and tensions brought on by both global trends and local contexts, which counters people’s stereotypes of Chinese and Australian parents.

The book will be of interest to scholars and students studying parental engagement, transition to school and international comparative studies.