Effective Collaboration between Teachers and Parents in Israel: A Strategy for Improvement of the Educational Process

Traditionally the roles of schools and parents have been seen as separate activities. More recently, a view has developed that parents and schools should work together in a close and integrated relationship. The writer discusses the nature of this partnership and the roles of both parents and teachers in it. The nature of the school–parent relationship in Israel is considered. In the final section of the paper, the development of such a partnership in a particular Israeli elementary school is described and evaluated.     

Parent Involvement and the New Title I

The Improving America's Schools Act legislation of 1994 greatly increased the responsibility and requirements for parental involvement activities in Title I schools. Though the requirements for annual meetings and involvement of parents in planning, review, and implementation of projects remain from the old Chapter 1 wording, expansion of the parental involvement role signifies its importance. Because schools have so much to learn following the changes to Title I, the school-parent compact has often been at the center for parental involvement activities as the new legislation is implemented. Many compacts have been generic to entire districts or buildings. Some model designs have gone from general school concepts to concepts specific to each child and family. Those with some explicit points, where parents and/or guardians and school staff can demonstrate the action, seem to have the greatest effect. It is important to note that the legislation talks about shared responsibility, not just what more a parent should do. Of further interest is the denotation of the involvement of the "entire school staff" and not just the Title I staff. Though it is not a requirement, many schools have also delineated a portion of the compact for the child to develop and/or sign. Meaningful partnership between home and school can only strengthen the support for learners to achieve high state standards.     

Stifling transformation through the manipulation of enrolment: A case study of two public high schools in Gauteng Province

Abstract

This article reports on an investigation into how admission policies in general and the ‘zoning’ policy in particular are applied by the School Governing Bodies (SGBs) of two particular former Model C secondary schools in a town in the Gauteng Province, Republic of South Africa. It also examines the admission criteria currently in use against the background of allegations that the application of these criteria is a veiled attempt to exclude black learners from schools in order to retain a white learner majority. It also considers what can be termed the ‘channelling’ of learners. Interviews were conducted with a sample of disgruntled parents, a chairperson of the school governing body (SGB) of one of the schools and the principals of two unrelated schools, which were mentioned during the interviews with the disgruntled parents.     

Managing Ill-Discipline among Learners in Disadvantaged Schools

Abstract

The management of ill-discipline among learners has become a serious challenge for teachers. This article reports on a study conducted to determine how teachers in the primary schools of the Matjhabeng Municipality, Free State, South Africa, manage ill-discipline among learners. A mixed method approach, which comprised a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, was used to collect data. Sixteen teachers completed the questionnaire and eight of them were also interviewed. The results revealed that the majority of the participants applied approved or acceptable measures of managing ill-discipline, such as talking politely to learners; chasing learners out of the classroom; and involving the principal and parents. However, some of the participants applied unapproved or illegal measures of disciplining learners, such as inflicting corporal punishment; swearing at learners; and pinching learners. The participants who applied the unapproved or illegal measures of disciplining learners reported that these measures were more effective than the approved measures. All the participants reported that although the approved measures were unhelpful in maintaining an environment conducive for effective teaching and learning, they were compelled to apply them. The training of teachers in the approved disciplinary practices, as well as the involvement of parents in learner discipline, are recommended.     

Parental Involvement as Part of curriculum Reform in South African Schools: Does It contribute to Quality Education?

Abstract

Active parental involvement (PI) in any child’s academic performance is regarded as an essential aspect to enhance high learner achievement particularly in disadvantaged communities. The purpose of the study reported on was linked to the growing notion that PI is a crucial asset that may have important consequences for teaching and learning. The study was based on interviews with 20 teachers from 10 randomly selected secondary schools, from a total sample of 32, in Vhembe District, Limpopo, South Africa, which is an exclusively disadvantaged, black area. Using the qualitative data generated from individual interviews with purposefully selected participants, the views of secondary school teachers in Vhembe District on PI were captured. The findings of the study revealed that the majority of parents are not actively involved in the school work of their children and that it adversely affects the functioning of the school, according to the teachers. The teachers attributed this, firstly, to the weak understanding of parents regarding their roles as stakeholders and, secondly, to the fact that most parents had little schooling themselves.     

