Masters Degrees (Educational Psychology)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Educational Psychology) by Author "Basson, Arno"

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    School-parent collaboration to address children's barriers to learning in a full-service school
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Basson, Arno; Daniels, Doria; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Educational Psychology.
    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.