Parents In Education

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Parents in Education

Previous Newsletters

Winter 2004

The Electronic Newsletter of:

THE PARENTS IN EDUCATION RESEARCH NETWORK (PERN) &

THE UK NATIONAL HOME SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT GROUP (NHSDG)

In collaboration with The European Network About Parents in Education (ERNAPE)

copyright PERN and NHSDG Winter 2004

IN THIS ISSUE:

Australian Initiatives
ERNAPE Conference
Economic Policy
Social and Emotional Development
Parenting Classes
Parental Involvement in Reading Meta-analysis
Internet News
New Publications


RECEIVING THE NEWSLETTER

Simply email ParentsInEducation@dundee.ac.uk and request to receive the newsletter. As well as your email address, please also give your full name, position, address, telephone and fax. These will NOT be made publicly available.

The electronic version of the Parents in Education newsletter is usually sent as an attached Rich Text Format (RTF) file, although it can be sent in the body of an (inevitably rather long) email message. Either can be problematic with some Internet Service Providers. Receiving the newsletter by email also indicates that it will shortly be available at www.dundee.ac.uk/eswce/research/projects/ParentsInEducation on the Parents In Education web site, and it might be more convenient for you to read it there (bookmark the site or add it to your favourites).

Members may forward the electronic Parents in Education newsletter by email on to an infinite number of other potentially interested parties. Because the Parents in Education newsletter is free, recipients may also make hard paper copies. This might be helpful if you wish to distribute to parents or others who do not have easy access to the Internet as yet - obviously you would not wish the newsletter only to be available to relatively advantaged groups. However, PERN and NHSDG retain copyright. The Newsletter must not be sold on a profit-making basis (although a small charge to cover paper and printing costs may be made).

It is very important that you advise ParentsInEducation@dundee.ac.uk of your current exact email address, and that you advise of any changes as promptly as possible. It is not unusual for people to forget to tell all relevant agencies when they change their email address. This means that the sender receives endless automatic "mail undeliverable" messages from the old address. Consequently, Parents In Education operates a "three strikes and you're out" policy. In other words, if we have three consecutive "undeliverable" automatic bounces from your (old) email address, we will simply delete it from the distribution process.

CANCELLING THE NEWSLETTER

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ABBREVIATED EMAIL ADDRESS

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PARENTS IN EDUCATION WEB SITE

www.dundee.ac.uk/eswce/research/projects/ParentsInEducation

Contents:

PERN
NHSDG
Collaborations
Newsletter Archive
Register of Practitioners
Conferences
Links and Internet Search
Contact


CONTRIBUTE TO THE NEWSLETTER

Contributions to the Newsletter are warmly welcomed. Standard sections include:

News
Recent Research
Publications
World Wide Web sites
Conferences
Grants and Awards
Reviews
Meet a New Member

See previous issues for an idea of the varying length and style acceptable, remembering that the newsletter is for researchers and practitioners and other consumers of research.


PERN CONTACT POINTS: CO-ORDINATING GROUP

Convenor of PERN and Parents in Education Newsletter Editor: Keith Topping, Faculty of Education & Social Work, University of Dundee, Gardyne Road, Dundee DD5 1NY. Tel: 01382 464000, Fax: 464900. Email: k.j.topping@dundee.ac.uk

Secretary & Treasurer: John Paine, 16 Sandringham Drive, Brinscall, Chorley PR6 8SU, Lancashire. Tel: 01254 831816.

U.K. Inter-Agency Liaison & NHSDG Link: Sheila Wolfendale, Department of Psychology, University of East London, Stratford Campus, Romford Road, London E15 4LZ. Tel: 0208 223 4495. Email: s.wolfendale@uel.ac.uk

International & European Inter-Agency Liaison & ERNAPE Link: Andrew Brown, Culture Communication & Societies, Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London WC10 0AL. Tel: 020 7612 6224, Fax: 020 7612 6177. Email: a.brown@ioe.ac.uk


NEWS

Australia: Family-School & Community Partnerships

The Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO), founded in 1947, is the national body representing parents of the 2.2 million children in Australia’s government schools and their school communities. Its current focus is on structured action research and community support projects which enhance learning and development opportunities for students and provide strong data to inform public policy and decision making on the future directions of education.

Most of the present work is around the development and maintenance of effective family-school and community partnerships. These projects are carried through in close partnership with the Australian Parents Council (APC), which represents the parents of the 1.1 million students in Australia’s non-government schools.

ACSSO currently operate and manage three key initiatives:

Through next year ACSSO will progress these and also develop several more action research initiatives, to explore additional ways of establishing and sustaining effective family-school and community partnerships.

Contact: Rupert Macgregor, National Projects Manager projects@acsso.org.au

Parenting Contracts in Australia

While we are down under, readers will be interested in a government initiative aimed at stemming anti-social behaviour in youngsters which includes the utilization of parenting contracts. See http://www.wellroundedkids.com/articles/News/2004/12/australia.htm


CONFERENCES

ERNAPE, Spain, Sept 14-16 2005

5th International Conference of the European Research Network About Parents in Education (ERNAPE)

Family-School-Community Partnerships: Interrelation between Family and Education Merging into Social Development

September 14-16, 2005. Auditorio “Príncipe Felipe” Oviedo (Asturias). Spain

www.ernape.net www.funiovi.org/ernape

Submission of Proposals

You are invited to submit proposals on new research in the field on the following themes:

  1. Parents as educators, their challenging role and current status in school, family and community relationships
  2. Parents-teachers mutual obligations and different dimensions of partnerships
  3. Cultural and multicultural aspects of school, family, community partnerships
  4. Impact of global tendencies, consumerism, changing models of family, school and local community life
  5. The challenge of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) at home and at school
  6. Family Learning and Education for Parenthood. Programmes, themes, methodologies and challenges
  7. Changes in family structures, social relations and partnership in learning at individual, collective and institutional levels
  8. Promotion of education and cultural resources through partnerships between schools, family and local communities
  9. Competencies, values and attitudes necessary to prevent social and learning inequalities/exclusion which might affect children, families and citizens
  10. Mediation as a learning process to prevent family conflicts and children’s personal and social adjustment problems
  11. Research methodologies in Home-School-Community Links and Education for Parenthood
  12. Policies and actions to ensure effective and democratic co-operation and dialogue among social actors to promote home-school-community links, including professional training for active home-school-community partnerships
  13. Policies and actions to promote and improve comparative research across Europe and across other countries in the world.

Fill in the proposal form at www.ernape.net or www.funiovi.org/ernape
Deadline for receipt of proposals: abstracts and full papers
Deadline for submission of full papers is February 15, 2005.
Deadline for submission of abstracts is March 15, 2005.

FUNDACIÓN UNIVERSIDAD DE OVIEDO

5ª Conferencia Internacional de la Red Europea de Investigación en Educación Familiar (ERNAPE)
C/ Principado 3, 4ª planta.
33007 Oviedo. España
Tel: 34-985-104927
Fax: 34-985-104927 / 34-985-103226

Mr. Roberto González Fernández

e-mail: javier.fuo@uniovi.es / roberto.fuo@uniovi.es / beatriz@spi.uniovi.es / raquel@pinon.ccu.uniovi.es / rmartinezgonz@uoc.edu

Registration Fees
Before March 30, 2005 After March 30, 2005
Presenter EUR 250 EUR 350
No Presenter Conferee EUR 300 EUR 400
Students EUR 150 EUR 250

Scottish Network for Parental Involvement in Children’s Learning

The third annual conference took place on 12 November 2004. Look out for the next one!

