The Personal Is Educational: Teachers' Development of Self and the Facilitation of Family–School Partnerships

• In Event: 75.035 - Context Matters: Understanding the Multiple Dimensions of Teachers' Lives

Abstract

This paper presentation explores a proposed model for understanding teachers’ family-school partnership practices. The model combines Epstein’s (2011) six-level typology of family-school involvement with Kegan’s (1982) constructive-developmental framework of teachers’ constitutions of self. The objectives of this presentation are to (1) identify the key components of Epstein’s model of family-school partnerships and explore possibilities for its expansion, (2) propose a revision to Epstein’s partnership model that incorporates the development of teachers’ personal and professional identity into their ability to facilitate partnerships, and (3) discuss the significance and applicability of the proposed model using data from a graduate course for in-service teachers on family engagement.

Authors

• Olivia Soutullo, University of Florida

• Tina M Smith-Bonahue, University of Florida

• Stephanie C. Sanders-Smith, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign