Examining Teachers’ Practices and Perspectives of Family Engagement in a Rural High School Setting

Once considered an additional support for schools, family engagement became a more essential aspect of education to help connect teachers with family members in an effort to increase positive academic outcomes among students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the current practices and perspectives of family engagement practices promoted by classroom teachers who currently teach at a high school in a rural setting. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and the Teacher Efficacy Theory based on Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory were two influences of the theoretical framework for this study. The two research questions examined teachers’ current practices and perspectives that promote student learning in the classroom and whether the family engagement practices enhanced or inhibited the relationship between teacher and student in the classroom. Data was collected through interviews with four participants from the “Pocahontas High School” located in North Georgia. The significance of the study, a literature review, methodology, and findings of this study were also provided in detail