Teacher Knowledge and Dispositions towards Parents and Families: Rethinking Influences and Education of Early Childhood Pre-service teachers

Historically teachers ’ knowledge, attitudes and dispositions towards parental involvement have been considerably non-existent and negative. This trend is well documented in the research on parental involvement in education. In the twenty-first century, early childhood educators must possess the current requisite knowledge and skills to meet existing challenges in their work with diverse students and families. Although the tide has changed in contemporary times and the research now points to achieving parental involvement in the various activities of their children’s education, recent research stresses the importance of teaching pre-service teachers with the focus and experiences on working with families (Abrego et al. 2006, Graue, 2005). Moreover, to better prepare future teachers, schools of education need to help teacher candidates develop positive attitudes toward families and encourage teachers to draw upon the knowledge and strengths of families to make the classroom education students receive relevant (Knopf, H., & Swick, K. 2008). The question remains how do teachers develop the knowledge as well as these attitudes and dispositions to work successfully with families? A review of research finds that although practicing teachers believe that working with families is important to positive outcomes for children, teachers reported receiving little formal training and, therefore possess minimal knowledge an