Introductory description

It is well-known that the engagement of parents and families in children’s learning makes a significant difference to children’s educational outcomes. Nevertheless, schools’ typical approach to parental engagement tends to be ‘school-centric’ and educators are rarely given the opportunity to study the theories, concepts and practices relating to engaging parents. In that context, this module will give an overview of the latest research on parenting norms and family trends, relating those to the nature and priorities of contemporary schooling. This sets the scene for the module’s central focus on understanding and applying educational engagement models, using those to consider both typical school approaches to working with parents and the experiences of historically marginalised groups in education. Students will have the opportunity to plan a professional development approach for school staff in this area.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

The module will begin by outlining key concepts and issues relating to parenting, families and schooling. This will include latest research on parenting norms, trends in family form and structure, and the nature of contemporary schooling in relation to those, seeking to make international comparisons across these topics. The module will then consider theory and research on parental involvement and engagement, identifying challenges for schools and the experiences of historically marginalised communities in schooling.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the established theoretical concepts related to parental engagement in education.
• Undertake critical analysis of information related to the roles of schools, teachers, parents, families and communities in education.
• Understand and evaluate strategies and approaches in parental engagement in policy and practice.
• Demonstrate an appreciation of the ambiguities and complexities of parental engagement in education, being able to reflect upon evolving issues and values

Indicative reading list

• Constantino (2015) Engage Every Family: Five Simple Principles
• Creasy and Corby (2023) Children, family and the state: a critical introduction, Policy Press
• Crozier and Davies (2007) Hard to reach parents or hard to reach schools? A discussion of home–school relations, with particular reference to Bangladeshi and Pakistani parents, BERJ
• Crozier, Reay and James (2011) Making it work for their children: White middle-class parents and working-class schools, International Studies in Sociology of Education
• Day et al (2024) Engagement Matters: Reimagining Family, School, and Community Relations in Teacher Education to Improve Student Outcomes, Journal of Teacher Education
• Goodall (2022) A framework for family engagement: Going beyond the Epstein Framework, Wales Journal of Education
• Goodall and Montgomery (2013) Parental involvement to parental engagement: a continuum, Educational Review
• Jones, C., Banerjee, P., & Jackson, L. (2025). The positioning of parental engagement within England’s current educational policy landscape. British Educational Research Journal.
• Mapp and Kuttner (2013) Partners in Education: A Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family–School Partnerships, SEDL
• Owen and Barnes (Eds) Family Relationships in the Early Years, Sage
• Pushor and Amendt (2018) Leading an examination of beliefs and assumptions about parents, School Leadership and Management
• Turner-Vorbeck and Sheldon (Eds.) Handbook of Family, School, Community Partnerships in Education, Wiley & Sons
• Zeichner (2023) Communities: Key Words in Teacher Education, Bloomsbury

International

International comparisons will be made.

Subject specific skills

Students should demonstrate a critical understanding of:

• the underlying values, theories and concepts relevant to education
• the diversity of learners and the complexities of the education process
• the complexity of the interaction between learning and local and global contexts, and the extent to which participants (including learners and teachers) can influence the learning process
• the societal and organisational structures and purposes of educational systems, and the possible implications for learners and the learning process
• critiques of theory, practice and research in the area of education.

Transferable skills

Active listening
Analysis and decision making
Communication skills
Complex problem solving
Critical thinking
Judgement and decision making
Knowledge of chosen job/career
Planning and organisational skills