Testing an Innovative Approach to Developing Teachers’ Home-School Communication Skills: Multimedia, Online Case Studies

• In Event: Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Building Preservice Teachers’ Understanding of Family Involvement Through Meaningful Pedagogy

Abstract

Leveraging technology’s power to immerse learners in authentic problem-solving contexts this research extended prior descriptive work by testing whether a case-based online learning environment that offered opportunities to make decisions, explore resources, and receive feedback would prompt positive change in candidates’ thinking about effective teacher-parent communication. Participants were 63 teacher candidates. Analyses of this pilot study revealed disconnect between candidates beliefs about their ability to communicate with families and their knowledge of effective communication strategies. After completing the online exercise, which involved evaluating contrasting video models, candidates’ awareness of key communication strategies increased. The largest gains were seen for strategies that oriented candidates to parents’ perspectives and needs.

Author

• Joan M.T. Walker, Pace University