Author Information
Na-Thinamalar Magiswary Nadarajan, University of Selangor, MalaysiaYammuna Sivabalan, University of Selangor, Malaysia
Lim Seong Pek, INTI International University, Malaysia
Hafizah Kusnek Khusni, University of Selangor, Malaysia
Rita Wong Mee Mee, National Defence University of Malaysia, Malaysia
Md Rosli Ismail, Open University Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
Abstract
Parental engagement is a crucial element in children's literacy development. However, there are few studies focused on the influence of income levels and the consistency of support at home. This research examines the various aspects of parental engagement among the low-, middle-, and high-income families in Selangor. The data were collected via a survey administered to 419 parents of primary school children. The survey comprises 19 instruments designed to measure academic supervision, resource accessibility, emotional support, and digital engagement. This data is analysed using descriptive analysis. The results reveal that all the income groups demonstrate moderate to strong literacy support. However, there is a significant difference in the parents' engagement patterns. Parents with low incomes were highly emotionally involved and adaptable despite having limited financial resources. Parents with middle incomes were the most consistent in all areas, combining structure, access, and emotional support. High-income parents provided significant material and digital resources but exhibited comparatively lower direct academic and emotional engagement, presumably because they relied on external support systems. These results show that effective literacy engagement is not only determined by a family's income but also by parents' beliefs, the time they have, and how they adapt. The study enhances the existing literature by applying established parenting theories in a Malaysian context, offering comparative insights across income levels, and guiding targeted educational interventions that promote equitable literacy development.
Paper Information
Conference: ACE2025Stream: Education
This paper is part of the ACE2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Nadarajan N., Sivabalan Y., Pek L., Khusni H., Mee R., & Ismail M. (2026) Parental Engagement in Children’s Literacy Development Across Income Groups: A Comparative Analysis ISSN: 2186-5892 – The Asian Conference on Education 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 9-19) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-5892.2026.2
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-5892.2026.2
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