Using an online social media space to engage parents in student learning in the early-years: Enablers and impediments

Authors

  • Linda-Dianne Willis The University of Queensland
  • Beryl Exley Griffith University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1344/der.2018.33.87-104

Keywords:

agency|structure dialectic, digital technologies, early-years, inquiry curriculum, parent-school engagement

Abstract

Unprecedented changes to family life in the new millennium have left many parents feeling unable to effectively participate in their child’s school-based learning. This article presents research which explored enablers and impediments when using social media as part of an inquiry curriculum to promote parent engagement in student learning in one Australian school. Using collaborative inquiry research, various data were collected from two early-years teachers, their students, and the students’ parents using surveys, a full-day meeting, online weekly meetings, interviews, and the social media digital platform of Seesaw. Rogoff’s three interrelated planes of sociocultural analysis – personal, interpersonal, and community – were used to examine participant interactions and their effects. The agency|structure dialectic provided a conceptual lens to further explain how the social media apparatus of Seesaw enabled learning and teaching. The findings showed that access to forms of language needed to contribute to online social media spaces drew attention to the importance of teachers having at the ready a substantive knowledge of inquiry. Implications for future research are discussed.

Author Biographies

Linda-Dianne Willis, The University of Queensland

Dr Linda Willis

Lecturer, Curriculum Studies

School of Education

The University of Queensland

Beryl Exley, Griffith University

References

References (ACARA) Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2018). Australian curriculum. Retreived from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/ (DET) Department of Education and Training. (2018). Parent and community engagement framework. Retrieved February 4, 2018, from: http://education.qld.gov.au/schools/parent-community-engagement-framework/about/ Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. New York, NY: Macmillan. Dezuanni, M. L., & O’Mara, J. (2017). Impassioned learning with Minecraft. In C. Beavis, M. L. Dezuanni, & J. O’Mara (Eds.) Serious play: Literacy, learning, and digital games, pp. 36-48. New York, NY: Routledge. Epstein, J. L. (1995). School/family/community partnerships. Phi Delta Kappa, 76(9), 701-712. Fan, X., & Chen, M. (2001). Parental involvement and students’ academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 13(1), 1-22. Giddens, A. (1984). The constitution of society. Outline of the Theory of Structuration. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. González, R. L., & Jackson, C. L. (2013). Engaging with parents: The relationship between school engagement efforts, social class, and learning. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 24(3), 316-335. Goodall, J. S. (2016). Technology and school-home communication. International Journal of pedagogies and learning, 11(2), 118-131. Grant, L. (2011). ‘I’m a completely different person at home’: Using digital technologies to connect learning between home and school. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27, 292-302. Gu, W. (2008). New horizons and challenges in China’s public schools for parent involvement. Education, 128(4), 570-578. Guo, Y., Wu, X., & Liu, X. (In Press). Changes in parent-teacher relationship under China’s market economy. In Y. Guo (Ed.), Home-school relations: International perspectives, Springer: Singapore. Henderson, A. T., & Berla, N. (1995). A new generation of evidence: The family is critical to student achievement. Washington, DC: National Committee for Citizens in Education. Ho, L., Hung, C., & Chen, H. (2013). Using theoretical models to examine the acceptance behavior of mobile phone messaging to enhance parent-teacher interactions. Computers & Education, 61, 105-114. Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., Walker, J. M. T., Sandler, H. M., Whetsel, D., Green, C. L., Wilkins, A. S., & Closson, K. (2005). Why do parents become involved? Research findings and implications. The Elementary School Journal, 106(2), 105-131. Jeynes, W. H. (2005). A meta-analysis of the relation of parental involvement to urban elementary school student academic achievement. Urban Education, 40(3), 237-269. Jeynes, W. H. (2011). Parental involvement and academic success. New York, NY: Routledge. Lewin, C., & Luckin, R. (2010). Technology to support parental engagement in elementary education: Lessons learnt from the UK. Computers & Education, 54(3), 749-758. Lightfoot, S. L. (1978). Worlds apart: Relationships between families and schools. New York, NY: Basic Books. Lightfoot, S. L. (2003). The essential conversation: What parents and teachers can learn from each other. New York, NY: Random House. Meabon Bartow, S. (2014). Teaching with social media: Disrupting present day public education. Educational Studies, 50(1), 36-64. DOI: 10.1080/00131946.2013.866954 Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory into Practice, 31(2), 132-141. Nansen, B., & Jayemanne, D. (2016). Infants, interfaces, and intermediation: Digital parenting and the production of “iPad Baby” videos on YouTube. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 60(4), 587-603. DOI: 10.1080/08838151.2016.1234475 Olmstead, C. (2013). Using technology to increase parent involvement in schools. TechTrends, 57(6), 28-37. Peters, M., Seeds, K., Goldstein, A., & Coleman, N. (2007). Parental involvement in children’s eduation 2007. London, UK: Department for Children, Schools and Families. Pushor, D. (2001). A storied photo album of parents’ positioning and the landscape of schools. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Alberta, Canada. Pushor, D. (2010). Attending to milieu: Living a curriculum of parents alongside teacher candidates. In J. Kitchen, D. Ciuffetelli Parker, & Pushor, D., Narrative inquiry into curriculum making in teacher education, (pp. 217-238), Emerald Group Publishing. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3687(2011)00000130014 Pushor, D., and the Parent Engagement Collaborative. (2013). Portals of promise. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers. Pushor, D., & Ruitenberg, C. (2005). Parent engagement and leadership. Retrieved January 10, 2010, from http://www.mcdowellfoundation.ca/main_mcdowell/projects/research_rep/134_parent_engagement.pdf Quan, Z. D., & Dolmage, W. R. (2006). Four Chinese teachers’ perceptions of parent involvement. EAF Journal, 17(2), 95-104. Rogoff, B. (1995). Observing sociocultural activity on three planes: Participatory appropriation, guided participation, and apprenticeship. Retrieved from: https://people.ucsc.edu/~gwells/Files/Courses_Folder/documents/Rogoff.Part-Appr.pdf Schwartz, S. (2017). Digital communication tools target ESSA parent-engagement mandate. Retrieved February 2, 2018, from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/04/05/digital-communication-tools-target-essa-parent-engagement-mandat.html Sewell, W. H. (1992). A theory of structure: Duality, agency, and transformation. American Journal of Sociology, 98(1), 1-29. Somekh, B., Mavers, D., & Lewin, C. (2001). Using IT to enhance home-school links: An evaluation of current practice in England. Annersley, Notts, UK: DfES. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Downloads

Published

2018-06-29