RECENT RESEARCH

Economic Policy Institute

Investing in children yields exceptional returns

The problems for children and society that result from childhood poverty cry out for effective policy solutions. There is a strong consensus among the experts who have studied high-quality early childhood development (ECD) programs that these programs have significant payoffs. EPI's latest study – Exceptional Returns: Economic, Fiscal, and Social Benefits of Investment in Early Childhood Development (http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/books_exceptional_returns) by EPI research associate Robert G. Lynch demonstrates that providing all 20% of the nation's three- and four-year-old children who live in poverty with a high-quality ECD program would have a substantial payoff for governments and taxpayers in the future.

The mission of the Economic Policy Institute (http://www.epinet.org) is to provide high-quality research and education in order to promote a prosperous, fair, and sustainable economy. The Institute stresses real world analysis and a concern for the living standards of working people, and it makes its findings accessible to the general public, the media, and policy makers.

Economic Policy Institute, 1660 L Street, N.W. Suite 1200, Washington, D.C. 20036, USA

Decision Making with Parents

Research demonstrates that positive outcomes with African American children are related to parental input in the decisions black teens make during adolescence.

http://www.wellroundedkids.com/articles/News/2004/12/decision-making.htm

Parents’ Meetings in Schools

Gillian Inglis of the University of Strathclyde has been researching parental perceptions of parents’ meetings in school. The literature indicates that parents value hard information about their child; they value truthfulness, respect and being listened to sensitively; that they do not appreciate reporting only positives; and that certain parents are easily excluded by the process. Most parents were satisfied with parents’ meetings, but factors in satisfaction included:

Further information from Gillian: g.inglis@strath.ac.uk

Parental Involvement in Reading: Meta-analysis

The National Center for Family Literacy in the US, mindful of the current emphasis in the No Child Left Behind Act on “scientific” research, have carried out a meta-analysis of studies of the impact of parental involvement on the reading achievement of kindergarten through third graders (5-9 year-olds). The focus was on experimental or quasi-experimental studies that had been published in a peer reviewed journal. A total of 20 interventions involving 1,583 children were selected for inclusion. Results clearly showed that parental involvement had a positive effect on achievement. However, different kinds of intervention had different degrees of effect. Interventions involving some training for parents were more effective than those that merely asked parents to “listen” to their children read without training. Training yielded a 2.0x multiplier effect on effectiveness. Shorter interventions (=4 months) tended to be more effective than longer ones. The amount of training made little difference. Socioeconomic status of families made no difference to outcomes.

For a summary, see Darling, S. & Westberg, L. (2004). Parental involvement in children’s acquisition of reading. The Reading Teacher, 57(8), 774-776.

See www.famlit.org for the complete technical report. National Center for Family Literacy, 325 W Main ST Suite 300, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.

British Educational Research Conference 2004

The BERA annual conference took place in Manchester 15-18 September. Reproduced below are abstracts from papers relating to parents in education.

Home Education In Germany

T. Spiegler (Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany)

This article gives an overview of the situation of Home education in Germany. The first results from a predominantly qualitative research project, are presented. This combines participant observation, content analysis and qualitative interviews for a thorough sociological analysis of the German Home education movement. Compulsory school attendance exists in Germany and home education is not allowed. Contraventions are regarded as an administrative or an indictable offence. Nevertheless, about 300-500 children are home educated. This takes place in secret, with silent toleration by the local authorities or with legal consequences, ranging from a fine to partial loss of child custody, or even the possibility of a prison sentence. The parents who educate their children at home differ concerning their socio-demographic characteristics, reasons and learning concepts. Several networks exist which are either in their initial stages or expanding. This paper gives insight into the legal position, describes how home education in Germany is practised and explains the existing main areas of tension for those who are involved. In the conclusion it is pointed out, why, even if the conditions do not change, the field of home education is expected to grow.

Home Education – a Human Right?

D. Monk (Birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom)

The right of parents to home educate is sometimes described by home educators as a ‘human right’. Underlying this ‘rights claim’ is the perception that attempts to restrict home education are both unnecessary and dangerous. ‘Unnecessary’, because home education does not harm children or deprive them of the right to education and ‘dangerous’, because parental freedom with regard to education is fundamental in a liberal democracy. However, in the case of Leuffen v Germany, the European Commission of Human Rights held that a policy of compulsory schooling, which in effect ‘outlaws’ home education, was lawful and did not violate the rights of parents under the European Convention of Human Rights. There is clearly an irreconcilable conflict between the rights claims of home educators and the decision of the Commission. This paper presents a critical reading of Leuffen. While it argues that the Commission’s arguments are problematic, at the same time it highlights alternative rights based challenges to home education. It concludes by questioning the ability of the Convention, and civil rights-claims in general, to incorporate some of the broader political and collectivist concerns about home education.

Home Schooling In Quebec: Particular Context And Motivations

C. Brabant (L'Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada)

In Canada, home education regulation like all other educational matters, is provincial. In the francophone province of Quebec this is the first study to focus on home-education. Although their presence is tangible, until now the homeschooling population has been an unknown quantity. Using Canadian or American data to understand Quebec families seems inappropriate considering Quebec's political, historical and cultural distinct traits. This research documented, by way of a questionnaire, Quebec's home schooling families' attitudes towards education, motivations for and experiences of home schooling and socio-demographic characteristics. Starting with a portrait of Quebec's particular context, this research presents the motivations expressed by 203 Quebec home schooling families. Parents' rationales are varied and multidimensional. As a group, they express as their main motivations, a desire to pursue a family educational project, an objection to the organisation of the school system, a wish to offer enrichment to their children, and preoccupations concerning the child's socio-affective development. They also refer to local sources of inspiration and leaders. One of these particularities in the results is that no religious, anti-state or philosophical voice seems to dominate Quebec's home schoolers' views.

An Investigation Into The Teaching Of Mathematics By Home Educators

N. Yusof (University of Warwick, Warwick, United Kingdom)

This study investigates the nature of mathematics education through the eyes of the home educating parent. At school, the teacher is the primary source of knowledge, and their teaching approach is largely based on the National Curriculum, their mathematical beliefs and the classroom environment. However, in most British home educating families, the parent is the main teacher of their child. Parents may not necessarily have formal teaching qualifications, nor are they restricted by class sizes. Therefore, it gives them a unique opportunity to build a learning relationship with their child that is largely influenced by the child’s individual needs, rather than external constraints. As an exploratory study into the nature of this interaction, the research aimed to establish a relationship between the home educating parents’ personal educational beliefs and their mathematics pedagogy. It examined the educational philosophies, conceptions of mathematics and teaching practices of 28 home educating parents through the use of questionnaires. Online questionnaires were sent to a number of families throughout the United Kingdom, and local families in the Warwickshire region also participated. The study showed that these parents held a view of education that strongly influenced their choice of mathematical activity and curriculum. Home education gave parents the flexibility to design a mathematics curriculum based on their personal beliefs of the subject, and most importantly the interests and abilities of their child. Further research will address the effects of such an education on the children’s mathematical understanding and development.

Home Education – Globalization Otherwise ?

C. Beck (University of Oslo, Olso, Norway)

International capitalism, national states, new media and electronics develop world-wide systems of globalization which we more and more deeply are related to. The new identity-formation of children is included in such processes. The most conscious educationalists, and teachers, are aware of the dark sides of the ongoing development. A new educational agenda with inclusion, decentralization, partnership, new social-skills, and a renewal of the concept of life-long education is the “schooling” way of counteracting and balancing the globalization-domination of education. However, the question is whether modern schooling itself is an agency for socialization to globalization, in spite of an educational ideology in the opposite direction? Further inclusion in modern schools could paradoxically end up in education more functional to globalization. Home Education seems to be a successful way to educate. Academic results and socialization-processes in home education are good. Already home education is global. Home educators all over the world do more or less the same thing, they educate their children themselves, in freedom. They are on-line and they communicate directly or through e-mail. They develop new forms of co-operation. Is home education a globalization otherwise? In the nineteen sixties and seventies radical educationalists such as John Holt, Paulo Freire and Ivan Illich opposed ongoing changes in education. They were critical of both the domination of capitalism in education and of a new institutionalization of education in modern schools. They argued for more freedom in education and for education more directly related to lives of under-privileged groups. Home education is a radical new mode of education and has it historical roots in radical educational movements some decades ago.

