Factors that shape helping relations between parents and teachers: The case of Israeli Arab and Jewish parents.

The present research examined helping relations among Israeli Arab and Jewish parents by focusing on collaboration between parents and teachers, parental self-efficacy, and help-seeking orientations from teachers: autonomy, dependency, and avoidance of help-seeking. The difference between the two main forms of help—autonomy and dependence—represent different qualities of help which parents can obtain for their children. The current study included 121 Arab parents and 192 Jewish parents who have at least one child in elementary school. According to the regression analysis, Jewish parents reported using higher levels of autonomous help-seeking, while Arab parents reported using dependent and avoidant help-seeking orientations. Furthermore, for both Arab and Jewish parents, high levels of collaboration between parents and teachers increased their tendency to seek autonomous help from teachers. In addition, ethnicity (Arab/Jewish), parental self-efficacy, and collaborative relations between parents and teachers predicted parents’ help-seeking orientation in diverse domains. This study highlights cultural differences regarding parents’ engagement with teachers. Based on the positive contribution of parents’ engagement in general, we recommend conducting a culture-specific intervention aimed at encouraging both parents and teachers to establish helping relations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)