School-parent collaboration to address children's barriers to learning in a full-service school

Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.ENGLISH SUMMARY : Parent involvement in the education process is beneficial for learners, families and school staff alike, with increased levels of parent involvement correlating with academic success and improvements in learner psychosocial wellbeing. In all education systems, however, children experience learning breakdowns, leading to the learner experiencing a barrier(s) to learning. Including parents in the education and support process of these children is desirable. In recognition of these factors, one of the more significant changes to the education system in South Africa was the creation of a new school category: full-service schools. In these schools, the needs of all learners are considered and catered for, with school-parent collaboration and involvement of parents in support processes and decisions highlighted as keys to success. In this study, the phenomenon of school-parent collaboration in support of learners experiencing barriers to learning is explored. In particular, the strategies that are utilised by school staff to encourage collaboration are determined. To do so, this study made use of a qualitative case study research design that was situated within the interpretive paradigm. The concept of Communities of Practice served as the theoretical framework. The bioecological model of Bronfenbrenner served as an explanatory framework to examine South African education policy. Non-probability sampling was used to select six participants, including four school staff and two parents of learners experiencing barriers to learning. Semi-structured interviews, informal observations and artefacts served as data sources. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Data analysis uncovered four themes that are representative of the strategies used at the full-service school to encourage school-parent collaboration, namely, (i) Communication, (ii) Transparency, (iii) Representation and agency, and (iv) Training and development. The findings of this study indicate that these strategies enable school staff and parents to collaborate in finding contextually relevant solutions to the challenges concerning the support of children experiencing learning barriers. These strategies also assist in creating a shared sense of ownership in the school, increased perception of parental self-efficacy, and buy-in to the education and support process.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : by die opvoedkundige proses, strek tot die voordeel van hulle kinders sowel as hulle gesinne asook opvoeders. Voorts is daar ‘n positiewe korrelasie tussen verhoogde ouerbetrokkenheid, akademiese sukses en die verbetering van leerders se psigo-sosiale welstand. Leerders ervaar egter leeruitdagings in alle onderwysstelsels wat tot leerhindernisse kan lei. Dit is dus wenslik om ouers by die opvoedings- en ondersteuningsproses van hierdie leerders betrokke te maak. Een van die veranderinge in Suid-Afrika se onderwysstelsel was om hierdie faktore te erken en aan te spreek deur die skep van voldiensskole. In hierdie skole word die behoeftes van alle leerders in ag geneem en aangespreek in samewerking met ouers. Hulle word ingesluit in ondersteuningsprosesse en besluite wat die onderrig van hule kinders betref, wat as sleutelaspekte van sukses uitgelig kan word. In hierdie studie word die verskynsel van skool-ouer-samewerking ter ondersteuning van leerders wat leerhindernisse ervaar, ondersoek, wat veral die strategieë wat deur skoolpersoneel gebruik word om samewerking aan te moedig insluit. Om hierdie verskynsel te ondersoek, is daar gebruik gemaak van 'n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie -navorsingsontwerp wat binne die interpretatiewe paradigma geleë is. Die konsep van praktykgemeenskappe het as teoretiese raamwerk gedien. Die bio-ekologiese model van Bronfenbrenner het as verklarende raamwerk gedien om die Suid -Afrikaanse onderwysbeleid te ondersoek. ‘n Steekproefneming sonder waarskynlikheid is gebruik om ses deelnemers te kies, waaronder vier personeellede by die skool en twee ouers van leerders wat leerhindernisse ervaar. Semigestruktureerde onderhoude, informele waarnemings en artefakte het as databronne gedien. Data is ontleed met behulp van tematiese analise. Data-ontleding het vier temas blootgelê wat verteenwoordigend is van die strategieë wat by die voldiensskool gebruik word om skool-ouer-samewerking aan te moedig, naamlik (i) Kommunikasie, (ii) Deursigtigheid, (iii) Verteenwoordiging en samewerking, asook (iv) Opleiding en ontwikkeling. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie dui daarop dat hierdie strategieë skoolpersoneel en ouers in staat stel om saam te werk om kontekstueel relevante oplossings te vind vir die uitdagings rakende die ondersteuning van leerders wat leerhindernisse ondervind. Hierdie strategieë het tot gevolg dat ‘n gedeelde sin van eienaarskap geskep word, asook groter selfvertroue by ouers sodat hulle inkoop in die opvoedings- en ondersteuningsproses van hulle kinders.Master