Making Their Voices Really Count: Family and Community Participation That Makes a Difference

• In Event: Promoting Social Transformation From Education: The Role of Successful Educational Actions

Abstract

Objectives

This paper presents a new classification of types of family and community participation in schools and shares which types have major influence on students’ achievement.


Theoretical framework

Most literature on parental involvement in schools has focused on the link between parental involvement and academic achievement (Epstein, 1991; Hill & Taylor, 2004; Sui-Chu & Willms, 1996). Research has also shown that the benefits of involving family and community members in schools are even greater among low income students (Desimone, 1999), members of minority cultures (Gómez & Vargas, 2003), migrant students (Merry, 2005) or children with disabilities (Stainback & Stainback, 1992). Nonetheless, these studies do not deepen on which are the types of participation that influence the most students’ educational success and in which ways those types are implemented in successful schools. In addition, research has shown that when family and community members from oppressed groups are invited to participate in schools, the approach is tourist (Derman-Sparks & A.B.C. Task Force, 1989), inviting these families to school festivities to celebrate the holidays or foods of other cultures, instead of engaging them in decisions about central school issues.


Methods and data sources

Analysis of school reforms in European countries, secondary analysis of international datasets, and an exhaustive literature review about education and social inclusion was conducted. Among the results, a new classification of types of family participation emerged. Later, 6 longitudinal case studies in successful schools were conducted in 5 European countries to analyze educational actions that improve learning and foster social cohesion. Among these, the types of family and community participation in these schools were analyzed looking for connections with the classification previously developed.

The schools were selected according to three criteria: to show evidence of school success, to be located in low SES areas and contain students with minority background, and to be schools with strong community involvement contributing to overcome inequalities. Data collection for each case study included questionnaires for families and students and qualitative techniques: open-ended interviews (with representatives from the local administration, representatives of community organizations and professionals), communicative daily life stories (with family members and students), communicative focus groups with professionals, and communicative observations.

Results

(a) Five types of family and community participation in schools have been identified: informative, consultative, decisive, evaluative and educative.
(b) The last three forms are more likely to have a positive impact on students’ learning and foster community empowerment.
(c) Family education, participation in decision-making processes, involvement in various learning spaces, and in curriculum and evaluation issues are some of the forms in which those more influential types take place in successful schools in Europe.

Significance

The types of participation that have more influence on students’ achievement had not been specified enough in prior research. Through case studies of successful schools in Europe INCLUD-ED has extended the literature identifying those types and some forms through which they are practiced. It is through decisive, evaluative, and educative family and community participation that the “public” quality of public schools truly achieves its meaning.

Authors

• Sandra Girbés, Universitat de Barcelona

• Carme Garcia Yeste, Universitat Rovira i Virgili