Poster #20 - Examining Caregivers’ Perceived Family Engagement and Teachers’ Inclusion of Family Life in Classroom Learning

• In Event: Poster Session 20

Abstract

Family engagement is a key component in early childhood programs (Fantuzzo et al., 2004). Primary caregivers (e.g., parents, grandparents) from diverse backgrounds have life experiences and beliefs that shape how they support children’s learning. By acknowledging and engaging children’s experiences outside of the school context with classroom learning, educators can make caregivers feel valued and welcomed by the school (Melzi et al., 2018; Moll et al., 2019; Padak & Rasinski, 2010). By accounting for the quality of caregiver-teacher communication (Baker et al., 2016) and a match in native languages (AUTHORS, 2021; Tang et al., 2012), the present study examined teachers’ inclusion of community funds of knowledge as related to caregivers’ perception of family engagement.

A subset of caregivers (N = 339) and 40 lead Head Start teachers from a larger randomized control trial project related to early science learning in a northeastern city (see AUTHORS, 2021). Twenty-two teachers belonged to the intervention group and received early science education and family engagement training, and 18 teachers were in the control group. Caregivers’ perceived family engagement was measured with the 34-item Home, Schools, and Communities – Parent Report (P-HSC; AUTHOR, 2021). The present study used the subset, Family-School Connection in the Classroom, as the outcome variable. Teachers’ inclusion of community funds of knowledge in the curriculum was measured using the 10-item Community Inclusion in Curriculum scale (COMINC; AUTHOR, 2021; sample item: “Consulted with members of the community to better understand children in your classroom”). Caregiver-teacher communication quality was measured with the 12-item Family-Teacher Communication scale (P-COM; AUTHORS, 2017). This study used the subset, Communication Quality. Caregivers’ and teachers’ respective demographic information was also collected (see Table 1). A language match variable was created for the present study. Multilevel modeling was used for analysis to account for caregivers “nested” within a classroom (Raudenbush & Bryk, 2001).

Results showed that on average, caregivers perceived higher family engagement when their primary language matched with the teachers’ (b = 1.46, p = .035) and when having quality communication with teachers (b = .49, p < .001). Considering teacher characteristics, on average, caregivers perceived higher family engagement when their children’s teachers reported more inclusion of community information in their curriculum (b = .12, p = .001). A trend finding suggested that on average, caregivers perceived higher family engagement with teachers from the intervention group (b = 1.15, p = .105). See Table 2 for full model information.

Findings suggested that, in addition to the quality of caregiver-teacher communication in matching languages, teachers’ inclusion of community funds of knowledge is associated with caregivers’ perceived family engagement. This finding encourages in- and pre-service teachers to consider including the people, places, and ways of life that are familiar to children in the curriculum. Given the way children’s families and communities are actually “reservoirs of pedagogical and curricular possibilities,” doing so will deepen teachers’ understanding of children’s learning contexts at home and in the community and also foster a closer relationship with the families (Buck & Sylvester, 2005, p.215).

Authors

• Lok-Wah Li, Boston Children’s Museum
  Presenting Author

• Christine M McWayne, Tufts University