Empirical evidence shows that parental engagement improves children’s learning, social competence and physical health from preschool years through childhood and adolescence and into adulthood. Yet reasons as to what can motivate, or hinder parents to become involved are complex. Research suggests that parental engagement is maximised when parents are actively engaged in decision making (Harris & Goodall, 2007; Irvine, 2005; DCSF, 2009; Ranson, 2011). The aims of the current study were: 1) to illuminate the practice of an individual school regarding how they view engaging with parents in decision making; and 2) to explore the activities that the school employs in engaging with parents and to investigate which of these activities the parents view to be important, positive and worthwhile. Q-methodology was used for the first phase of this study and sought to identify and describe the school staff members’ views of the about the concept of engaging with parents of children described with special educational needs in decision making. Two distinctive viewpoints were revealed: 1) parents as partners and 2) respecting and valuing parents. The second phase of the study employed a focus group to identify the activities the school employs. Finally a survey was used in the third phase to explore which of these activities were rated as most positive and worthwhile by parents. Interestingly the findings from the focus group and the survey corresponded to factors related to the psychological need for competence, autonomy and relatedness in relation to parents’ intrinsic motivation to engage with the school. Proposals are made in relation to implications for the practice of schools as well as suggestions for further research.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:594680 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Shirley, Melanie |
| Publisher | University of Nottingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/13715/ |
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