Search Results (35)

Communication between families and schools is foundational for students’ academic success, community support for schools, and teachers’ experience. Yet, few preservice teacher education programs teach novices how to engage in equitable and effective collaborations with families. This manuscript reports on a pilot study in which preservice teachers traveled to a local community school and role-played academic conversations with adults whose children were enrolled in the school. The analysis of the transcripts of the role plays, a debrief panel by family participants, and written reflections of eight participating preservice teachers and six family participants used codes derived from the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships. The findings show that both groups of participants found opportunities for thoughtful engagement. In the role plays, preservice teachers were most likely to demonstrate cognition by thinking flexibly about how to accommodate family and student needs. Family participants were most likely to demonstrate confidence by displaying their expertise and coaching the teachers. Activities like this may be useful sites for teachers and community members to practice effective collaboration skills. More broadly, the results may point toward an underutilized capacity within preservice teacher education to support family- and community-oriented schooling. Full article

The promotion of enhanced well-being among children and collaboration among families, schools, and communities is paramount and is a pressing concern in the global education sector. This necessitates that preschool teachers possess the necessary competencies for effective family-preschool partnerships (FPPs). This study explored the competencies necessary for Chinese kindergarten teachers to engage in FPP using behavioral event interviews with 30 participants. Thematic analysis identified key competency traits, and independent samples t-tests with Bonferroni correction compared collaboration competencies between outstanding and typical teachers, as well as across different career stages. Consequently, a comprehensive crisscrossing competency framework consisting of four quadrants was developed. This framework distinguishes between high-performance and general traits, as well as between stable and variable traits that may evolve across career stages. High-performance traits such as communication, expression, and relationship management should be prioritized in the training and recruitment of early childhood educators involved in FPP. In contrast, intrinsic qualities that foster successful FPP, such as child orientation, should be cultivated early and sustained throughout a teacher’s career. From a developmental perspective, this framework provides a crucial foundation for evaluating and training kindergarten teachers in the competencies essential for fostering effective FPP. Full article

This exploratory study examines the experiences of public elementary school educators to understand the shifting educational priorities and renegotiation of borders between home and school during and since the COVID-19 pandemic. The research uses a case study approach through a critical inquiry process that centers the voices of those on the front lines of education. Derived from individual and focus group interviews, the findings illuminate educators’ experiences during different phases of the pandemic, including: the growing scope of their responsibilities, challenges with staffing, and competing and conflicting demands on educators’ time and attention. The study is limited by its geographical concentration and sole focus on the perspectives of school-based personnel. Future studies with larger samples may include educators and parents in various locations. Recommendations based on the findings include partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs) and creating a unifying vision that draws together school staff, families, and the wider community to re-envision the purpose of school in a post-pandemic context. Full article

Research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural, urban, and suburban public schools in southwestern Pennsylvania indicated that families and school educators and leaders had different views on education and that more needed to be done to build family, school, and community partnerships. The Parents as Allies Partnership, a collective of community, education, and research institutions, emerged out of this study and has led the co-creation of a human-centered design process with school teams on how to radically reimagine and support family, school, and community collaboration in southwestern Pennsylvania. Through the human-centered design process, teams of families, teachers, staff, and school leaders develop innovative solutions together to address pressing needs they identify in their communities. This article details this community-building process alongside case studies of three schools and how they have used the research to launch deeper and more inclusive and equitable familycentric partnership practices. This study challenges educators, researchers, and parent organizations to think differently about family, school, and community engagement and provides an evidence-based process to apply in their own contexts. Full article

Evidence-based and theory-informed interventions focusing on parents of children with disabilities in low-income countries are scarce. This study examined the feasibility of Tiyanjane, a 12-week pilot intervention developed to promote parental involvement in the education of children with disabilities in Malawi. A mixed-method approach was employed based on five aspects of Bowen’s feasibility framework: acceptability, demand, implementation, practicality, and limited efficacy. Twenty-one participants (13 caregivers, four teachers, and four local leaders) participated in the study. Standardised measures, namely the Parent and Family Adjustment Scale (PAFAS) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), were employed to evaluate changes in parental practices, adjustments, and perceived social support. Qualitative data were collected using focus groups and in-depth interviews to assess the feasibility of the intervention. Tiyanjane showed promise in promoting parental involvement in the education of children with disabilities. The intervention demonstrated high fidelity, achieving 100% retention and 95% attendance. Local resources, commitment from participants and facilitators, and strong family school–community ties enabled the practicality and execution of the intervention. Significant improvements were observed in the PAFAS and MSPSS scores across the assessed post-intervention outcomes. Minor logistical issues including resource and implementation challenges were reported. Tiyanjane was feasible for the facilitators and participants in the Malawian context. Further studies are needed to assess the programme’s adaptation, integration, and expansion in other contexts before scaling up. Full article

