PEDAGOGICAL PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS
Anke van Keulen, Bureau MUTANT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Introduction
In this presentation I will highlight the pedagogical partnership between parents and early
childhood educators, by explaining the project ‘Parents and Diversity’ , its aims, its
approaches and results. My colleague Elly Singer from the University of Utrecht will give an
example how parents and educators are thinking together about social and moral
development.
The project ‘Parents and Diversity’ aims at improving the communication and cooperation
between parents and professionals in child care centres and primary schools. Today,
partnership between parents and professionals is recognized as an important aspect of
institutional quality. However, this pedagogical partnership in current practice is not selfevident. Often the communication between professionals and parents can be characterized as a
one-way traffic. Turning the scale towards a more equal exchange poses both the
professionals and the parents with new challenges. Moreover, parents have different social
and ethnic backgrounds, and differences in pedagogical style, interests and status positions
may all interfere with the communication process. Coping with this many-faceted diversity
challenges the professionals to improve mutual relations.
To illustrate the interference in the communication process we chose an example of the
research ‘Young kids coping with conflicts’ which Elly Singer will explain.
The project ‘Parents and Diversity’ entails the development of this process through pilot
projects, in which the involved organizations of centres and schools will be supported in
furthering parent involvement.
The development project is to result in:
- professionals and parents improving their personal contact;
- improvement of the cooperation between parents and the centres/schools on the
institutional level and development of a more concrete ‘parent policy’;
Bureau MUTANT
1
-
development of instruments to reach these aims (handbook, brochures, video, training
module),
and a plan for further implementation of the methodical approach.
Project approaches
The project ‘Parents and Diversity’ aims at improving the communication and cooperation
between parents and professionals in childcare centres and first grade of primary schools. This
project is developed and implemented by Bureau Mutant 1, is supported by the Bernard van
Leer Foundation and will be carried out in 2003-2005. The project ‘Parents and Diversity’
entails the development of the capacities of professionals to tackle the challenges of parent
participation and diversity through four local pilot projects, in which the involved
organisations of centres and schools will be supported in furthering parent involvement2.
In the project the following approaches are used:
- model of the European DECET network
- model parents roles
- workshops
- European exchange visits.
1) Diversity and Equity model
The project ‘Parents and Diversity’ is embedded in DECET, an European network in early
childhood matters aiming to construct together early childhood education services and
communities where everyone feels that he/she belongs, has all aspects of his/her identity
confirmed, can learn from each other across cultural and other boundaries, can participate as
active citizens and actively address bias through open communication and willingness to grow
and aims to work together to challenge institutional forms of prejudice and discrimination.
In the model used in this project (see att. 1) these targets apply to children, parents as well as
professionals. The model can be used as an instrument to improve and check the centre’s quality on
diversity. The model offers the participants possibilities for:
-
brainstorming: which possibilities do we have working on each goal referring to
children/parents/ of professionals?
analysing the own institution: what are we already doing in our child care centre on each goal?
Where do we see gaps and missing links?
choosing priorities: which goal do we want to address in the next period?
checking and evaluating: do we succeed in the goals we are working on?
1
Bureau MUTANT is a small independent firm supporting professionals and institutions in early childhood
education, welfare and health care in innovative methods, in training and consulting.
2
These institutions are :
- Alcides, Amsterdam Z.O.: a total of 25 child care centres, of which 2 participate in the pilot project.
- Korein, Eindhoven: a total of 40 child care centres, of which 2 participate in the pilot project.
- Kinderstad, Tilburg: a total of 30 playgroups, of which 3 participate in the pilot project.
- DAK, The Hague: a total of 25 child care centres, of which 1 participates in the pilot project.
- K2 , Den Bosch: a youth knowledge/data centre in the province of Noord-Brabant.
MUTANT coordinates and coaches the project ‘Parents and Diversity’ and carries out national implementation.
Bureau MUTANT
2
A trainer: ‘Working with the DECET –goals and scheme during team meetings is successful.
Educators indicate what they are doing in order to reach the targets with the children, parents
and team. The local manager provides feedback. If she ever falls back into her old ways, she
will be talked to. Educators watch each other attentively, and are less and less afraid of talking
to each other in case of prejudice.’
2) Model parents roles:
living together, acting together, thinking together and deciding together
We have opted for the classification “living together, acting together, thinking together and
deciding together” (Ligtermoet; De Wit), because this classification makes a clear distinction
between the different roles to be played by parents. This classification has been based on the
models by Epstein, Pugh and Autar . There is a survey of this models to be found in
attachment 2.
