Actionable Ways to Enhance Parents’ Involvement in School
The importance of parental involvement in a child’s education is widely acknowledged for its positive impact on academic success and social outcomes. Formal schooling is just one aspect of a child’s learning journey and parents play a crucial role in connecting school learning with real-life experiences. Despite its significance, barriers such as school leadership styles, negative attitudes, and lack of awareness can impede schools’ efforts to engage parents. This article explores research-informed strategies for schools to encourage, support, and enhance parental engagement.
Firstly, schools are encouraged to apply effective communication strategies.
Effective communication between schools and parents is crucial for student success. Rege & Almeida (2013) underscores its importance, while Graham-Clay (2005) and Taylor (2016) suggest diverse communication strategies like written notes, phone calls, face-to-face meetings, and video technology to foster a “customer-friendly” school environment. Ozmen et al (2016) and Tutar (2009) identify barriers to effective communication, ranging from psychological to cultural and technological challenges. These barriers include misunderstandings due to cultural and linguistic differences, and technological limitations. Meanwhile, Graham-Clay (2005) points out the inadequacy of technology utilization and the prevalence of traditional methods. For schools to practice effective communication, educational jargons must be avoided and necessary technical terms must be clearly explained to parents. The overarching strategy involves developing a vision for parental participation, increasing visibility of the school contact team, addressing parent concerns, connecting with parents’ interests, focusing on communication quality, and providing learning opportunities for parents from the school team. These strategies emphasize the need for a proactive, inclusive approach to build strong, two-way communication channels between schools and parents that overcome existing obstacles.
Secondly, school leaders, administrators, and teachers should endeavour to create a welcoming school environment.
Key aspects of a welcoming school environment include a clean, comfortable, and well-maintained school infrastructure, a visible display of school information and students’ work, and an easily locatable main office with a welcoming contact person. Additionally, safety measures like locked outside doors and visitor sign-in policies contribute a sense of security that a welcoming school environment should have. Previous research highlights that a positive and inclusive environment is crucial for increasing parent engagement. Mayer (2007) for example suggests adopting a home-school partnership model, which includes collaboration with families and implementing interventions that enhance parent autonomy. Sclafani (2018) provides practical guides for forming these partnerships such as employing bilingual staff to assist non-English speaking parents. Also, spelling out and incorporating core values like respect for diversity in all communication sets a positive tone. Reece (2013) on the other hand, emphasizes outreach, especially in low-income urban communities, to boost parental involvement. Curricula and books should reflect the diversity of the student body, and schools should engage in professional learning to enhance competencies for working effectively with parents and families.
Thirdly, schools should involve parents in decision-making.
Research on enhancing school-parent relations underscores the pivotal role that collaborative governance plays in fostering positive educational environments (Cicourel & Kitsuse, 2020). Studies consistently emphasize the need for schools to establish open channels of communication, inviting parents to actively participate in decision-making processes related to curriculum development, school policies, and extracurricular activities. Engaging parents in decision-making not only contributes to a sense of ownership and shared responsibility but also promotes a more inclusive and culturally responsive educational system. Effective strategies involve creating parent advisory committees, conducting regular parent-teacher conferences, and employing usable technology to facilitate transparent communication. Furthermore, research highlights the importance of acknowledging diverse perspectives and valuing the unique contributions each parent can make to the school community. Schools that actively involve parents in decision-making processes not only experience improved student outcomes but also witness enhanced parental satisfaction and a stronger sense of community, ultimately creating a collaborative educational ecosystem where the school and parents work hand in hand to nurture the holistic development of students.
Additionally, schools should create parent-child collaborative learning opportunities.