The education exodus: The flight from township schools

Abstract

The dismantling of apartheid education was applauded when South African schools opened up their doors to learners from different racial backgrounds. There were hopes that the quality of education would improve, since the markets were now going to exercise their power as choosers. There was also the belief that, with apartheid outlawed, all schools would be able to match world standards. Furthermore, the South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act 84 of 1996) gives more powers to parents to have a say in the education of their children. However, what has been happening since the early 1990s is that the increasing number of black parents is avoiding the historically black schools by enrolling their children in historically white schools. As a result of this, many educators contend that the quality of education offered in historically black schools is deteriorating. This article focuses on the effects of the movement away from historically black schools, the reasons why some parents still send their children to historically black schools despite the quality problem, the benefits of moving away from historically black schools, and the impact of different schools on the future of the learners themselves.     

Pathways to Parental Engagement: Contributions of Parents,Teachers, and Schools in Cultural Context

Research Findings: This study examined correlates of parents’ reported school engagement in an ethnically diverse, rural sample (N = 346) of parents and teachers in kindergarten through Grade 2. Of particular interest were role expectations and family–school relationships in American Indian families, who historically have been marginalized by schools. In terms of role expectations, parents and teachers agreed that they should support each other’s roles, parents should have more responsibility than schools for teaching social skills, and families and schools should have shared responsibility for children’s academic success. Teachers had higher expectations than parents for parent engagement, which in turn was greater when parent–teacher communication was more frequent and the school climate was more welcoming. American Indian parents more strongly endorsed a separation of family and school roles and felt less welcomed at school; ethnicity moderated correlates of reported parent engagement. Practice or Policy: These findings have practical promise given that parent–teacher communication, school climate, and role expectations are more easily altered than are structural barriers that also may hinder parents’ involvement in supporting their children’s early education.     

The expectations of parent members of school governing bodies regarding teacher workload in South African schools

Abstract

The South African Schools Act, No. 84 of 1996 (SASA), provides parents with opportunities to serve on the governing bodies of public schools. In this context, members of school governing bodies may hold unique sets of expectations, which may influence the type of education to which a school community aspires. This article reports on an investigation into middle-class, public primary school governing body expectations of teacher workloads from a South African labour law perspective (Minnaar, 2008). The expectations of parent members of school governing bodies were examined to determine whether they were aligned with or diverged from the law. The findings provided evidence that although governing body expectations of teachers were aligned with prevailing education labour law, the open-ended nature of such law, together with omissions and silences, allows legal space for individual and contextual interpretation and implementation and may consequently intensify the workloads of teachers.     

Middle-class parents’ educational work in an academically selective public high school

This article reports the findings of a study on the nature of parent–school engagement at an academically selective public high school in New South Wales, Australia. Such research is pertinent given recent policies of ‘choice’ and decentralization, making a study of local stakeholders timely. The research comprised a set of interviews with parents and teachers (n = 15), through which parents – all members of the school’s Parents’ and Citizens’ group – theorized and explained their involvement with the school, and teachers spoke about their views on this involvement. Results are organized around three themes: ‘how parents worked to nurture their children’s schooling’, ‘reasons behind parents’ involvement with the school’, and ‘communication and use of parental resources by the school’. Overall it was found that while parents were making significant efforts to involve themselves in the education of their children and with the school more broadly, the reasons for their involvement were not always consistent, but instead revealed a range of motivations for and conceptions of parents’ roles within schools, which at times were at odds with the teachers’. Through this, the study contributes to our understanding of middle-class parent engagement at an unusual and particular type of school.     