- Living together is about sharing the child’s world, in that parents and professionals learn to
recognize each other’s perspective concerning the raising of a child.
This sharing of perspective is the basis of the relationship between parents and professionals.
“Living together” implies active involvement of professionals in the child’s development at
home, as well as the parent’s active attitude in the development of the child at school, at the
centre or play group. It’s an important condition for harmony between home and institution.
It agrees with the idea of supporting learning activities at home and of communication
between parents and institution (Epstein) as well as with parents as emitter and receiver of
information and parents as supporter and teacher (Autar).
- Acting together contains every activity supported by servicable parents, at home as well as
at the institution.
When we talk about being supportive at home, we mean supporting the child in its
development in a broad sense. Supportive activities within the institution are: helping out in a
group or class, helping out at activities, parties, sports events, participating as a reading or a
computer parent, maintenance of play materials.
This form of working together with parents agrees with Epstein’s idea of “informal service”
and Pugh ideas of “service within and outside the institution”.
- Thinking together concerns every contact between parents and professionals in relation to
the child or in work groups or commissions, centered round special themes.
This might be mutual harmonizing of the pedagogical climate at the institution and at home,
pedagogical policy, publicity, and the position of the institution in the area or city
department, a.s.o.
For Pugh, “thinking together” heads under the dimension “parents as partners” and for Autar
it falls under “parents as advisers”.
- Deciding together has to do with the right to speak and be heard, of the parents in the
parents/teachers committee, the co-management and advisory board or management /
direction.
Both parties- parents and professionals – have and hold final responsibility in their own field:
the parents in the way they raise at home, the professionals in their being with the child at the
institution.
The actual term of parental participation is generally used for the more active form such as
active participation, thinking and deciding. Participation in decision making is actually
referred to as” formal parental participation” (Epstein), “parents as co-responsible people”
(Pugh), “parents as decision-makers” (Autar)
Bureau MUTANT
3
3) Providing workshops
Regular workshops familiarize an ever- increasing group of educators and coordinators with
methods and activities that add structure and depth to contacts with parents.
Theme’s in the workshops are: reflecting on family backgrounds (including one’s own
background), child raising styles and customs, listening to and interviewing parents, analysing
culture shocks, (intercultural) communication skills, etc.
One of the local coaches: ‘I find the implementation method we use in the project successful.
A number of educators follow national workshops. This makes us dispose of all sorts of
subjects and methods. Basing ourselves on these, we set out to work with three pilots,
everyone in their own tempo. This way, one improves one’s knowledge and awareness in
togetherness, one thinks of spearheads, and one observes one’s own attitudes and skills.
Educators are supposed to be their own instrument.’
4) European exchange visits
Part of the project ‘Parents and Diversity’ was participation in the European Grundtvig project
(2001- 2004). This project aimed at exchanging good practice in parental participation in
child care centres as to integration, active citizenship and anti-racism. The participating
organizations represented intercultural child care centres and institutions for training.
Participants were located in France (ACEPP), Belgium (VBJK), Germany (Kinderwelten),
The Netherlands (MUTANT).
The project approach aims at developing an elaborated strategy for integration, citizenship
and anti racism. Parents of ethnic minorities may assume responsibility in child care centres
while their own background is valued and their competences and responsibilities will be
empowered.
Elements of the programme are:
- Exchanging visits with parents of ethnic minorities to reinforce their competences in
participation, to stimulate their responsibilities in child care centres and to help and
support them in European citizenship.
- Seminars with child care professionals to broaden their skills in parental participation.
- Seminars with trainers and tutors to develop new methodologies to support child care
centres in parental participation.
First results
After the European visits and half way the project ‘Parents and Diversity’ the participating
institutions described their results.
The results have been classified around the following themes:
awareness and sensitization, vision in regard to parents and diversity, attitude and behaviour
of professionals, concrete methods, training and coaching, strategies for implementation at the
institution, external policy and external cooperation.
We will describe the first results by quoting the local reports of the pilot institutions.
A pedagogue staff member in one of the child care provisions: ‘The European Grundtvig
project has made us aware of the importance of parental participation in all its diversity. At
all levels there are discussions on the importance of parental participation. Certainly the
educators who came along to Lille and Berlin have become more aware – it has resulted in
concrete actions in their attitude towards parents and activities with parents. In one of the
playgroups parents can come in now for a cup of tea or coffee every morning, ever since the
Bureau MUTANT
4
trip to Lille was organized. Parents feel welcome at playgroup and use the time to play a game
or talk and exchange ideas with other parents and educators.’