Parental Involvement In Early Years Settings: Parents’ And Providers’ Perceptions

DJ McMillan (Stranmillis University College, Belfast, United Kingdom)

Current discourse in educare acknowledges the partnership between parents and practitioners (Bastiani 1997; Hirst 1996; Cairney 2000 ). But is the partnership a reality and exactly what does the term mean to those who use it? The increased interest in the relationship between home and school is one of the most positive educational developments of the last decade (Cairney, 2000). Today, at all levels of education, there is overwhelming agreement that parents have a valuable role to play in the education of their children. Parental involvement is promoted at government level (DENI/DHSS/CCEA 1997) and the prevalent culture of rights encourages parents to exercise their own and their children’s rights in the field of education. Early years’ educators have long recognised the importance of strong home-school links, since the pre-school setting forms a ‘bridge’ for both child and family to cross between home and school. The high level of attendance at nursery school parents’ meetings in NI bears this out; but involvement in special occasions does not necessarily constitute partnership. Do parents and providers speak the same language with regard to communication, partnership and involvement?

The aims of this paper are:

The background to the research critically examines parental involvement in education from a historical and conceptual perspective and focuses on how involvement may be defined and developed within the pre-school setting. Providers and parents were surveyed using questionnaires followed by semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Pugh’s Framework of Involvement (1989) was adopted to summarize involvement patterns. The data is organized under 5 categories: current practice; models of parental involvement; problems of parental involvement; advantages of parental involvement and professional training issues. The results of the study indicate a high degree of commitment to the concept of involvement on the part of both providers and parents, even though their reasons for such involvement differ. Parental satisfaction with the involvement practices of settings is widespread, although some dissent is evident. Communication between parents and providers is perceived by providers to be good and by parents to be weak. Perceptions on this issue are clearly at variance. Of major concern was the lack of professional training in the area of parental involvement, with just over half of early years’ practitioners receiving any such preparation.

Reading Achievement In New Zealand: Effects of Parents’ Self-Efficacy and Children’s Motivation

M. Townsend , S.F. Choi (University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand)

School students in New Zealand have high reading literacy relative to many other countries, yet there is local concern about the growing disparity between the higher and lower achieving students. Following a period of international research focused on the cognitive and metacognitive processes involved in reading, recent attention has turned to motivational factors in explaining differences in reading achievement. In particular, research has shown that children’s self-concept for reading and the value they place on reading are critical motivational factors influencing participation and effort in reading activities. But what of the role of parents, particularly the extent to which they encourage and participate in their children’s learning in reading? Such parental behaviour may not necessarily affect the child through reading skill development but rather through its impact on the child’s attitude to and motivation for reading. Bandura has argued that a critical aspect of parental behaviour is their self-efficacy, the belief that they can influence their children’s competency. The current study was designed to examine the effects of parental self-efficacy for reading, and children’s self-concept and task value for reading, in New Zealand children’s reading achievement. A sample of 120 parents (79 mothers and 41 fathers) of 83 Year 4 children (aged about 8 years) completed an 18-item scale measuring the extent of their self-efficacy beliefs to influence their children’s reading. Subsequent factor analysis revealed two factors of self-efficacy, a ‘competence’ factor (a belief in their competence to help their child) and an ‘attribution’ factor (parental attributions about their child’s success or failure in reading). The 83 children, representing two schools in a high socioeconomic area and two schools in a low socioeconomic area, completed two 10-item scales measuring reading self-concept and reading value. School records were obtained of the children’s reading comprehension age stanine scores as measured by the major standardised test of reading used in New Zealand. Ten percent of parents, representing high and low self-efficacy, were also interviewed about their involvement in reading activities in the home. In a series of analyses using multiple regression techniques, both parental self-efficacy (particularly attribution self-efficacy) and children’s motivation (particularly self-concept) accounted for a significant amount of variance in reading achievement. However, this effect was moderated significantly when socioeconomic status was introduced. The results will be discussed in terms of the interaction between child and family processes in the reading achievement of children.

Communities of Practice and Home Education Support Groups

L. Barson (The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom)

A common practice of families who start home educating is to turn to a home education support group for support, resources and guidance. The purpose of this paper is to examine how far the community of practice framework applies to the home education support group. The examination will be based on evidence from home educating parents collected through fifty questionnaires, followed by nineteen in-depth interviews and ten follow up interviews. Home education is a growing phenomenon in the last 30 years particularly in the United States, Australasia and Britain. I will describe the main characteristics of home education and my place within the movement which led me to this research. An overview of the community of practice framework will be presented. It will be argued that this framework can help explain the dynamics within the home education movement as well as social aspects of learning (Wenger, 1998). This includes learning to be a home educator through the practice of home education and participation with other home educators. Using the main structures of the community of practice framework, joint enterprise, mutual engagement and shared repertoire, the home education support group will be examined. The social learning required with regard to the trajectory into the home education community, becoming a ‘home educator’, maturing in the community and the parent’s trajectory out of the community will be explored. The home education support group can take many forms from a loose informal one-off meeting to a more formal regular activity based in a particular venue. It may even take the form of an internet chat room, a newsletter, or informal contact by phone. I will be focusing on four different types of support group that have emerged from my research; a co-op, a theatre group, phone support and an informal social group. Examples from each of these will be presented and examined to show the various forms support groups take and how they conform to the structure of a community of practice. Questions about the power relations within these communities of practice, often neglected in the literature, will also be addressed (Paechter 2003a, 2003b). The main finding emerging from the research is that home education constitutes a constellation of communities of practice as defined by Wenger. While the groups may share enterprises, historical roots, face similar conditions, have members in common, have overlapping discourses, compete for the same resources and share artefacts taken as a whole the members of each community do not usually participate with the members of other communities to share distinct and particular enterprises (Wenger, 1998). Each support group reflects and is created by the specific needs of those involved. While the groups may share a general enterprise of educating their children out of school, mutual engagement, including the form the support group takes, may vary widely between groups and shared repertoires differ across the groups. In conclusion the community of practice framework is useful for understanding home education support groups but needs to be adopted to deal with the wide diversity of groups.

References:

Paechter, C. (2003a) Masculinities and femininities as communities of practice Women's Studies International Forum Vol. 26,No 1, pp.69-77

(2003b) Learning Masculinities and Femininities: Power/Knowledge and Legitimate Peripheral Participation

Women's Studies International Forum Vol. 26,No 6 pp.541-552.

Wenger, E, (1999) Communities of Practice. Learning, Meaning and Identity, Cambridge University Press.

The Provision of Educationally Focused Parenting Programmes in England

S Hallam, L Rogers , J Shaw (Institute of Education, University of London)

In recent years there has been an increased recognition of the importance of parenting and the way in which parenting programmes can be an effective intervention in changing behaviour and parent/child interactions. Much of the research to date has concentrated on developing the parenting skills of those with very young children. There has been much less systematic evaluation of the impact of parenting programmes provided for the parents of pupils at primary and secondary school particularly in relation to improving attendance and behaviour in school. The aim of this research, funded by the DfES, was to provide a map of such provision in England and to identify examples of good practice. In the first phase of the research data were collected through responsible LEA officers from all LEAs in England to explore the different types of parenting programmes available. On the basis of findings from phase 1 of the research, twenty examples of particular types of parenting programmes were selected for more in depth study. In phase two questionnaires were developed for participating parents, their children and parenting class staff. Interviews were undertaken with a sample of parents, children, their school teachers and those supporting them in returning to school or improving behaviour. Data were collated for the children of participating parents relating to attendance, behaviour and exclusion. The paper reports the extent to which LEAs have access to or provide educationally related parenting programmes in England and the nature of that provision. Detailed examples of contrasting approaches to the provision of parenting programmes will be described alongside the perceptions of programme providers, teachers, parents and pupils in relation to their effectiveness. Particular difficulties experienced in providing such programmes and for parents in accessing them will be discussed as will the implications for the implementation of Parenting Orders.