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted routine childhood vaccinations schedules, posing significant challenges among underserved communities. Understanding how different sociodemographic groups in Tennessee perceive and navigate childhood vaccination barriers is critical for developing strategies to improve vaccination rates and reduce vulnerability to vaccine-preventable diseases. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to explore barriers to vaccination across diverse sociodemographic groups in Tennessee. Data were collected from caregivers/parents of children aged 18 years and younger across all 95 counties in Tennessee at community events and through partnerships with schools and other local organizations. Parental responses were analyzed to identify barriers in access, concern, and importance domains. The distribution of barriers across different sociodemographic groups such as race, income, education level, and insurance status was identified. Descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, and log-binomial regressions were used to address the research objectives. Results: This study found that the most prominent barriers to childhood vaccination were concerns regarding vaccine safety and side effects. Significant differences in vaccine barriers were observed across racial and ethnic groups for access barriers (p < 0.001), concern barriers (p = 0.006), and importance barriers (p < 0.001). Parents with lower education levels, children without health insurance, and lower-income families faced disproportionate challenges across two of the three barrier domains studied (access and perceived importance of vaccines). Additionally, concern barriers (aPR = 0.998, p < 0.001) and importance barriers (aPR = 0.997, p < 0.001) were strongly associated with the parent-reported prevalence of up-to-date vaccination status. Conclusions: Addressing parental vaccination barriers related to concern, access, and perceived importance is crucial, particularly for underserved populations including low-income families, uninsured parents, racial/ethnic minorities, and those with limited education. A sustained, equity-focused approach integrating scientific communication, community engagement, and policy interventions is essential for increasing vaccine uptake and ensuring equitable vaccination access. Full article

This study describes a field-based experience in parent engagement with preservice teachers, children, parents, and teachers in three Irish elementary schools, focused on a STEM education program, Science for Fun. Preservice teachers were enrolled in a parent engagement college course. The Science for Fun program provided space and time for preservice teachers, parents and children to explore basic scientific concepts in a supportive and inclusive context and involved the co-delivery of two hands-on science workshops between preservice teachers and parents in the school environment. The science activities were designed to enhance children’s investigatory, problem solving, and critical thinking skills aligned with the curriculum for their age group. Participating schools had high levels of socioeconomic disadvantage and large numbers of families from the Irish Travelling community Therefore, the program aimed to inspire children and their parents to engage in science and to contribute, in some way, to the development of their science capital. Data were gathered from preservice teachers through structured reflective questionnaires after each Science for Fun workshop. They reported positive experiences in changing attitudes, overcoming fears, learning about challenges and developing communication skills for working with parents. They also reinforced their overall awareness and openness to their role as teachers of engaging parents in their future careers, as well as the central role that parents play in their children’s learning and valuable insights that parents contribute. Participants reported learning how to organize and structure parent engagement in the classroom and that parents are a diverse group who have varying strengths and fears about partnership with schools. Full article

Community navigators (CNs) play critical roles in fostering consultancy between school professionals and newcomer families in the United States. The overarching goal of this project was to enhance CNs’ capability to facilitate collaboration and create an impact in the communities they serve. To meet this goal, we created the Leading in Newcomer Communities and Schools program to establish a community of practice through the evidence-based, virtual knowledge-sharing ECHO platform. In total, 18 CNs participated in a 10-session ECHO series designed to enhance CNs’ capability by (1) improving knowledge of education policies and laws; (2) enhancing awareness of education resources; (3) increasing self-efficacy; and (4) building skills to promote school and community collaboration. Electronic pre- and post-surveys were collected to assess CN’s learning outcomes, and data were analyzed using descriptive and frequency analyses as well as Wilcoxon Signed-Rank non-parametric tests. Qualitative feedback was collected from post-session feedback and a post-program focus group and analyzed using a deductive content analysis approach. Overall, participants reported greater capability and confidence for consultancy between families and school professionals and high satisfaction with the program. Similar approaches can help transform family, school, and community partnerships into culturally responsive home–school–community policies and practices. Full article

