From a distance—How Norwegian parents experience their encounters with school

The study examines how parents experience the interaction with teachers and school; do they feel welcome, do they feel that they can influence what goes on in school? And, are there any differences in parents’ experiences in relation to independent variables such as gender and educational background? The empirical analyses are based on a mixed methods approach that includes survey data and qualitative interviews among lower secondary school parents in Norway. The results show that even though parents feel welcome in school and in many ways are satisfied with the home–school cooperation, there are aspects of this relationship that are problematic. The relationship is often experienced as distant and parents feel excluded from the central discussions within the school setting.