Practices of parental participation: a case study

Abstract

The nature of parental participation in children’s education is changing rapidly. A growing body of research points to the positive effect that parental involvement has on outcomes of schooling and on children’s well‐being. This paper examines parental participation practices in terms of parents working together with a range of professionals, exchanging knowledge and information regarding their child’s SEN, challenging practices, and negotiating SEN provision. The parents in this study exercised agency – that is, they showed resilience and took initiative, within a context of shared responsibility and accountability, and advocated for their child’s right to educational provision. This paper argues for a strengths‐based approach towards enabling active parental participation and advocacy.

Keywords:

• parental involvement
• participation
• advocacy models

Acknowledgement

I wish to thank Joe and Joe’s parents, teachers, and other professionals who worked together to ensure an appropriate educational provision for Joe. I am also grateful for the discussions I had with Joe’s parents and the insight they offered. Finally, I would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments.

Notes

1. “Joe” is a pseudonym used for confidentiality purposes.