Decades of research suggest that higher levels of parental education are related to more active and effective parental involvement (PI) practices. At the same time, schools’ policies and practices facilitate family-school-community partnerships (FSCPs) to support students in attaining successful outcomes. However, it is unclear which school policies are effective in equitably involving parents with lower educational attainment. This study aims to examine the relationships between different types of FSCP practices of Hungarian majority and minority schools in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and create more equitable experiences for parents with lower educational attainment. We formulated the following hypotheses: H1. Higher levels of parental education relate to more active home-based and school-based parental involvement. H2. Parent educational attainment relates to parents’ perceptions of FSCP practices. H3. Parents’ perceptions of FSCP have a stronger relationship to PI than individual student and parent characteristics. The study included parents of Hungarian primary and middle school students in three CEE countries (N = 1002). Our findings suggest that parents with lower educational attainment perceive community development policies and special support as more significant compared to parents with higher educational attainment. Moreover, parents’ perceptions of FSCP practices have a stronger relationship to PI than individual factors. To create a more equitable experience for families, it is proposed that demand-driven practices be developed in schools. Full article

The capacity of schools to address behavioral health concerns presents an emerging challenge, exacerbated by major shortages in the workforce. Schools across the U.S. are struggling to hire licensed behavioral health professionals, with additional barriers encountered when seeking to hire practitioners with experience in educational settings. In 2023, a school district in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, partnered with The Ohio State University to launch a “grow your own” policy pilot. The priorities focused on addressing workforce shortages and leveraging the experiences of current teachers/staff to support growing needs related to student mental health and well-being. More specifically, the district utilized COVID-19 relief funds to recruit, train, and transition 25 teachers/staff into school mental health positions by underwriting the costs of each professional’s Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. Here, we (a) describe the district–university partnership and the processes guiding the implementation of the “grow your own” model, (b) distill preliminary findings about district needs regarding behavioral health, and (c) explore facilitators, barriers, and outcomes associated with learning among participants in the program. The findings from a district-wide staff survey indicated a high level of need for individual counseling, crisis intervention, and small group interventions. Additionally, qualitative interviews revealed that learning among the program’s participants was facilitated by effective classroom strategies and specific learning experiences integral to the program’s design. These facilitators supported key learning outcomes, including general social work knowledge, self-awareness, and therapeutic skills that are foundational for engaging with students, parents/families, teachers/staff, and the broader school community. This innovative policy pilot and training model demonstrate how universities and local educational agencies can partner to address workforce development challenges at the intersection of behavioral health and education. Full article

Religious education (RE) in Australia is challenged to support the religious and spiritual needs of Australia’s religiously plural student population. Within a national colloquium, practitioners and scholars (N = 57) gathered to discern ways forward in RE. Data were collected from small and whole group discussions reported across three days of integrated reflection on themes of Awaken, Celebrate, and Imagine. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) and Leximancer were used to analyse the respective data which confirmed domains of focus on Day 1 of Formation, Curriculum, Pedagogy, Partnerships, and Research. Day 2 (Celebrate) explored these domains and identified Themes and Theoretical Propositions that advanced each domain. Day 3 (Imagine) underlined foundations in faith for each domain and detailed generic propositions and themes. Propositions included advancing RE through Formation (being attentive to personal readiness, curriculum intention, and school identity), Pedagogy (engaging practices of inquiry, experiential learning, and encounter-based opportunities), Curriculum (characterised as inclusive, relevant, and life-giving), Partnerships (strengthening inclusion and engagement with family, parish, and community), and Research (integrating evidence-based practice). Full article

All children, including emergent multilingual learners (EMLs), are primed to engage with science from an early age. Yet preschool educators traditionally have not been offered in-depth professional learning (PL) in science, how to teach it effectively to young EMLs, and how to communicate its importance to families. This quasi-experimental study investigated a partnership model designed to engage early educators, children’s families, informal science educators, and STEM role models at an informal science learning environment (ISLE)in collaboratively supporting high-quality science experiences for young EML children at school, at home, and in the community. The study examined the effects of a multi-faceted PL program on educators’ beliefs and attitudes toward science and their classroom instructional practices. Caregivers were surveyed and interviewed to assess their beliefs and attitudes around early science learning. Results indicated that educators in the treatment condition gained confidence in supporting science with EMLs and showed significant increases in instructional quality relative to comparison classrooms. Caregivers rated themselves as more confident in supporting science with their children. Promoting partnerships between preschools and ISLEs can be an effective way to power up educators’ and families’ capacities to activate young EMLs’ science inquiry, learning, and language development across multiple contexts. Full article

