Leading Learning: A Grounded Theory Perspective of Orang Asli Parental Involvement and Engagement

Past research argued that the lack of parental involvement contributed to poor academic achievement among the Orang Asli (OA) students. This paper illuminates OA parental involvement with their children's learning, based upon a Grounded Theory study of learners’ retrospective perspectives. Participants were fourteen OA students who have reached tertiary education. This study reveals an emerging theory of OA parents leading learning. Implications for practice include for school to consider the OA social and cultural capital in leading the learning of the OA students, and to minimise the barriers that made the parents’ involvement invisible to educators.