The Transition to Secondary School: Supporting Children and Parents

D Roker, J Shepherd , A Holt , K Devitt (Trust for the Study of Adolescence)

The experiences of children as they move from primary to secondary school is a key area of interest at present, for practitioners, policy-makers and parents. Previous research has demonstrated that many children and parents have considerable anxieties around the transition, with concerns expressed about making friends, increased amounts of homework, bullying, etc. A number of schools and other organisations are now establishing ‘transition projects’, designed to provide information and support to children and parents at this crucial time. The authors have recently completed two pieces of research in this important area, both of which will be summarised in the presentation. Each of these projects is described below:

The first project was a UK-wide survey of transitions projects. The aim of this research (which was funded by a grant from the Tudor Trust), was to understand the range and nature of transitions work currently being undertaken in the UK. The research involved contacting a wide range of schools, Local Education Authorities, and voluntary organisations in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. In total 200 projects were identified. A key individual in each of these projects then completed a detailed questionnaire, or was interviewed. A wide range of data was collected about these projects, including – history, aims, setting, target group (children and/or parents), funding, staffing, outcomes, training, and issues encountered in running the project. The main results of this survey will be presented at the conference. The final report on the research will also be provided for delegates. The results of this research have a number of key implications for future research, practice, and policy in this important area, and these will be summarised in the presentation. A second project has recently been completed by the authors, in relation to the transition to secondary school. This explored the needs of parents during their children’s move to secondary school. The project was funded by the Gulbenkian Foundation. The research involved qualitative interviews with 60 parents of Year 6 and 7 children (i.e. parents of children aged 10-12, who have either recently completed the move or who are about to make the move). The parents were drawn from the Huddersfield area and the south-coast of England, and were diverse in terms of gender, socio-economic status, and ethnicity. A number of consistent findings were found. In particular, the large majority of parents wanted more information and support than they were currently receiving. Parents wanted information and support for them as parents (i.e. as parents of ‘pre-adolescents’), but also wanted information to help support their children through the move. The practical and policy implications of this research will be detailed in the presentation.

Getting Educational Information and Support to Parents: What is the Role of Websites?

D Roker (Trust for the Study of Adolescence)

In recent years increasing numbers of statutory and voluntary organisations have begun to use websites, as a way of getting information and support to parents. Despite the rapid increase in the use of websites, however, there has been little opportunity to review current provision, or – crucially – to explore what parents think of the websites currently available. The author is currently involved in research to explore this. The project is funded by a grant from the Parenting Fund in the DfES.

The research involves a number of different stages. A review of current website provision – What types of organisations are using websites to get information out to parents? What content, styles, and formats are being used? How accessible are the sites to parents, either in terms of language, or availability in different formats? In total 40 websites are being subject to a detailed review. Research is being undertaken with 60 parents of young people, from a diverse range of backgrounds. This research involves sessions, in front of computer terminals, to gather parents’ evaluations of the content, style, accessibility, etc, of a range of different websites. Problem-solving methods are also being used, with parents given scenarios and then searching for information on a range of topics. The research will be completed in May 2004, and a detailed research report will then be available. In addition a Good Practice Guide is being prepared, to assist organisations in providing information and support to parents via websites. The focus will be on parents’ views and experiences of using websites to access information and support about educational issues. Given the rapid increase in the use of websites in the educational field, a number of key practical and policy recommendations will be made.

Educational Relationships At Home

F.J. Wikeley (University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom)

This first paper looks at learning within the family. Here the relationship is not limited by styles of delivery and rational steps comprising a knowable sequence; rather, it is infused with dynamic rings of tacit social contracts that surround the adult-child interaction. It is versatile and multi-faceted and the learning whilst overt is not always explicit. The paper explores the relationship between parents and their children at a time in their lives when independence is being established and the young people have to learn to take responsibility for their actions and decisions. It focuses on one mother and her son for whom the formal education process has not been an unmitigated success. Through an analysis of their conversation when discussing his future the paper will explore the tensions that have to be resolved when a parent is moving between a purely supportive role and an educational one in which she has to assume the role of the 'more capable (but not always more knowledgeable) other'. Three elements of the relationship that emerge as being crucial are: risk, power, and trust. The paper particularly highlights the role of the learner in sustaining the relationship and using some earlier data shows how the parameters have been established. It will also challenge the view that once a child enters the formal education system the parent's educational role is dictated by the system.

Pre-School and Family Factors Affecting Cognitive Attainment in Year Two of Primary School

L Quinn , K Hanna , E Melhusih (Stranmillis University College, Belfast)

Research has indicated that early years’ education must be of high quality (Siraj-Blatchford, 1999). Children who have experienced poor quality pre-school actually do worse than stay at home children, with regards to performance and behaviour problems at school (www.deni.gov.uk). The Effective Pre-school Provision Northern Ireland (EPPNI) project is a 7-year longitudinal study that aims to investigate the characteristics of different kinds of early years’ provision in Northern Ireland. The research involves 80 randomly selected pre-school centres and includes all types of pre-school settings in NI. Over 700 children with pre-school experience were recruited to the study at the age of three years. A further 150 children with no pre-school experience were enlisted during their first year of school. The project explores the characteristics of early years provision in terms of children’s cognitive and social/behavioural outcomes until 8 years of age (end of Key Stage 1). It will identify those aspects of pre-school provision which have a positive impact on children’s development, and explore the factors which contribute to effective early years’ provision. It also aims to establish whether there is evidence that some centres are more effective in their impact on children’s cognitive outcomes. A range of factors is explored including child, family and home characteristics to determine whether children attending specific centres show more positive outcomes by the end of year 4 of statutory schooling. This paper will present the findings of the cognitive developmental outcomes across the pre-school period until the end of year 2, taking account of pre-school type and characteristics, home and family background. Main findings showed effects for a range of child socio-economic, parental, family, home and childcare history. In comparison with home children, pre-school experience had a positive impact on cognitive outcomes at the end of year 2.

Involving Families in Pre-Service Education through Community-Based Ethnography

S. V. James-Wilson (Warner Graduate School of Education-University of Rochester, Rochester, New York)

In an effort to prepare candidates for the cultural, linguistic, religious and economic diversity their students will bring to the classroom, many teacher education programs have incorporated service-learning as a requirement to “expose” them to people who are from backgrounds different from their own. This paper will explore the ways in which ethnographic research can be used as a catalyst for the development of personal, professional and community knowledge, and how research-based community involvement can provided pre-service teachers with a greater understanding of how local conditions, such as poverty and institutional racism, impact the school community and ultimately their classrooms. The paper will discuss the pilot phase of a longitudinal study of the use of community-based ethnography in an urban teacher preparation program at a small private college in Western New York. Community-based ethnography can be used as a meaningful alternative to service learning in an effort to help candidates develop a better understanding of structural inequities the environmental risk factors including sub-standard housing, poverty, and the threat of violence. “Community-based ethnography is a form of qualitative research that is both academically rigorous and socially responsive” (Stringer, 1997:17). It is intrinsically participatory as its products are not outsider accounts, but collaborative accounts written from the insider perspective. Such accounts, grounded in hermeneutic, meaning making processes of dialogue, negotiation and consensus, provide the basis for group, community or organization action. Its intent is to bring those working in academic and community contexts together in an effort to use the tools of knowledge production (i.e., theorizing, analyzing, making claims, etc.) to make research responsive to the realities of schools and the communities they serve. The sample for the study were teacher candidates in the Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOC) program which was established at their college in response to the acute shortage of minority teachers in the local school district. This program was specifically designed to support adult learners seeking initial teaching certification, and many candidates were parents or career changers. The goal of the first year of the project was to help candidates begin to construct ethnographic accounts collaboratively based on interviews with students and families, classroom observations and participant observations in community sites, including homes. In the first phase of this work, candidates learned how to conduct interviews and participant observations and the rudiments of theory building and qualitative data collection and analysis. They also had opportunities to work with students and their families in a variety of contexts. By providing opportunities for teacher candidates to explore, interact, engage and co-construct knowledge with and about the communities in which they were teaching, they were able to develop a more holistic understanding of the social, cultural, economic and political context of their work. They also gained a better understanding of their own social location and positionality as actors and often interlopers within the communities their students called “home”.