This study explores the impact of COVID-19 on informal learning institutions, primarily science museums, through the lens of an activity kit co-created by CELL-MET—a cross-university, engineering research center—and museum partners. While formal learning organizations, like K-12 schools, play a critical role in the education process through standardized teaching, informal learning organizations also make important contributions to the engineering education ecosystem, such as by fostering engineering identity development, especially for learners and their families. This is particularly valuable for young learners from underrepresented and under-resourced communities. In this study, two questions are addressed: (1) How were museums impacted by COVID-19 and the resulting disruptions to their operations, and how did they respond? (2) To what extent were museums able to implement and adapt EEK! to reach under-served youth in the face of social disruption? When the world was experiencing social disruption from the spread of COVID-19, the authors realized they had an opportunity to test the utility and adaptability of their model of engineering activity co-creation. Approximately six months into the launch of both EEK! and the global pandemic, a 29-item survey was distributed to EEK! recipient institutions. Of the museum respondents, 97% reported experiencing full closures and 73% reported layoffs and furloughs. Despite these challenges, 78% implemented EEK!, with 70% of the institutions creating new virtual programming, and 38% adapting EEK! for remote facilitation, including real-time virtual events, self-guided activities, and at-home activity kits. Museums were equally impacted by COVID-19 policies and closures, but have not received the public attention and support that K-12 schools have received. Nonetheless, they have responded with ingenuity in using and adapting EEK!. Given their K-12 partnerships, flexibility, and ability to engage learners, museums are undervalued collaborators for universities trying to impact the K-12 engineering education ecosystem. Full article

This research delved into the correlation between digital platforms and the dynamics of family-school collaboration within the context of parents with young children in Taiwan. It also examined the roles of parental involvement, teacher-child interactions, and online communication in this model. In the context of Taiwan, a research endeavor was undertaken to elucidate the viewpoints of parents with preschool-age children concerning digital platforms and their associated determinants. A Chinese-translated questionnaire included five latent factors: digital platforms, parental involvement, teacher-child interactions, online communication, and family-school partnerships. Employing a partial least-squares technique, we conducted an in-depth examination of the survey data, focusing on the evaluation of questionnaire latent factor reliability and validity within the measurement model. Subsequently, a path analysis was conducted to examine the hypothesized assumptions in the structural model. The findings indicated significant positive effects, with digital platforms enhancing parental involvement, teacher-child interactions, and online communication, ultimately leading to stronger family-school partnerships. Statistical analyses using a robust dataset consistently confirmed the significance of these associations. Full article

In three devolved Australian school systems, for over 20 years, Australian researchers have been interested in understanding how successful school leaders lead schools that have a broad range of student and school outcomes that are above expectations. This paper draws upon findings from five Tasmanian, 18 Victorian, and one Northern Territory multiple-perspective case studies of successful primary, secondary, and special school principals. All cases are part of the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) and follow the methodologies of the ISSPP. At each school, data collected included interviews with the principal, senior teachers, teachers, students, parents, and school council members and document analysis. In addition, nine cases included observation of school activities, and two cases included a teacher survey. The cases reveal a complicated pattern of leadership activities by the principal and other school leaders that includes setting school directions, building positive cultures, developing supportive organisational structures, enhancing personal, professional, organisational, and community capacity, and developing networks, collaborations, partnerships, and stakeholder engagement. These areas of leadership action interact with school, staff, family, and broader contextual factors to develop outstanding teaching and learning that results in a wide array of positive student and school outcomes. Student outcomes include academic, extra-curricular, co-curricular, personal, and social areas. School outcomes include reputation, learning environment, resource allocation, community empowerment, and teacher quality areas. Successful school leadership is shown to be a complex endeavour, led by the principal but involving many and able to be sustained successfully over many years, leading to important and diverse student and school outcomes. Full article