Recent studies advocate for the creation of parent-child collaborative learning opportunities as a potent method to bolster parental engagement in the educational process (Hidayat & Arini, 2022). It emphasizes diverse strategies that schools can adopt to foster this collaboration. Parent-teacher workshops are suggested, providing a space for mutual learning on educational strategies, child development, and curriculum, along with topics like positive parenting and understanding learning difficulties. Encouraging parents to participate in classroom activities, such as reading sessions and art projects, also allows them to gain insights into the classroom environment and teaching methods. Joint educational projects, involving both parents and students in activities like creative arts sessions or science experiments, are proposed as effective for parent-child collaborative learning. Family learning nights, themed educational evenings in western schools, are also suggested for engaging families in learning activities related to subjects like math, science, or literature. The integration of digital platforms, such as online forums and school apps, is highlighted for facilitating ongoing communication between parents and teachers about such events. Overall, these strategies aim to create a holistic approach to a child’s learning and development by fostering collaborative efforts between parents and teachers.
Image source: Uthabiti Africa
Last but not least, schools should be critical about the role of technology in parents’ engagement.
Though schools can leverage technology for parents’ engagement, a thoughtful and critical approach is necessary to ensure effectiveness. Several key considerations should guide schools in using technology for this purpose. Firstly, accessibility is paramount, requiring tools that cater to families of diverse socio-economic backgrounds, languages, and technological literacy levels. Communication channels should be a mix of traditional and digital methods to reach all parents effectively. Data privacy and security concerns must be addressed, ensuring that platforms are secure and parents are informed about the use and protection of their data as well as their childrens’. Digital equity is a global concern, and schools should assess whether technology-based strategies exacerbate the digital divide and strive for equitable solutions. The quality of engagement should go beyond superficial exchanges, fostering meaningful interactions between parents and educators. Training and support for both teachers and parents are essential to maximize the benefits of technology and minimize misunderstandings. Continuous evaluation of the impact of technology-based strategies is crucial for incorporating feedback from parents and teachers. We caution that while technology is a powerful tool, it should not entirely replace face-to-face interactions, and schools should maintain a balance. Customization and personalization in the use of technology can enhance relevance and effectiveness in engaging parents. Additionally, technology provides an opportunity to promote digital citizenship and a careful and considerate approach will help schools leverage technology for equitable, effective, and respectful parent engagement (Snell et al, 2020).
Finally, parent-school engagement is crucial for children’s educational outcomes, but there is significant variation in how schools manage relationships with parents. In primary schools, a collaborative approach by the principal fosters positive engagement. We encourage principals and heads of schools within and outside our network to lead the implementation of these strategies to foster effective parent-school relationships.
Authored by EDUCATION 360. Learn more about us @ www.education360gh.com
References
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M. Warren, Soo-Young Hong, C. Rubin, Phitsamay UY Sychitkokhong (2009). “Community-Based Relational Approach to Parent Engagement in Schools.”
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Mayer, J. E. (2007). Creating a safe and welcoming school. International Academy of Education.
Rege, K., & Almeida, N. (2013). Effective communication facilitates partnering with parents: perception of supervisors and teachers at preschool and primary school levels. OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development, 6(07), 53–70.
Graham-Clay, S. (2005). Communicating with parents: Strategies for teachers. School Community Journal, 15(1), 117–129.
Taylor, J. M. B. (2016). Communication between educators and parents in Title I elementary schools (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).
Ozmen, F., Akuzum, C., Zincirli, M., & Selcuk, G. (2016). The communication barriers between teachers and parents in primary schools. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 16(66), 27–46.
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Cicourel, A. V., & Kitsuse, J. I. (2020). Educational decision makers. In Toward a Sociology of Education (pp. 197–205). Routledge.
Hidayat, H., & Arini, F. D. (2022). Exploring Factors of the Parent-Teacher Partnership Affecting Learning Outcomes: Empirical Study in the Early Childhood Education Context. International Journal of Instruction, 15(4).
Snell, E. K., Hindman, A. H., & Wasik, B. A. (2020). Exploring the use of texting to support family-school engagement in early childhood settings: Teacher and family perspectives. Early Child Development and Care, 190(4), 447–460.