One of the local projectleaders: ‚During the first exchange I came to understand that long
years of work with parents of ethnic minorities do not automatically lead to a two-way
exchange between parents and educators. Apparently the (unintentional) power relations are
such that parents should be much more explicitly invited to answer questions such as „what
could the playgroup learn from you“?, and to feel pride in their capacities, to wish to share it
with the educators, with other parents and the other children at playgroup. We are now
looking for practical ways to reach this point, asking parents to come up with an input of their
own, meeting and facing the differences.’
‘It is very clear now that children and parents are inextricably bound together. At our
institution, one no longer says: “early childhood education is about working with children”,
but “early childhood education is about working with children and their parents”.
‚The parents are the main entrance: if the parents feel good, the child also feels good.
Considering this, it is practically impossible to land into a struggle for power with parents; as
a educator you rally to the parents’ needs: „how can I help you to be good at raising a child“?.
‘Over the past, parents’ questions were not discussed. Today, educators are more open
towards parents and collaboration can be talked about. Educators see parents more as
educational partners. Parents and educators form a team together.’
‚Respect for specific parental input means we have to emphasize the fact that a parent is
indispensable for making the child feel it can be proud of its background, and that it can
actually be itself. The parent is the one who knows his child best, and who has all the relevant
background information. Thus, they do justice to the parents’ input and make an appeal on
their strength and force.’
‘Ever since we have been participating in the project, parental participation has been placed
on the agenda at our institution. Heads of unit of preschools and playgroups keep on searching
for ways to raise the question of parental involvement in projects.
Another result is that parental policy has been made spearhead for 2004. This year, we want
to fix parental policy over the entire Foundation and discuss the role of parents at local
centres, in mutual talks with educators and parents .
‘The fire is kept burning in several ways:
The theme of Parents and Diversity regularly comes back during team meetings and group
discussions. People are regularly given assignments in the form of reading work or a number
of questions to the educators. We collect articles from newspapers and magazines, involving
the subject of diversity. Changes are added to the policy plan as supplements.’
Utrecht August 2004
Anke van Keulen, Bureau MUTANT
www.mutant.nl, [email protected]
Bureau MUTANT
5
LITERATURE
Autar, K., C. Gelauff-Hanzon, M.de Jong, G. Walraven. Ouders en school. Samson H.D. Tjeenk
Willink, Alphen aan de rijn, 1996.
Boom, D. van der, Ouders op de voorgrond. Een educatievelijn voor 0-18 jaar. Sardes, Utrecht,
1999.
Caluwé, L. De en H. Vermaak. Leren veranderen. Een handboek voor de veranderkundige.
Kluwer, Deventer, 2002.
Cordus, J. en D. Ince. Actieve ouderbetrokkenheid. NIZW, Utrecht; Averroèsstichting,
Amsterdam, 2002.
Dogan, G. A. van Dijke, L. Terpstra. Wie zijn er ‘moeilijk bereikbaar? Aanknopingspunten voor
ondersteuning en begeleiding van ‘moeilijk bereikbare ‘ gezinnen en jongeren. NIZW. Utrecht,
2000.
Hol, A. (red.). Ouderbeleid in de kinderopvang. Bureau MUTANT, Utrecht, 1994.
Keulen, A. van, Ik ben ik en jij bent jij. Opvoeden zonder vooroordelen. NIZW, Utrecht, 2000.
Keulen, A. van, en A. van Beurden. Van alles wat meenemen. Opvoedingsstijlen in multicultureel
Nederland. Coutinho, Bussum, 2002.
Keulen, A. van (ed.). Young children aren’t biased are they?! How to handle diversity in early
childhood education and school. SWP, Amsterdam, 2004.
Ligtermoet, I. en L. Zwetsloot. Ouders betrekken bij kindercentra. Het kan! NIZW, Utrecht, 2000.
Loggem, D. en K. Autar (red.). Ouders tussen opvoeding en onderwijs. SWP, Amsterdam, 2002.
Pels. T. Opvoeding en integratie. Een vergelijkende studie van recente onderzoeken naar
gezinsopvoeding en de pedagogische afstemming tussen gezin en school. Van Gorcum, Assen,
2000.
