HOW DO PARENTS OF DIFFERENT POLITICAL ORIENTATIONS PERCEIVE CURRENTLY DEBATED EDUCATIONAL TERMS AND ISSUES? AN IN-DEPTH QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

Polling data indicate that public opinion is polarized on contested educational issues. Currently debated educational terms and issues, such as Social Emotional Learning, Critical Race Theory, and prayer in schools, have caused contentious debate among parents and guardians. There is competing polling that suggests that these divisions may be fluid based on one’s social identity that are not necessarily political in nature. These findings have only been narrowly researched with descriptive data and are not well understood. To address this gap, this study sought to examine parent and guardian perceptions of currently debated educational terms and issues. To understand this issue deeply, this study focused on parent perceptions of currently debated educational terms and issues and the effect of Social Identity Theory on these perceptions. Open-ended surveys (n = 15) were conducted with a sample of parents and guardians in Oklahoma to collect detailed and expansive perspectives on education as well as demographic data. These open-ended surveys contribute to better understanding of parent and guardian perceptions with varying political orientations and how those perceptions influence their support for or opposition to such currently debated educational terms and issues within Oklahoma public schools. While parents often aligned with their political in-groups on topics like Critical Race Theory, gender and sexuality, and religion in schools, findings revealed that parental identity often moderated perceptions when issues were framed through direct experiences with their children’s education. The study found agreement across political lines on the importance of high-quality education, Social Emotional Learning concepts, and parental involvement in their school community. Supplemental state polling data from the Oklahoma Education Journal helped contextualize these findings with parent and non-parent comparisons on education issues. This research revealed that framing of the issues, trusted sources of information, and personal experience significantly impact parental perceptions.