“Speaking For Parents”: Re-Thinking Advocacy for Families in Inner-City Schools

S. V. James-Wilson (Warner Graduate School of Education-University of Rochester, Rochester, New York)

This paper will present the findings of a study that investigated beliefs and attitudes related to the involvement of beginning teachers in social activist and political activities. Data for this case study were collected from 52 administrators, pre- and in-service teachers, paraeducators, parents and community agency workers from inner-city communities in the U. S. and Canada. Political involvement and advocacy were used interchangeable and most frequently described by participants as working for positive changes in education; efforts to achieve equity for students, families and communities that were deemed to be “disadvantaged”, “disconnected”, or “silent”; or the work involved in changing systems or processes that did not meet the educational needs of a particular group. Though the data collected in this study was instrumental in beginning to understand some of the reasons why new teachers feel unable or uninterested in becoming politically involved in education, the most interesting findings are related to their notion of advocating for parents as “speaking for” them. Speaking for parents/guardians meant very literally that teachers would represent them in their speech and “be their voice.” This paper will explore participants’ ideas about what is require, acceptable, and favoured when advocating on behalf of families. The conceptual framework of this paper is based on notions of representation and the rules of discourse, and was used as a lens through which to understand the practice of speaking for others as neither neutral nor apolitical, and to suggest that teachers should strive to work, in cooperation with others, to help parents/guardians be in a position to represent themselves. This paper will also problematize several of the ideas presented by participants including their notion of teacher neutrality; the belief that urban parents/guardians are uninterested and apathetic during elections; and, that the desire to become politically involved in the education of one’s children is influenced by nationality and cultural background.

Parental Disillusionment with School: Prevalence and Relationship with Demographic Variables, and Phase, Size and Location of School

E Westergård (Stavanger University College, Stavanger, Norway)

Research about home school cooperation is scarce in Norway, and a neglected aspect is parental disillusionment with school. Disillusionment implies that parents have made some attempt to involve themselves in their children’s education at school and to establish a relationship with teachers, either at a formal or informal level. It arises when parents feel that a cooperative partnership cannot be established or has broken down. In Norway cooperation between schools and pupils parents has received strong support from the Royal Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs. Schools have explicit responsibility for promoting cooperation with parents and assisting parents in their children’s development. The aim of this research was to a) produce an instrument to obtain information about disillusionment with school, and demonstrate its validity, b) report the prevalence of disillusionment with school in a large sample of parents in Norway, c) investigate the relationship between disillusionment (as the dependent variable) and parents’ education, income and housing conditions, and the size, phase and location of school. Based on the literature and on discussions with colleagues in schools and in the Centre for Behavioural Research, a 12 item scale was drawn up, based on a four point Likert scale, with responses; strongly agree, agree to some extent, disagree to some extent; strongly disagree. After a trial involving fifteen parents, two items where left out due to overlap and ambiguous wording. The final scale therefore had ten items. Each item assessed parents experiences with their children’s teachers in situations that where seen as essential for the relationship between parents and teachers. The disillusionment scale was included as part of a wider investigation of school climate, prepared as part of a national survey. This sought information on parents’ education, housing conditions and income. Data were collected from 1569 parents of children in grades 5 to 10 from 20 schools in 9 municipalities. The sample of districts and schools was representative according to the Norwegian Central Bureau of Statistics standard for municipality classification. Standard procedures were used to maximize reliability of the data collected. Following return of the questionnaires and data entry, statistical analysis was conducted using the SPSS for windows. Approximately 12% of the parents were found to have experienced disillusionment with schools. Also parents in this study were more likely to report disillusionment in big schools than in small schools. Parents with low income tend to be more disillusioned than parents with high income. However, the general lack of significant differences between schools might indicate that parental disillusionment was more likely to arise from conflicts between individual teachers and parents and from policy and practice in the school. Therefore, further research should concentrate on factors in the school culture that could facilitate/enhance parental cooperation and thus reduce parental disillusionment. Also one should consider which factors on the individual level in the relationship between parents and teachers, which facilitate parental cooperation and reduce parental disillusionment.

Researching Children and Families in the Home Setting: Ethical Dilemmas from the Field

W C Yee, J C Andrews (University of Bristol, Bristol)

Educational researchers can access a range of sources of guidance when they are addressing ethical issues in their work, for example, the BERA Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research (1992). In our paper we argue that researching children and families in home settings raises additional ethical dilemmas for the educational researcher which may not be covered in guidelines which assume that research is taking place in formal settings. We forefront issues of personal (re)presentation, personal values and the negotiation of power relationships. The diversity of home settings increases the complexity of these issues. We present and discuss some characteristics of home settings we have encountered during our work as researchers on a project investigating home-school knowledge exchange in primary education. We will then consider the consequences of these characteristics for the interaction between researchers, parents and children and the ethical dilemmas that may be raised. For example, home visits have sometimes placed us in the position of an unexpected guest who is invited to dinner and consulted on issues such as secondary school choice, drawing us out of the “neutral” position of researcher asking questions and recording answers. In our conclusion we reflect on how far ethical guidelines for research or codes of practice can prepare researchers for the diversity of encounters likely to occur with children and parents in the home setting.

The Democratic Dynamics of Educational Transformation in a Parent-Teacher-Research Partnership

R Boyask 1, J.C McPhail 2, B Kaur 2, K O'Connell 2 (1 Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; 2 University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand)

The recent proliferation of initiatives in teaching and learning research that promote partnerships between university researchers and teachers can be seen as part of a trans-national democratisation of educational research. While we support this optimism, this paper carefully examines the notion of partnership in university researcher/teacher and teacher/parent/researcher relationships by looking at different theoretical models, and the democratic processes they embody. We argue that in adopting different democratic visions, practices and roles must also be transformed, not only in terms of teachers and parents becoming researchers, but also the roles assumed by the university researchers, who support such collaborative research. This transformation is further complicated by the multiple interpretations of a school’s philosophy and goals and the teacher, parent and child roles prescribed therein. When transposed to the context of democratic schooling, the roles of parents and children also demand reconstruction to achieve the learning outcomes consonant with the philosophy of the school. In this paper these complex relationships are illustrated by research from Discovery 1 School, an innovative and unique state-funded primary school in Christchurch, New Zealand, which itself is formulated as a democratic community with a neo-liberal/Deweyan 21st century philosophical orientation. Constructed from reformist legislation that devolved power to communities and offered consumer choice in 1989, Discovery 1 is at the centre of debates in New Zealand on marketisation and schooling, and attracted our interest as a real “laboratory” where multiple discourses of democracy were being played out in educational practice. Teachers, parents and school governors (elected parents on the Board of Trustees) from Discovery 1 entered into a democratic partnership with university researchers, establishing a practitioner-researcher community in 2003. The research community, composed of all (six) of the teachers/learning advisors, the director of the school, four board members, six parents, two senior lecturers, one post-doctoral student, one graduate student and one retired principal, aimed to investigate over one academic year how learning was being constructed within the philosophical orientation of the school, and what quality learning could be within a neo-liberal/Deweyan context. The challenges in constructing a workable partnership involved creating contexts of democratic participation in which various kinds of expertise were acknowledged depending on the contexts. To model this dynamic way of working, we began our work together in a one-day art-based inquiry led by an expert art educator (who was also part of the university research team). This experience was referred to and reflected upon throughout the course of the community’s work at Discovery 1 and provides a point of reference in this paper through which we will examine the wider relationships involved in transforming research, learning and teaching as well as the difficulties that arise in achieving this.

