Skip to main content Skip to journal navigation menu Skip to site footer
contact@ukscip.com
Article

Parental Engagement in Early English Language Acquisition: Motivations, Methods, Challenges and Coping Strategies

Gurdip Kaur Saminder Singh ORCID ,  Washima Che Dan ORCID ,  Mohd Al Mahdi Hussain ORCID ,  Farah Naaz Yunos ORCID ,  Veena Joshi ORCID

    Received: 20 November 2025; Revised: 11 December 2025; Accepted: 28 February 2026; Published: 7 April 2026

    Abstract

    The increasing prominence of English language proficiency in Malaysia has prompted many parents to take an active role in supporting their preschool children’s language learning beyond the formal education system. While parental involvement in education is not new, limited research has explored how Malaysian parents facilitate English language acquisition at home during the early childhood years. This qualitative study sought to explore the motivation, teaching methods, perceived challenges and coping strategies in home-based English language teaching and learning among parents of preschool-aged children. Data were collected through in-depth interviews involving diverse groups of parents from urban and semi-urban settings in Malaysia. The thematic analysis of data collected revealed five dominant themes that discussed agency and motivation, strategies and resources, strategic use of digital tools, challenges of consistency and confidence, as well as coping strategies. The study’s findings highlight the evolving role of Malaysian parents as co-educators in early language development and underscore the need for greater institutional support and resource curation for home-based English learning. Implications suggest that early childhood education policies and programs should integrate parent-focused digital literacy initiatives and provide accessible, culturally relevant language learning tools to bridge gaps in parental knowledge and capacity.

