What schools and families do need to forge a partnership? The Preschool and Primary School Teacher's Perspective

Abstract

Introduction. The relationship between school and family is an essential element of educational quality that needs to be strengthened (European Commission, 2021). The aim of this study is to analyse, from the teachers' perspective, the needs of schools and families in order to build a successful partnership. Method. The focus group technique was used to gain a depth approach into the subjective view of the teachers. Sixteen pre-school and primary school teachers took part in three focus groups. Their discourse was analysed trough Atlas-ti software. Results. Two sub-dimensions emerged, one referring to the needs of the schools (five categories) and the other to those of the families (one category). Regarding schools, firstly, the need to regulate the school-family relationship is mentioned, although it is limited to the obligations of families, even with punitive consequences. However, teachers also empathise with families' difficulties to conciliate work and family life, advocating more flexible working hours for teachers to facilitate family participation. Other need refers to the opening of schools to families and the community, even creating learning networks, with the support and coordination of other institutions. Finally, there is a reference to specific support to work adequately with multicultural families. Regarding the needs of families, teachers consider that they require training, especially to alleviate their deficiencies and, to a lesser extent, to favour their participation. Conclusions. Teachers are the key agents in the school-family relationship. Therefore, their perceived needs must be met to allow creating a partnership between schools and families, and to enable the democratic participation of the school community.