Parents’ Opinion about the Homework Given to Their Children at Primary School

C Papasolomontos (Cyprus Pedagogical Institute, Nicosia)

Homework is considered to be the first “social contract” between the family and the school. It gives the opportunity to the parents to follow the progress of their children and at the same time teachers make sure that parents are aware of the work of their children. The aim of the present study was to investigate the amount of time primary school children spent on homework, the involvement of the parents in their children’s homework and their opinion about homework. The parents of 1039 children from Form A (age range: 5:08 – 6:07), Form B (age range: 6:08 – 7:07) and Form C (age range: 7:08 – 8:07) from three districts of Cyprus completed a questionnaire about the amount of time their children spend on homework, the degree of their involvement, the difficulties their children have, the subjects which their children take most time to study and their opinion about homework. The sample included children from all types of schools from both urban and rural areas. The results indicate that children spend between 1-2 hours on homework regardless class or sex. Parents believe that children in Form A have to spend on homework around an hour and the maximum of an hour and a half in Form C. The subjects which take most of the time to study are Greek and Mathematics. Many of the problems children face are not so much related with the amount of homework given to them or with the content of it but with lack of concentration or with learning deficiencies. Most of the parents are satisfied with the homework given to their children although they believe that their children should be involved in more creative work. Moreover, they believe that the opportunity is given to them to take part in the process of learning of their children. Emphasis is given by the parents on the reading of literature books as a part of the homework since they believe that this will help their children improve both their written and oral word.

Hard to Reach Parents or Hard to Reach Schools? What can Schools do to Maximise Involvement?

G Crozier, J Davies (University of Sunderland, Sunderland)

The paper draws on data from a two-year, ESRC-funded ethnographic study which focussed on the parents and young people of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin. The paper examines the systems that schools employ to foster positive relations with parents. It considers the ways in which schools communicate with minority ethnic group parents in particular and how this impacts upon parental involvement. The paper identifies areas of success and also, more importantly areas that cause concern, and which appear to impact negatively on home - school relations. By presenting the viewpoints of parents, pupils and teachers, we feel that we are well placed to address and examine some of the mythologies, misunderstandings, and the often stereotypical assumptions that can often come to the fore and subsequently impede progress in this area. The paper is written from a sociological perspective. It takes the view that parental involvement is problematic and comprises a variety of types. Therefore using Dale’s (1996) typology we have identified that the schools in our study adopted either the traditional “expert model” or “the transplant model”. Both of these locate the balance of power within the hands of the professionals and at best only ‘allow’ parents to support them in ways based solely on their decisions. However, in addition to that, teachers’ understandings of the Bangladeshi and Pakistani origin parents and children are often underpinned by partial knowledge, taken for granted assumptions and stereotypes. As part of this we look at ‘barriers to cultural flows’ (Featherstone 1995) and consider who/what is actually responsible for erecting these barriers. In doing so we reveal certain school practices as being ethnocentric and are therefore frequently responsible for excluding parents and also the students themselves from wider school activities. Underpinning our analysis are concerns of ‘race’, racism, social class and gender. We revisit notions of assimilation, accommodation and integration in our attempt to make sense of school practices. We draw on theories of structural and cultural racism and the importance of spatial/locality factors as influences on discourses. Also the differences between the schools and the effect of these on home-school relations is discussed (Smith and Tomlinson 1989, Thrupp 2000). In relation to barriers we then go on to discuss the consequences of these adapting Bernstein’s thesis of ‘visible and invisible pedagogies (1975 and 2000) and recognition / realization rules (2000) and how these concepts relate to parents’ lack of knowledge / understanding of what is expected of them by the school.

References:

Bernstein, B. (1975) Class Codes and Control Vol. III. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

Bernstein, B. (2000) Pedagogy, Symbolic Control and Identitity. Maryland USA: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.

Dale, N. (1996) Working with Families of Children with Special Educational Needs: Partnership and Practice. London: Routledge.

Smith, D. and Tomlinson. (1989) The School Effect: a study of multi racial comprehensive schools. London: Policy Studies Institute.

Family Support: How Motivation, Attitudes and Values Influence Participation in Private Tuition

K Rushforth (Institute of Education, University of London)

Parental support has long been considered an important influence on educational achievement and within the UK there has been increasing pressure on parents to invest more time and resources in their children’s education. The aim of this paper is to provide a detailed examination of the factors which determine participation in private supplementary tuition. Findings will be presented on the various means through which parents support their children, together with pupil evaluation of the help provided. As part of the project, parents and carers of participating pupils completed a questionnaire measuring attitudes towards both learning and private tuition. Parents and carers were asked to report the extent to which they help their child with schoolwork, and what they consider to be the most important support they provide. Interviews were undertaken with 60 parents from each of the three transition year groups mentioned above. Parents and carers from a variety of different backgrounds and locations were selected to comprise the interview sample, including parents whose children have not been tutored, had received tutoring in the past, and parents/carers with children who are currently being tutored.

School-Based Family Liaison Officers - Negotiated Professional Identities and Related Outcomes for Children and Families

S Powell , S Soan (Canterbury Christ Church University College, Canterbury)

This paper presents findings from an evaluation of Family Liaison Officers (FLOs) based in 130 schools across Kent. The evaluation investigated the impact of FLOs’ work in relation to the Children’s Fund strategic objectives 1 and 2 and sub-objectives 1 to 7 (CYPU, 2001). Projects such as the FLO service, located in areas of identified socio-economic disadvantage, are designed to address the needs of local communities by ‘filling gaps’ between existing services provided by statutory agencies and voluntary organisations. In order to understand the effectiveness of the FLOs’ work, early investigations sought to discover the aims and targets of the service. Interviews with the Project Manager and documentary analysis revealed that the model for service development, including its aims and FLO job descriptions had been centrally developed, without consultation with families; it provided generic, loosely defined aims and no targets. A subsequent survey of all 98 FLOs (70% response rate), interviews with 22 FLOs and their headteachers, and discussions with 12 parents and 20 children showed that FLOs worked in accordance with these central, generic aims (and collectively contributed to the outcomes defined by the CYPU guidance). However, their specific roles and responsibilities depended upon relationships with school staff (particularly headteachers), the nature of local preventative service provision and the needs of the community. Consequently, outcomes for children and young people were significantly dependent upon the negotiated role of the FLO and her/his professional identity.

Sure Start: A Transitional and Transactional Space?

L West , A Carlson (Canterbury Christ Church University College, Canterbury)

This paper derives from an in-depth, biographical study of a Sure Start project based in Margate, Kent. Sure Start is a major Government initiative: designed to give young children living in such communities a better start in life and their parents greater resources of hope. The language of Sure Start, from ‘on high’, stresses the importance of modernising public services, partly by getting agencies and professionals to work in partnership, not the least with parents, children and local communities. We wanted to understand the experience of a project, from below, through the stories of the parents and professionals most directly involved. The methodology involved cycles of in-depth, biographical interviews with diverse parents and professionals as well as with a number of mainstream and voluntary agencies.

