Family Education For The Transformation Of Relationships And Schools
Author(s):
Itxaso Tellado (presenting / submitting) Regina Gairal Estefanía Fernández
Conference:
ECER 2016
Network:
14. Communities, Families and Schooling in Educational Research
Format:
Paper

Session Information

14 SES 03 B, Family Education, Engagement and Participation to Transform Education

Paper Session

Time:
2016-08-23
17:15-18:45
Room:
OB-Theatre B
Chair:
Joana Lúcio

Contribution

This paper presents the research evidences on the benefits of family education on vulnerable groups for students and adults under the research and development project entitled “Improving the educational system through family education of vulnerable groups (EduFam)”. Therefore this paper responds to one of the specific interest of the network 14 “Communities, families, and schooling in educational research” research areas on the interest in the relationships between communities, families and schools. In addition this research also sheds light on ways to solve the European concern on how to reach adults with low level or no qualifications.

European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice (2015) based on the results of the Adult Education Survey (AES) states that in “all European countries, people with a lower level of educational attainment are less likely to search for information about learning opportunities than people with a higher level of educational attainment” (p. 115). In addition, this same report states that “public authorities in most countries are aware of the need to intervene in reaching out to adults with low level or no qualifications to motivate them to take part in lifelong learning. Indeed, during the past five years, most countries have conducted major awareness-raising and outreach campaigns. However, the impact of these initiatives on the participation of the most vulnerable groups is rarely evaluated” (p. 12).

The main objective of the EduFam project is to contribute with scientific knowledge to the characteristics of the implementation of family education on vulnerable groups in different contexts, analyzing the benefits for school students and their families while improving the educational system, trying to contribute in that sense to overcome the clearly situation of exclusion that they are suffering.

It has been largely studied the beneficial impacts of adult education in different social spheres (Bingman, Ebert & Smith, 1999) assessing the long-term impact of adult literacy programs in work, family and community spheres. In addition, family involvement in children’s education has reported impact on behavioral and affective areas of children’s development (Pomerantz, Grolnick & Price, 2005) as well as on their academic and personal success (Sanders & Lewis, 2005).

International research highlights that the participation of families in the educational centers contributes to the educational success of the children (Epstein, 1991; Barron, Hohlfeld, & Ritzhaup, 2010) at the same time that achieve to reduce the students’ absenteeism and increases the graduation rates. It also improves the behavior and attitudes of students (Henderson & Berla, 1994; Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 1997; Hoover-Dempsey et al., 2005). Therefore, family education facilitates the overcoming of inequality situations of children from families with low educational and from low socioeconomic status. Because of family education, it proves that children in situation of vulnerability can achieve academic success (Flecha, 2012). INCLUD-ED project (2006-2011) highlighted that one of the three types of family participation that produces better educational results is educative participation, which takes place when “families and other community members participate in students’ learning activities, both during regular school hours and after school. Educative participation also includes attending family education programs which respond to their needs (Flecha, 2012). 

The benefits of family participation or community members in the school has been widely studied indicating that it is beneficial independently from their economic level, the family background, the educational level or if individuals belong to a vulnerable group (Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Koutroba, Vanvakari & Steliou, 2006; Porter, 1997). The European Council has already recommended the study of family education in order to improve the quality of the education of the students and transform their context, which has been studied through the European project INCLUD-ED (2006-2011).

Method

The methodology used in the EduFam project is the communicative methodology, recognized as the finest methodology when conducting research with vulnerable groups since it aims the social transformation and the improvement of the life of the vulnerable groups. It is a methodology that includes the voices of the excluded individuals of society and that can be a critical tool in conducting socially relevant and evidence-based research (Puigvert, Christou & Holford, 2012). This methodology advocates epistemology intersubjective dialogue and an egalitarian relationship between the research team and those being researched. Involving the target group in a social reality that they want to transform and constructing the reality through the interaction of people (Gómez, Puigvert & Flecha, 2011). According to Puigvert, Christou & Holford (2012), the communicative methodology is an alternative that may produce research data that adjusts itself to the overcoming of social exclusion. Through a communicative organization it seeks the participation of all actors from the design to the presentation of the results, with egalitarian dialogue spaces like an Advisory Council. Data gathering in the EduFam research project was conducted in 8 schools from different educational levels and social contexts, in Span. But the data reported in this paper corresponds to two of the 8 centers participating in the research. The first school is located in the outskirts of a medium urban area in the south of Catalonia in a low socioeconomic status neighborhood with larger population of Roma people. The second school is located also in the outskirts of a larger urban city in the area of Barcelona with a larger immigrant population original from Morocco. We have used communicative data collection techniques and other techniques with a communicative orientation. Specifically data have been gathered through in depth interviews with communicative orientation with family members; communicative discussion groups with family members; questionnaires to family members and communicative daily life stories with family members; also communicative discussion groups and communicative interviews with teachers and students. The data for this paper proceed from 4 in depth interviews with a communicative orientation with mothers and fathers (in the first center) and 2 communicative daily life stories, 1 in depth interview with a communicative orientation with mothers and 2 in depth interviews with a communicative orientation with students (in the second center). The communicative data analysis has been structured following the exclusory dimension (barriers) and the transformative dimension (possibilities) of family education.

