Preparing Pre-service Teachers for Family-School Partnerships

Research across Europe, reported in a recent special issue of the Journal of Education for Teaching (2018, Vol 4, Issue 3) suggests that little attention is paid to pre-service teacher preparation for family-school partnerships (FSP).

The reading group will provide an opportunity to discuss this issue, which has also been identified as a course development priority within the PGCE programme, by focusing on the findings of two papers within this special issue. The first (written by colleagues in the Department) presents an analysis of the problem, as reflected in a national survey of teacher education providers in England while the second presents an example of a small-scale curriculum change, undertaken in the Netherlands with the specific aim of fostering preservice teachers’ awareness of the importance of FSP; broadening their conceptual understanding of the issue and supporting them in identifying future learning goals.

Reading:

1. Mutton, T., Burn, K. & Thompson. I (2018) Preparation for family-school partnerships within initial teacher education programmes in England, Journal of Education for Teaching, https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2018.1465624
2. de Bruïne, E., Willemse, M. Franssens, J., van Eynde, S., Vloeberghs, L. & Vandermarliere, L. (2018) Small-scale curriculum changes for improving preservice teachers’ preparation for Family-School Partnerships, Journal of Education for Teaching, 44:3, 381-396.  https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2018.1465667