Moral Education in South Africa

Abstract

Moral education in South Africa has always been a matter of priority to parents and educationalists alike. Although it is not taught as a separate subject in the schooling process, much attention is paid to it throughout the school curriculum. Particularly in religious education and in social studies time is devoted to matters of moral conduct. The basis for moral education has almost right through been a Christian approach to life. This is the case in schools for black and for white pupils. A great number of devoted teachers go to great lengths to prepare young people for life in such a way that they may become steadfast citizens of the country. The role of parents, youth organizations, churches and ‐‐ in the case of black youths ‐‐ tribal customs, should, however, not be underestimated in the moral training of young people.     

School Characteristics and Parent Involvement: Influences on Participation in Children's Schools

Abstract

Several school-level variables thought to influence the degree to which parents are involved in their children's education were explored. The author sought to clarify, both theoretically and empirically, the meaning of parent involvement. Also, several statistical regression models were developed on the basis of school characteristics. The models help to explain the variance in 9 categories of parent involvement. The results of this study indicate that many forms of parent involvement, such as the structure that parents create for students in the home environment, are not easily influenced by school-level variables. However, several forms of parent involvement, including parent volunteerism and participation in parent-teacher organizations, can be increased when teachers attempt to contact parents.     

Parent preferences and parent choices: the public–private decision about school choice

School choice survey data from the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, a large county‐wide school district, is analysed to examine the characteristics of parents who consider choosing private schools for their children and those who do not. We examine differences in background, including race, educational attainment and socioeconomic status, as well as differences in parent satisfaction with their child’s previous school, parent involvement in school, parents’ priorities in school choice, as well as parents’ social networks. After controlling for background characteristics, we find that parent satisfaction with their child’s previous school was not a predictor of considering a private school. Rather, parent involvement seems to be a more important indicator of whether or not a parent would consider sending their child to a private school. In this case, parents are not ‘pushed’ away from public schools, contrary to much public rhetoric that suggests private schools are somehow inherently ‘better’ than public schools and parents who are dissatisfied with their public schools will opt for private schools. Instead, these findings suggest a ‘pull’ towards private schools. Parents may perceive that parent involvement and parent communication are more easily facilitated and valued in private schools.     

Capacity for (quality) instruction: a framework for understanding the use of resources to promote teaching and learning in schools

Abstract

The inception of no-fee schools and a school-fee exemption policy has become a contentious issue but also an exciting one for school managers in South Africa. Managers opposed to the policy have cited amongst others things, academic standards dropping, as well as parents who can afford to pay jumping on the bandwagon and refusing to pay. While the advocates for no-fee schools argue that it is not only a moral obligation for the authorities to ensure that every child is able to get basic education, it is also a basic human right. Notwithstanding these contrasting views, an overwhelming majority (62%) of the purposively sampled principals of public schools in the Free State Province expressed relief and agreement with this decision to declare poor school nofee schools. This article, therefore, intends to explore not only the background to the policy but also the possible impact of this decision on overall school performance as perceived by the school principals.     

Implementing a parental involvement policy to enhance Physical Sciences learner’s academic achievement in rural secondary schools

In many countries, including South Africa, the underperformance of Physical Sciences learner’s is a great concern. The purpose of this study was to find out how the academic achievement of science learners can be addressed through implementing a parental involvement policy. The policy on parental involvement can only be successful if there is an effort to ensure effective participation of parents in school activities, which includes helping learners with homework, discussing learners’ behaviour with teachers, motivating learners and communicating about and participating in science activities. This was a qualitative research study and the cultural–historical activity theory (CHAT) acted as a lens and offered a broad approach to analysing a parental involvement policy and the contexts of science learning. The research was conducted in rural public secondary schools and data were collected by means of face-to-face interviews. The study recommends that parents need training and development to perform their functions optimally in science activities. Effective communication between parents and the school and providing assistance to child-headed families are imperative.

