Travellers, Ireland, Parents, Early Years Education, Qualitative Research, Ethnicity
Abstract: This paper explores Traveller parents’ involvement in Traveller preschools in Ireland.
Travellers are a distinct cultural group who have experienced educational disadvantage. Against
a backdrop of changing policy paradigms, Traveller preschools were established in the 1970s as
a compensatory educational intervention. The study methodology was mainly qualitative,
drawing on interpretivism, social constructivism and critical theory. Methods included document
analysis, focus group and individual interviews, and a questionnaire survey. From a thematic
analysis of the data, three overlapping themes emerged about Traveller parents' involvement in
schools: how school culture facilitates parental involvement; parents’ direct involvement in
preschools; and parents' home-based activities supporting children's education and
development. Travellers were extensively involved in various ways except formal decisionmaking.
Traveller preschools were experienced as protected enclaves where parents felt
welcome and accepted, and involved on an individual and familial level. This research highlights
the importance of engaging in respectful ways with Traveller parents and acknowledging their
educational involvement.