    Keywords

    References

    1. 1. World Economic Forum. Which Countries Are Best at English as a Second Language? Available online: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2019/11/countries-that-speak-english-as-a-second-language/ (accessed on 2 November 2025).
    2. 2. New Straits Times. Strengthening English Proficiency Crucial for Malaysia’s Future. Available online: https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters/2025/02/1174378/strengthening-english-proficiency-crucial-malaysias-future (accessed on 2 November 2025)
    3. 3. OECD. Early Learning and Child Well-Being: A Study of Five-Year-Olds in England, Estonia, and the United States; OECD Publishing: Paris, France, 2020.
    4. 4. Santrock, J.W. Child Development, 15th ed.; McGraw-Hill: New York, NY, USA, 2021.
    5. 5. Valcárcel Jiménez, M.; Heine, J.-H.; Schiele, T.; et al. The Role of Parental Attitudes, Home Literacy Environment, and Migration Background in Preschool Children’s Emergent Literacy Skills. J. Appl. Dev. Psychol. 2025, 99, 101830. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2025.101830
    6. 6. Vygotsky, L.S. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes; Harvard University Press: Cambridge, MA, USA, 1978.
    7. 7. Dong, C.; Cao, S.; Li, H. Young Children’s Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Chinese Parents’ Beliefs and Attitudes. Child. Youth Serv. Rev. 2020, 118, 105440. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105440
    8. 8. Li, L.; Liu, X.; Curdt-Christiansen, X. Parental involvement in online education during Covid-19 lockdown: A netnographic case study of Chinese language teaching in the UK. Multilingua 2024, 43, 241–266.
    9. 9. Read, K.; Gaffney, G.; Chen, A.; et al. The Impact of COVID-19 on Families’ Home Literacy Practices with Young Children. Early Child. Educ. J. 2021, 50, 1429–1438. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01270-6
    10. 10. Kvintova, J.; Vachova, L.; Novotny, J.S.; et al. Changes in Preschool Children’s Home Learning Activities before and during the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Context of Family Socioeconomic Status and Parental Education. Cogent Educ. 2025, 12, 2515986. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2515986
    11. 11. Neumann, M.M.; Neumann, D.L. Parental Strategies for Supporting Young Children’s Digital Literacy Development at Home. Early Child Dev. Care 2021, 191, 1111–1124.
    12. 12. Singh, G.K.S.; Nagarajah, G.D. Parents’ involvement in young children’s English language education post pandemic. Int. J. Acad. Res. Prog. Educ. Dev. 2024, 13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v13-i1/18600
    13. 13. Shabani, K.; Khatib, M.; Ebadi, S. Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development: Instructional Implications and Teachers’ Professional Development. Engl. Lang. Teach. 2010, 3, 237–248.
    14. 14. Chen, A.X. Exploring Parental Perspectives and Engagement in Shared Reading with Digital Books: A Comparison of Urban and Rural Chinese Families during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int. J. Educ. Res. 2024, 127, 102394. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102394
    15. 15. Abdullah Kamal, S.S.L.; Alias, N.Z. Exploring Parental Involvement in Children’s English as a Second Language (ESL) Learning across Different Socioeconomic Contexts. Int. J. Lang. Educ. Appl. Linguist. 2025, 15, 7–15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15282/ijleal.v15i1.11083
    16. 16. Hornby, G. Parental Involvement in Childhood Education: Building Effective School–Family Partnerships; Springer: New York, NY, USA, 2011.
    17. 17. Saminder Singh, G.K.; Abd Yunos, F.N.; Kumar, M.; et al. Parental Involvement in Language-Delayed Young Children’s English Language Acquisition. Forum Linguist. Stud. 2025, 7, 420–436.
    18. 18. Epstein, J.L. School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Preparing Educators and Improving Schools, 2nd ed.; Routledge: New York, NY, USA, 2018.
    19. 19. Wilder, S. Effects of Parental Involvement on Academic Achievement: A Meta-Synthesis. Educ. Rev. 2014, 66, 377–397. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2013.780009
    20. 20. Tamis-LeMonda, C.S.; Luo, R.; McFadden, K.E.; et al. Early Home Learning Environment Predicts Children’s 5th-Grade Academic Skills. Appl. Dev. Sci. 2019, 23, 153–169. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2017.1345634
    21. 21. Jiang, Y.; Lau, C. Parental involvement and children’s second language learning: A mixed-methods study. Early Educ. Dev. 2025, 37, 622–643. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2025.2582182
    22. 22. Abdullah Kamal, S.S.L.; Masnan, A.H.; Hashim, N.H. Parental Involvement in Young Children’s Education in Malaysia: A Systematic Literature Review. Int. J. Learn. Teach. Educ. Res. 2022, 21, 319–341.
    23. 23. Palinkas, L.A.; Horwitz, S.M.; Green, C.A.; et al. Purposeful Sampling for Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis in Mixed Method Implementation Research. Adm. Policy Ment. Health 2015, 42, 533–544.
    24. 24. Creswell, J.W.; Poth, C.N. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among Five Approaches, 4th ed.; SAGE Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2018.
    25. 25. Patton, M.Q. Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods, 4th ed.; Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2015.
    26. 26. Seidman, I. Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences, 4th ed.; Teachers College Press: New York, NY, USA, 2013.
    27. 27. McKim, C.A. Meaningful Member-Checking: A Structured Approach to Member-Checking. Am. J. Qual. Res. 2023, 7, 41–52. Available online: https://www.ajqr.org/article/meaningful-member-checking-a-structured-approach-to-member-checking-12973#:~:text=Meaningful%20Member%2DChecking:%20A%20Structured,approach%20should%20be%20more%20structured
    28. 28. Mero-Jaffe, I. “Is That What I Said?” Interview Transcript Approval by Participants: An Aspect of Ethics in Qualitative Research. Int. J. Qual. Methods 2011, 10, 231–247.
    29. 29. Braun, V.; Clarke, V. Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qual. Res. Psychol. 2006, 3, 77–101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
    30. 30. Brown, N.; Stockman, T. Examining the Use of Thematic Analysis as a Tool for Informing Design of New Family Communication Technologies. In Proceedings of the 27th International BCS Human Computer Interaction Conference, London, UK, 9–13 September 2013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14236/ewic/HCI2013.30
    31. 31. Fereday, J.; Muir-Cochrane, E. Demonstrating Rigor Using Thematic Analysis: A Hybrid Approach of Inductive and Deductive Coding and Theme Development. Int. J. Qual. Methods 2006, 5, 80–92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/160940690600500107
    32. 32. Denzin, N.K. Triangulation 2.0. J. Mix. Methods Res. 2012, 6, 80–88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689812437186
    33. 33. Bogdan, R.C.; Biklen, S.K. Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theory and Methods; Pearson: Boston, MA, USA, 2007.
    34. 34. Krueger, R.A.; Casey, M.A. Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research, 3rd ed.; SAGE Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2000.
    35. 35. Creswell, J.W. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 3rd ed.; Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2009.
    36. 36. Creswell, J.W. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among Five Approaches; Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2007.
    37. 37. Merriam, S.B. Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation; Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA, USA, 2009.
    38. 38. Senin, D.A. Rethink, Revamp Teaching and Learning of English. In New Straits Times; Ministry of Education Malaysia: Putrajaya, Malaysia, 2019.
    39. 39. Thirusanku, J.; Yunus, M. Status of English in Malaysia. Asian Soc. Sci. 2014, 10, 254–254.
    40. 40. Lau, C.; Richards, B. Home Literacy Environment and Children’s English Language and Literacy Skills in Hong Kong. Front. Psychol. 2021, 11, 569581.
    41. 41. Wantanakorn, P. Digital Media and Child Development in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Benefits, Disadvantages, and Effective Approaches. J. Med. Assoc. Thai 2021, 104, 1563–1569.
    42. 42. Guo, C.; Wan, B. The digital divide in online learning in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Technol. Soc. 2022, 71, 102122. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.102122
    43. 43. Desforges, C.; Abouchaar, A. The Impact of Parental Involvement, Parental Support and Family Education on Pupil Achievement and Adjustment: A Literature Review; Department for Education and Skills: London, UK, 2003.
    44. 44. Ancho, I. Parents as Teachers as Students: Managing Multiple Roles During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Int. J. Instr. 2023, 16, 205–220. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2023.16312a
    45. 45. Goodall, J.; Montgomery, C. Parental Involvement to Parental Engagement: A Continuum. Educ. Rev. 2013, 66, 399–410. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2013.781576
    46. 46. O’Brien, B.; Arshad, N.; Ng, S.C. Bilingual families and the home literacy environment: An examination of English and ethnic language activities and outcomes. J. Res. Read. 2024, 47, 580–600.
    47. 47. Wood, D.; Bruner, J.S.; Ross, G. The Role of Tutoring in Problem Solving. J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry 1976, 17, 89–100. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1976.tb00381.x
    ×