Lydia's case study

Stage Two: Answering my Research Question

Lydia decided to distribute a brief questionnaire to staff and to parents, with a covering letter explaining its origins in the RESPECT project. (She noted later - and regretfully - that the questionnaire didn’t include the children.) She reflected at length on the questionnaire’s design, asking herself such questions as:

• Will all parents feel equally comfortable voicing their thoughts? In particular, will they feel they have to write only positive comments and/or what they think we want to hear?
• How else might I learn parents’ views?
• How can I accommodate parents/families for which English is their second language, or who have difficulties with writing or who have no time or desire to be involved in the research?
• How will the results affect my image of myself as a teacher?
• How do I share the results with others in constructive ways that support staff-parent relationships?

The first question on the questionnaire was, ‘How do you see parent involvement at the centre?’. All respondents felt that, overall, parent-teacher relationships were generally positive and that they could state their ideas about their child. They said that they valued incidental daily communication with teachers as well as their more in-depth conversations at social events and parent/teacher nights; and they said that open communication between teachers and parents can create better/shared understandings of how to care for children. Many parents said that the children’s individual books were a good way to learn about their child’s day, development, interest etc.; and that this was complemented by the room’s journals and by the displays of children’s pictures and work.

Responding to the question, ‘How can staff create genuine space for children, parents and teachers voices to be incorporated and woven into the early childhood curriculum in meaningful and respectful ways?’, parents said that the journals and children’s art work enabled people’s voices to be heard and that social events give parents and teachers time to work together to create a curriculum that includes all stakeholders’ voices. They also said that teachers can learn about children’s time at home and their daily interests, etc. through discussions with parents and through the children’s individual journals. Finally, parents suggested that staff e-mail draft curriculum changes for parents to comment on.