The research illuminated how Sure Start can offer supportive, transitional space for particular parents and children who may struggle to cope, against a backcloth of oppressive relationships and material poverty. Sure Start can also facilitate, sometimes with considerable difficulty, including for historic reasons, a greater sense of partnership between professionals, between professionals and parents, as well as between Sure Start and a range of other agencies. Sure Start may also provide, at least potentially, depending on the values and ethos of a particular programme, what we term transactional space in which parents may be invited in on other’s terms but come to use the space for other agendas, including wider community development and neighbourhood renewal.

Synergetic Relationships In On Track Projects

W Stow , H Bryan (Canterbury Christ Church University College, Canterbury)

On Track is a preventative project focused on children in the 4 – 12 age range together with their families and communities. Originally designed as a crime prevention initiative, the programme seeks to:

24 pilot projects were set up in areas of high socio-economic deprivation, providing a linked package of early interventions in selected categories designed around: Home visiting; Pre-school; Parent support and training; Family therapy; Home-school partnerships. Although originally conceived as ward-based crime reduction initiatives, the projects became predominantly school-based, if not necessarily school-managed, using schools as a point of access to the communities of parents that they served. Based on work in eight of the 24 On Track areas, the evaluation team examined the extent to which the community had been engaged, empowered and treated as a partner; the extent and forms of school engagement with On Track; and the broader relationships across On Track, schools and community/ies which might influence policy and planning. In the symposium, we will explore the creation of a synergetic relationship between school, community and project, and some of the methodological difficulties and issues in researching multi-agency projects of this nature.

The Home School Knowledge Exchange Project

M Hughes 1, A Pollard 2, J Andrews 1, A Feiler 1, P Greenhough 1, D Johnson 3, E McNess 1, M Osborn 1, L Salway 1, M Scanlan 1, V Stinchcombe 1, J Winter 1, W C Yee 1 (1 University of Bristol, Bristol, 2 University of Cambridge, Cambridge, 3 University of Oxford, Oxford)

Children live and learn in two very different worlds - those of home and school. These worlds are often kept separate from each other. The Home School Knowledge Exchange Project has been working to bridge this divide by bringing together parents, teachers and children in an innovative process of knowledge exchange. This symposium describes the work of the project and presents emerging issues and findings. The project is part of the ESRC's Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) and is a collaboration with the Local Education Authorities of Bristol and Cardiff. Teacher researchers seconded to the project have worked alongside teachers, parents and children in the two cities to generate and implement new ways of exchanging knowledge between home and school. This process of knowledge exchange can operate in the more conventional direction of school-to-home, and in the less conventional direction of home-to-school. The project is using multiple methods to evaluate the impact of these knowledge exchange activities on children’s attainment and learning disposition, on teachers’ and parents’ attitudes, and on home and school practices. The symposium opens with a short overview of the project by Martin Hughes, the project director. This will locate the project within current policy initiatives in England and Wales, and summarise the main features of the project’s design and methods. The project is structured around three main strands, with the following foci:

Each of the three subsequent papers will focus on a different strand, raising issues that are pertinent to the successful pursuit of knowledge exchange between home and school. Where available, findings from the different forms of evaluation will be reported. The symposium will be brought to a close by Andrew Pollard, director of TLRP, who will discuss the implications of the research and consider ways in which it might be developed further.

Enhancing Literacy at Key Stage 1 through Home School Knowledge Exchange

A Feiler 1, J Andrews 1, P Greenhough 1, D Johnson 3, M Scanlan 1, W C Yee 1 (University of Bristol, Bristol, 3 University of Oxford, Oxford)

The main aim of the literacy strand of the Home School Knowledge Exchange project is to develop ways in which teachers, parents and children can share their knowledge in order to improve children’s literacy learning. This paper will describe a range of activities that have been devised and implemented in order to do this. These include activities that facilitate parents’ support of literacy learning at home (taking the school to the home), as well as activities that enable teachers to take account of children’s home worlds to enhance literacy learning in the classroom (taking the home to the school). This paper reports on three emerging themes. The first explores the school-to-home influence, with a focus on concordance and divergence in the priorities identified by parents and teachers. The second theme examines how the home can come into school, and will describe achievements, difficulties and constraints in developing this direction of influence. The final theme centres on whether such initiatives work for all, and examines the engagement of the so-called ‘hard to reach’.

Learning Mathematics at Key Stage 2 – Issues Arising From Home School Knowledge Exchange

J Winter, J Andrews, P Greenhough, L Salway, W C Yee (University of Bristol, Bristol)

The main aim of the numeracy strand of the Home School Knowledge Exchange project is to develop ways in which teachers, parents and children can share their knowledge in order to improve children’s learning of mathematics. This paper will describe a range of activities which have aimed to improve understanding between homes and schools of children’s mathematical learning. Case studies will be provided of different numeracy practices in home and school, leading to a consideration of how home practices can be brought into school, making children’s experiences more coherent and less fractured. The paper will discuss two key issues which have arisen from this strand of the project. One issue has been that of children’s home languages, and the differing relationships families have with schools when this language is not English. A second issue concerns parents’ own mathematical confidence and skills, which are an important factor influencing their relationship with their child’s education. Examples will be provided of how the project has attempted to address both these issues.

Facilitating Transfer from Key Stage 2 To 3 through Home School Knowledge Exchange

W C Yee 1, A Pollard 2, J Andrews 1, P Greenhough 1, E McNess 1, M Osborn 1, V Stinchcombe 1 (University of Bristol, Bristol, 2 University of Cambridge, Cambridge)

The main aim of the transfer strand of the Home School Knowledge Exchange project is to explore ways in which parents, teachers and children can work together to identify and develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge children need for successful transfer from primary to secondary school. The paper describes the attempt to develop, through a range of activities, an exchange of insights between home and school and to facilitate children’s learning during transfer, drawing upon the voices of children and parents from diverse backgrounds to evaluate this process. The paper explores key issues of identity and transition as they are played out for both children and parents during the transfer process. It argues that a particular identity (seen as the way the self is represented and understood by an individual and by others) may be viable in one setting and not in another. Therefore transitions between settings have the potential to challenge established identities and force re-assessment. Transfer between schools thus challenges both children and their parents to adapt to new circumstances in a way which may involve shifts in identity. There is evidence that learning performance can suffer with accompanying social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The paper will discuss ways in which knowledge exchange activities can address these underlying issues.


FEATURE ARTICLE

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATION

Over the past few decades a stream of research from universities and other educational experts has consistently highlighted the complex and powerful influence that home and community have on a child’s educational achievement. This has given greater prominence to the need for parents and teachers to work in closer partnership together. Past studies have shown that parents can have a significant positive impact on their child’s education simply by being more involved. Parental support has been identified as being eight times more important in determining a child’s academic success than either social class or economic status. The studies found that parental involvement in a child’s education can mean the difference between an A* and an “also-ran” at GCSE.

Sadly however, a variety of forces have led to an non-consultative approach in education in which innovation, aspects of the curriculum, and school procedures are approached with either insufficient thought for the views and expectations of parents or merely for the sake of professional aims. Despite the protestations of those working in education that schools relate well to parents, the evidence is clear that:

The studies prove that parents clearly share with teachers a commitment to a high quality of education for their children. The practical challenge for teachers now is how they can help parents to clearly understand what they are doing in the classroom and support them in their efforts to provide experiences at home. Parents can help schools more effectively if they know what the school is trying to achieve and how they can help. The central lesson is that parents want to be seen as a resource to teachers rather than a burden. The overall challenge for schools and governing bodies is to see parents as supportive and willing partners in the education process.

After all parents are the child's first and enduring teachers, who play a significant role in helping their children learn. The evidence is clear that children achieve more when schools and parents work in partnership together. This working partnership and two way dialogue will be of particular importance when a child has a Special Educational Need. The introduction of the Home/School agreement in September 1999 helped to raise awareness and highlight the importance of developing good working relationships between home and school. The intention was to lay down firm foundations on which to build and further develop more efficient and effective working practices between home and school. Unfortunately, since its introduction five years ago, there are still a number of schools that have done little to further this aim.

