“I Want to Brainstorm Strategies”: Family Engagement and Collaboration at the Middle Level

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 9:00 am
  In Roundtable Session: Meeting the Needs of Young Adolescents: An Exploration of Perceptions and Practices (Table 7)

Abstract

In this case study, we explore middle-level teachers’ practices and perceptions of developing collaborative relationships with families and caregivers of their students. The research questions guiding this study were: (a) How do middle-level content teachers develop collaborative relationships with parents/ caregivers of their students?; and (b) What are middle-level teachers’ perceptions of their relationships with parents/ caregivers of their students? Findings suggest that teachers recognized the value of positive relationships with students’ families, although meetings with parents were limited and evidence of efforts to learn about families’ funds of knowledge was not observed. Study findings highlight the need for professional development devoted to family collaboration at the middle-level.

Authors

• Pamela Correll, Missouri State University

• Kimberly J Stormer, Houston Independent School District

• Cory T. Brown, The Ohio State University - Newark

• Ximena Uribe-Zarain, Missouri State University