Denmark and Sweden have witnessed a historically significant amplification of parental influence in compulsory schools during the past two decades. The emphasis on parental involvement in these two countries reflects international trends of neoliberal governing of educational processes. We know very little about the interplay between beginning…

During the past three decades, the rise of the global economy stimulated a wide array of social, economic, and political changes in nations throughout the world. Heightened concern about the quality of schools launched what is arguably one of the most pervasive, intense, and protracted attempts at educational reform in recent history. A discussion…

This book addresses central questions regarding parental involvement across European educational systems; exploring the commonalities and differences across European countries and the extent to which current policy and practice pertaining to parental involvement is inclusive of diversity. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach that draws from the…

This article is a working paper presenting a network building cooperative project between Umea University in Sweden and Zhejiang University in China. The project focuses on parents' involvement and home-school collaboration in Sweden and China and has an ambition to entail a set of empirical objectives: (1) to map and compare the systems,…

The purpose of this study was to examine similarities and differences in perspectives of fathering among American, Chinese, Japanese and Swedish in-service and pre-service early childhood teachers. The participants in the quantitative survey consisted of 67 American in-service and 277 pre-service teachers, 118 Chinese in-service and 163…

Explores attitudes of parents and professionals in Sweden and the United States regarding early childhood programs. Discusses a survey that covered general attitudes, parent involvement, materials, activities, and caregiver actions. (PCB)

Describes a study of parents' and preschool staff members' views on preschool education in Warwickshire, England; St. Louis County, Minnesota; and Kronobergs Lan in Smaland, Sweden. Compares general attitudes; parental involvement; and importance attributed to various instructional materials and activities, and to caregivers' interaction with…

This paper presents some practical ideas for providing social services through local programs for young children. Identified and evaluated are educational, health, and social services, (viewed as essential components of a responsible child care system) and the efforts of the large national demonstration programs (Head Start, Parent-Child Centers,…