ERIC Number: EJ1236583
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-308X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Reporting Educators' Experiences Regarding Family-School Interactions with Implications for Best Practices
Kirmaci, Mehtap
School Community Journal, v29 n2 p129-156 2019
A growing international interest in family-school collaboration is also seen in the United States, with teachers increasingly asked to take responsibility for partnering with parents. Yet, little is known about how teachers develop an understanding of supportive family-school or teacher-parent interactions. I conducted a thematic analysis of 44 empirical articles published from 2007 to 2017 that explored preservice and in-service teachers' experiences regarding family-school-community interactions. This review of extant research revealed: (1) ongoing concern from teachers about the lack of teacher education and professional learning opportunities supporting family-school-community interactions, and (2) evidence of teachers' interest in gaining knowledge for collaborating more effectively with families. The majority of the studies reviewed focused on teachers' learning in working with families. The recurring findings among the studies included: (1) improved skills in working with diverse families; (2) increased ability to reflect on personal assumptions regarding diverse families; and (3) a broadened view of family diversity. Across the intervention-based studies, opportunities to reflect on personal assumptions about diversity and to have authentic interactions with families were viewed as important components of teacher learning to develop the above skills. Lessons learned can be applied by teacher educators and educational researchers to better support prospective and practicing teachers in their work with families from diverse backgrounds.
Descriptors: Best Practices, Family School Relationship, Partnerships in Education, Parent Teacher Cooperation, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Education, Faculty Development, Diversity, Minority Groups, Low Income Groups, Self Efficacy, Elementary Secondary Education
Academic Development Institute. 121 North Kickapoo Street, Lincoln, IL 62656. Tel: 1-800-759-1495; Web site: http://www.schoolcommunitynetwork.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A