     

Flipped learning and parent engagement in secondary schools: A South Australian case study

Parent involvement in and engagement with children’s learning has been shown to strongly influence student achievement, engagement, motivation and school completion. However, parent involvement decreases once students reach middle school, as subject content gets harder, the number of teachers increases, and students are less likely to share their homework and learning with parents. To this end, the flipped learning (FL) approach has received growing attention, with evidence of improved higher order thinking and collaborative skills and increased transparency for parents. This paper explores school leader, parent, student and teacher perceptions of the FL approach, through the lens of a 1-year case study of two rural South Australian schools, in order to uncover how the approach affects parent engagement. Findings reveal that, whilst stakeholders feel that the flipped approach is beneficial for absent students, to reinforce content and increase student responsibility, it has not yet improved transparency for parents, with a disconnect between what schools think parents know and are engaging in, and the actual level of parent engagement in student learning. Recommendations for schools implementing the FL approach are provided against a bioecological model, adapted for this study.     

Closing the Achievement Gap in Disadvantaged Communities: Lessons from Successful Schools

Abstract

The fact that all children must attend school has characterised South Africa over the past two decades. While many schools are struggling to address this challenge, others have made strides and progress in closing the gap between groups. This article recounts how these secondary schools have been able to narrow the achievement gap and sustain their success over time. The three schools described here are all large public schools that serve disadvantaged communities in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Data was collected during meetings with the three schools which consisted of two rounds of focus group and one whole group session. These meetings helped the researcher to gather important information about each school’s characteristics, school change process, school climate, role of the curriculum and instructional practices in promoting learner achievement. While each of the participating schools has unique characteristics, a set of important common practices emerged.     

How Good Are Our Schools

ABSTRACT

Research suggests a positive relationship between schools’ efforts to engage parents and parents’ involvement in their child's education. The authors investigated school socioeconomic status, school size, grade level, and student–teacher ratio as predictors of schools’ efforts to engage parents of students receiving special education services. The dependent variable was the Schools’ Efforts to Partner with Parents’ Scale, which has been validated for states’ use in their federal accountability systems. Mean school-level scores were calculated for 265 schools in a large southeastern state. Results indicated that student–teacher ratio was the strongest predictor of parents’ perceived school engagement efforts. Implications are drawn for ways in which all schools, including those with high student–teacher ratios, can improve their collaboration with parents of students receiving special education services.     

Parental involvement in educational activities in Tanzania: understanding motivational factors

ABSTRACT

In Tanzania, the education system focuses on schools and teachers as key educators of children, while little attention is paid to the home environment. This study examines motivational factors that may influence parental involvement at home and at school, using Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s model of parental involvement as a theoretical framework. Participants were 580 parents of Grade 2 children attending primary schools in three districts of Dar Es Salaam. Parents were invited at school to complete a questionnaire. Regression analyses showed that parents’ expectations for children’s school success predicted home involvement, next to parents’ perceived time and energy, child invitations and parents’ self-efficacy. School involvement was predicted by perceived time and energy, and school and child invitations. In a mediation model role construction had an indirect effect on school involvement through child and school invitations and perceived time and energy. Implications for educational policy are discussed.     

A time of destiny for Norwegian mission schools in Zululand and Natal under the policy of Bantu Education (1948–1955)

ABSTRACT

When the purified National Party (NP) came to power in South Africa in 1948, they introduced educational policies based on the ideology of apartheid. At that time 7,183 pupils attended primary education in 110 Lutheran Norwegian mission schools in Zululand and Natal. When the State took over these schools after the passing of the Bantu Education Act of 1953, the number had increased to 10,415. Together with other Lutheran missions, the Norwegians participated in running a teacher training college and a High School. For over a century before this, educational work had been a fundamental instrument in assisting mission work. Against this background, the paper attempts to answer two questions: How did the Norwegian missionaries relate to the policy of Bantu Education? Was the experience of the Norwegians attempting to carry out their educational work under this racial segregation legislation similar to that of other mission organisations at the time?