POZW. Ouders betrekken! De inzet van allochtone ouders bij het onderwijs in Groningen.
Provinciaal Ontwikkelingsinstituut Zorg en Welzijn Groningen, 1999.
Pugh, G. , Aplin, G. Death, E., Moxon, M. Partnership in action – Working with parents in
preschool centres – an evaluation. Volume one. National Children’s Bureau, London, 1987.
Raad voor Maatschappelijke Ontwikkeling. Educatief centrum voor ouder en kind. Advies over
voor- en vroegschoolse educatie. RMO, Den Haag, 2002.
D. Rich. Megaskills. Building children’s Achievement for the Information Age. Boston, New York,
1998.
Singer, E. De ouders blijven het belangrijkste! In: Hol, A. (red.) Ouderbeleid in de kinderopvang.
Een maat voor kwaliteit. Bureau MUTANT, Utrecht, 1994.
Vandenbroeck, M. The view of the Yeti. Bringing up children in the spirit of self-ass and
kindredship. Bernard van Leer Foundation, The Hague, 1999.
Wit, C. de, Opvoeden doe je samen. Werken aan een inspirerend pedagogisch klimaat. Makelaar
VVE, Den Haag, Utrecht, 2002.
Bureau MUTANT
6
DECET GOALS
WHAT WE ARE
DOING TO
REALISE
THESE GOALS
FOR:
CHILDREN

feels that he/she
belongs

is empowered to
develop the diverse
aspects of his/her
identity

is empowered to
develop the diverse
aspects of his/her
identity

can participate as active
citizens

actively addresses bias
through open
communication and
willingness to grow

work together to
challenge institutional
forms of prejudice and
discrimination
PARENTS
PROFESSIONALS/
TEAMS
European network DECET – Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Training
www.decet.org
Bureau MUTANT
7
ATTACHMENT
MODELS OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT, FROM THE INSTITUTIONS’ POINT OF VIEW
From: A.van Keulen, Parental Involvement and Early Childhood and Preschool Education Provisions.
Den Haag, Makelaar VVE, 202
Epstein distinguishes the following types of parental involvement
1. Parents create conditions: they build a pedagogical climate in which the process of learning can
take place and which is good for the child’s behaviour ( healthy, safe, good care)
2. Comunication between the institution and the parents , in which they are mutual emitters and
receivers of that communication.
3. Informal service: different types of work and service are carrried out by the parents for the benefit
of school or playgroup.
4. Support for learning activities at home , with parents helping children at home with their
school/learning assignments
5. Official parents’ participation: participation of parents in the co-management/advisory council in
the school or the parents’ committee.
Pugh developed a framework with different dimensions of parental involvement and the different roles
of parents, compared to the professionals in playgroup or school( Pugh, 1987):
1. Parents do not participate: parents have consciously opted for not playing an active role within the
institution, for reasons of work/ jobs, or because the parent is passive and not involved, meaning
that he or she might want to participate but lacks self-confidence or doesn’t speak the language (
Dutch).
2. Parents help with events outside the school building or playgroup, with practical help during
school excusions, sports events.
3. Parents participate at the center or in school by taking part in the daily
group/classroom routine, or by helping out at the library or toy/play material loan. Parents can
also participate by means of attending parental meetings or workshops.
1. Parents as partners , with the parents/professionals relation being characterized by a
common goal, mutual respect and the willingness to negotiate. Partnership may be further defined
as:
- individual partnership between parent and professional: parents as colleagues, co-workers, they
have access to relevant information and are involved in the decision making
process around their child;
- partnership between parents and ( a part of ) the institution: participation in planning,
hiring of personnel, evaluation
- partnership in which parents cooperate as group leaders
- partnership between parents and policy: participation in parents’committees, co-management and
advisory council in the schoool, etc
2. Parents’ co-responsibility: parents have co-authority in decision making and council and
adminstrative responsibilities.
Autar (from Loggem, Autar , 2002) makes a repartition in the following roles:
- parents as emitters and receivers of information
- parents as pupils: under this heading fall informative questions by the parent as well as
parents’courses and training;
- parent as supporter by providing stimulating surroundings for learning, by stimulating homework,
and by showing an interest for everything concerning school
- parents as tutor , with parents instructing their children, responsive behaviour
- parents as advisors and decision makers in the school’ or playgroup policy.
Bureau MUTANT
8