Expected Outcomes

Schools studied in the EduFam project implementing family education (adults literary dialogic gatherings, language courses, basic adult education, among others) have shown a series of improvements: 1) increased collaboration between children and families, having a positive impact on students’ motivation and academic achievement; and 2) shared learning activities, which reverted in both students’ and family members’ education. Professionals of education, both from children education and adult education give more meaning to their daily task. Family education is a Successful Educational Action (INCLUD-ED, 2006-2011) universal and transferrable and it is already being implemented in countries like UK. The results presented in this paper are the outcomes of the data analysis. The main benefits of family education highlighted by the participants of this research are a) instrumental learning that responds to their training needs; b) the possibilities opened from the training received for the labor market; c) the possibilities for helping their own children to learn and d) learning with and from others. Family education activities have become a magnet for social cohesion and overcoming personal barriers, providing security while improving the motivation of the descendants and other family members for learning and training. For instance, one girl reported her family change of perception about her mother describing her after being actively involved in family education activities as a smart and hardworking person because of her skills and abilities for helping her children and willingness to learn more. The European relevance of this research lies in the fact that it is through family education activities facilitated in the children schools that people with a lower level of educational attainment are seeking ways to engage themselves in adult education because they are experiencing in first person the benefits of it for themselves and their families.

References

Barron, A.E., Hohlfeld, T.N., & Ritzhaupt, A.D. (2010). Connecting schools, community, and family with ICT: Four-year trends related to school level and SES of public schools in Florida. Computers & Education, 55, 391–405. Bingman, M.; Ebert, O. & Smith, M.(1999). Changes in learners’ lives one year after enrollment in literacy programs: An analysis from the Longitudinal Study of Adult Literacy participants in Tennessee. NCSALL Report 11. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Graduate School of Education. European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2015. Adult Education and Training in Europe: Widening Access to Learning Opportunities. Eurydice Report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. Epstein, J. L. (1991). Effects on student achievement of teachers practices of parent involvement. Advances in Reading/Language Research, 5, 261–276. Flecha, A. (2012). Family Education Improve Student's Academic Performance: Contributions from European Research. Multidisciplinary Journal of Educational Research, 3(2), 301 -321. doi: 10.4471/remie.2012.16 Gómez, A., Puigvert, L., & Flecha, R. (2011). Critical Communicative Methodology: Informing Real Social Transformation Through Research. Qualitative Inquiry, 17(3), 235-245. doi:10.1177/1077800410397802. Henderson, A.T., & Berla, N. (Eds.). (1994). A new generation of evidence. The family is critical to student achievement. Columbia: National Committee for Citizens in Education. Henderson, A. T., & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on students’ achievement. Austin, TX: National Center of Family andCommunity Connections with Schools, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. Hoover-Dempsey, K.V., & Sandler, H.M. (1997). Why do parents become involved in their children’s education? Review of Educational Research, 67(1), 3–42. Hoover-Dempsey, K.V., Walker, J.M.T., Sandler, H.M., Whetsel, D., Green, C.L., Wilkins, A.S. et al. (2005). Why do parents become involved? Research findings and implications. The Elementary School Journal, 106(2), 105–130. INCLUD-ED Project. (2006-2011). Strategies for inclusion and social cohesion in Europe from education. Integrated Project. 7 Framework Programme. European Commission. Koutroba, K.; Vanvakari, M. & Steliou, M. (2006). Factors correlated with teachers’ attitudes towards the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs in Cyprus. European Journal Special Needs Education, 21 (4), 381-394. Pomerantz, E. M., Grolnick, W. S., & Price, C. E. (2005). The role of parents in how children approach achievement: A dynamic process perspective. In A. J. Elliot & C. S. Dweck (Eds.),Handbook of competence and motivation (pp. 229-278). New York:Guilford Publications. Puigvert, L., Christou, M., & Holford, J. (2012). Critical Communicative Methodology: including vulnerable voices in research through dialogue. Cambridge Journal of Education,42(4), 513-526.doi: 10.1080/0305764X.2012.733341

Author Information

Itxaso Tellado (presenting / submitting)
Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya, Spain
Regina Gairal
University of Rovira i Virgili
Estefanía Fernández
University of Barcelona

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