Derrick Davey (Parent Governor) derrick_davey@hotmail.com


PUBLICATIONS

Mention of a publication here does not imply endorsement)

Social & Emotional Development

One of the most frequently accessed items on the CASEL web site is the packet for parents, consisting of four handouts on how parents can help promote the social and emotional development of their children:

This popular resource has been substantially expanded, with support from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory for Student Success. Titled ‘Ideas and Tools for Working with Parents and Families’, the packet now includes the four handouts above, plus:

  1. Research: Background on the role of families in teaching SEL, and how families and teachers can work together to promote SEL,
  2. Parents’ Voices: Parents’ views on SEL programs being used at their children's schools based on a series of interviews with parents,
  3. SEL Resources: Books, organizations, and programs emphasizing SEL.

In addition, the four handouts for parents are now available in Spanish.
http://www.casel.org/downloads/parentresourcespanish.pdf

These resources can be downloaded from the newly expanded section on "SEL at Home" at http://www.casel.org/about_sel/SELhome.php. The section also includes other recommended books, additional CASEL essays for parents and teachers on promoting SEL at home and fostering resilience, and other online parent resources for SEL support.

Education: A Parent’s Handbook

This title by Barry Dixon is published by the National Teaching and Advisory Service. Order at www.ntas.org.uk price £8.99.

Getting Involved at Key Stage 3

This title is a DVD made for the Department of Education & Skills, designed to encourage parental involvement in their children’s education in the lower high school years. It has already been distributed to many schools in England and Wales. It is also available from the distribution company Prolog. Contact: Centre for School Standards, 60 Queens Road, Reading RG1 4BS. Leaflets for parents can be downloaded from www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3

Managing Children’s Disruptive Behaviour

This title by Martin Herbert and Jenny Wookey is subtitled “a guide for practitioners working with parents and foster parents”. Published 2004 by Wiley, ISBN 0470 84945 2 at £20.

Dyslexia: A Complete Guide for Parents

This title by Gavin Reid is written specifically for parents. Published 2004 by Wiley, ISBN 0470 86312 9 at £16.

The Role of the Father in Child Development

This title is the fourth edition of a well known work by Michael Lamb. Published 2004 by Wiley, ISBN 0470 23161 4 at £41 (hardback only).

WORLD WIDE WEB SITES

(Mention of a web site here does not imply endorsement)

Parents’ Guide to Media Management

The National PTA in the USA has posted a new publication: Navigating the Children's Media Landscape: A Parent's and Caregiver's Guide (PDF). According to the PTA, Research shows 36 percent of young children have televisions in their bedrooms and children are spending more time in front of 'screens' than outside playing. The challenge for today's parents is greater than ever as children are exposed to seemingly limitless media contact. That is why National PTA and Cable in the Classroom produced a guide to help parents navigate the ever-changing media environment with their children. The guide provides parents: 1) clear, flexible guidelines to navigate the media environment; 2) facts about the positive and negative influences media may have on children's learning, behavior, and health; 3) findings of academic literature, insights of experts, and input from parents and children; and 4) a six-step strategy for developing a family media plan. http://www.pta.org/parentinvolvement/parenttalk/CableReport.pdf

How to Increase Parent Involvement

This checklist contains criteria to consider in building steps to increase parent involvement in schools - Source: Elements of Equity: Criteria for Equitable Schools. Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium.
http://www.maec.org/tadocs/parent.html

Developing Family/School Partnerships

This newsletter contains a good article about who should be included in developing a parent involvement policy and what the policy should contain. Source: Partners in Parenting Volume IV, Issue 2, The Parent Educator, Colorado State University. http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/PIP/parenteducator/pejan99.pdf.

Parent Involvement Tool Kit

The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) has developed a Parent Involvement Tool Kit as a ready-reference guide to assist the parents of English language learning students to become more effectively involved in the educational process. This Toolkit evolved from the National Education Goals and from the No Child Left Behind Law. Goal 8 of The National Education Goals, states: “Every school will promote partnerships that will increase parental involvement and participation in promoting the social, emotional, and academic growth of children.” The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) builds upon this goal and provides specific, legal provisions that emphasize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities for parents. The law mandates that schools shall be fully accountable to parents in educating their children. The Toolkit includes a sampling of resources on parental, family and community involvement that can be obtained from the U.S. Department of Education. The Toolkit provides a synopsis and the Internet web address of a “proven, carefully selected source of information of value to parents….” In recognition that each state, community, school, and neighbourhood contains its own set of unique issues, challenges, and advantages, readers are encouraged to adapt the information provided in the Toolkit to reflect this uniqueness. Parent leaders should use this resource as a “springboard” to motivate the research for other related and useful guides that lead to effective and dynamic parental involvement.
http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/oela/summit2004/cd/parent_toolkit.pdf

Parenting Classes

The Department for Education & Skills (England) have made available an evaluation report on parenting classes, completed by an evaluation team from the University of London’s Institute of Education (see BERA abstracts above). Almost all attending parents felt the classes were useful, and 80% reported they had improved their children’s behaviour, and in some cases school attendance. However, parents with the most problematic children could not always be helped. Expecting consequent improvement in behaviour in school is perhaps optimistic. There were too few classes to meet the demand. A separate report for the DfES by the Policy Research Bureau suggested that it was important to “normalise” such classes to avoid any possible stigma. The Parent Education & Support Network is asking the National Occupational Standards Board to approve a qualifications framework for leaders of parenting classes. For further details, see the DfES website at www.dfes.gov.uk

Web Support for Parents

The Trust for the Study of Adolescence (TSA) has been exploring the role of websites in getting information and support to parents (funded by the DfES). Dr Debi Roker, Assistant Director of TSA (www.tsa.uk.com) has produced a research report (see BERA abstracts above) and good practice guide. Sixty parents have been involved in reviewing websites, and senior staff in relevant organisations interviewed. Parental search strategies are often unsophisticated, resulting in unmanageable amounts if information. It is clear that websites are now a key way of reaching parents, but maintaining and updating them takes considerable time and resources. TSA, 23 New Road, Brighton BN1 1WZ.

Parent GroupCall

Phoenix Pearson offer a system for home-school communication which sends text or automated voice messages to the mobile phones of identified groups of parents. Typically used to advise all parents of a sudden school closure owing to bad weather, or to advise all parents of pupils not in attendance on any specific day, the system clearly has potential for other sorts of messaging. Confirmation of delivery of the message is included. Messages can be sent from school or remotely if needed. How many parents in your school have mobile phones? How do you know?

www.GroupCall.co.uk

MegaSkills Education Center of the Home and School Institute

MegaSkills Education On-Line aims to provide educators, parents, and community leaders with tested strategies to teach the attitudes and behaviors (the MegaSkills) that build achievement in school and on the job. MegaSkills Education On-Line provides free literacy and learning resources and new features for parents and teachers plus home learning activities that can be downloaded and used at home and in the classroom. Separate and complementary areas are provided for educators, parents, community and MegaSkills Leaders. MegaSkills works for schools and families across the USA (49 states, in over 4,000 schools) to ensure that students achieve high standards to learn the basic behaviors and attitudes that determine success in school and beyond.

www.MegaSkills.org

MEET A NEW MEMBER (OR TWO….)

The purpose of ACSSO is to promote and enable the effective involvement of parents in education at all levels in Australia. I am starting to make contacts with parent organisations and researchers in our own region (Australasia and SE Asia) and have come upon your website as a starting point for a wider "tour de l'horizon".

Rupert Macgregor
Projects Manager
Australian Council of State School Organisations
PO Box 323 Curtin ACT 2605
E-mail: projects@acsso.org.au
Website: http://www.acsso.org.au