Teachers\u27 points of view on collaboration with parents

Sodelovanje med učitelji in starši je bistveno za ustvarjanje ugodnih razmer za otrokovo uspešnost. Prav kompetentni učitelji naj bi bili tisti, ki so v vzgojno-izobraževalnem procesu sposobni ustvariti razmere za uspešno delo otrok in vzpostaviti dialog s starši. Veliko se poudarja partnerski odnos med učitelji in starši, saj ima ugodne posledice tako za učitelje in starše kot tudi za učence. Pri tem se moramo zavedati medsebojnih pričakovanj, dejavnikov, ki vplivajo na kakovost medsebojnega sodelovanja. Za dober partnerski odnos je pomemben tako trud učitelja kot staršev. V magistrskem delu sem raziskovala, kakšni so pogledi učiteljev na sodelovanje s starši. V teoretičnem delu magistrskega dela sem pisala o opredelitvi sodelovanja med učitelji in starši ter to tudi formalno podprla. Predstavila in opisala sem različne oblike (formalne in neformalne) ter modele sodelovanja med učitelji in starši, kjer sem se najbolj osredotočila na partnerski model, ki je ključen za uspešno in kakovostno medsebojno sodelovanje. Poudarila sem še prednosti medsebojnega sodelovanja za učence, starše in učitelje ter najpogostejše ovire, s katerimi se učitelji srečujejo pri sodelovanju s starši. Poleg tega sem navedla glavna pričakovanja učiteljev in staršev, ki jih imajo glede medsebojnega sodelovanja, ter na koncu še na kratko opisala kompetence, znanja in spretnosti, ki so potrebni za kakovostno sodelovanje. V empiričnem delu magistrskega dela sem izvedla polstrukturirane intervjuje s šestimi učitelji, od tega so bili trije na razredni in trije na predmetni stopnji. Moj cilj je bil, da dobim vpogled v njihovo razmišljanje o sodelovanju s starši oziroma kako učitelji gledajo na sodelovanje. Raziskovala sem, kakšen pomen učitelji pripisujejo sodelovanju s starši in zakaj sodelujejo, na kakšne načine sodelujejo, kaj učitelji pričakujejo od staršev glede medsebojnega sodelovanja ter katere (formalne in neformalne) oblike sodelovanja uporabljajo. Zanimali so me tudi dejavniki (lastnosti), ki po njihovem mnenju spodbujajo oziroma zavirajo sodelovanje, in njihovo mnenje o svoji usposobljenosti za delo s starši. Učitelje sem povprašala tudi o njihovih pozitivnih in negativnih izkušnjah s sodelovanjem s starši.Parent-teacher collaboration is essential in creating pleasant conditions for the success of any child and competent teachers are able to create conditions for successful work of children and establish a dialogue with the parents in the educational process. The partnership between teachers and parents is greatly encouraged, since it benefits the teachers, parents and the students. Yet, we should be aware of our expectations and the factors that influence the quality of mutual collaboration. The efforts of both the teacher and the parent are necessary for good partnership. This thesis researchers the teachers’ view on collaboration with parents. The theoretical part of the thesis defines the teacher-parent collaboration with formal supportit includes presentation and description of various forms (formal and non-formal) and collaboration models between teachers and parents. The focus of the thesis is the partnership model, which is very important for successful and quality mutual collaboration. The thesis discusses the benefits of mutual collaboration for students, parents and teachers, as well as the most common obstacles the teachers encounter when collaborating with parents. What follows, are the main expectations of teachers and parents regarding mutual collaborationand the conclusion of this part includes short descriptions of the competences, skills and knowledge, required for quality collaboration. The empirical part of the thesis includes semi-structured interviews with six teachers, of which three of them from the first four years of education and the other three from higher years. The objective was to gain insight in their views on collaboration with parents or how these teachers view the collaboration. The research studied the meaning these teachers ascribe to collaboration with parents and why they collaborate, the methods they use, and what teachers expect from the parents regarding mutual collaboration and the forms (formal and non-formal) they use. This part also includes the factors (characteristics), which, in their opinion, encourage or slow down collaboration and their opinion on their capability for working with parents. The teachers were also asked about their positive and negative experiences of collaborating with parents