Exploring the uses of digital technologies to build connections between families and schools as children transition to school and to maintain further parent partnership

Woodhouse, Hazel and Passey, Don and Anderson, John (2024) Exploring the uses of digital technologies to build connections between families and schools as children transition to school and to maintain further parent partnership. Zenodo.

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Abstract

The development of “educationally powerful connections and relationships” (Education Review Office, 2015, p.3) between schools and families has long been a focus for research in achieving positive social and educational outcomes for learners. Such relationships are defined by collaborative approaches to a common effort, reflected in the concept of mahi tahi , the idea of working together to achieve specific goals (ERO, 2015, p.5). While this theory sounds conceptually promising, the implementation of these ideas in practice is more complicated than schools may initially anticipate. To truly embrace a collaborative approach, schools may need to considerably alter their relationship with families to ensure they are forming a meaningful partnership with them, aimed at meeting specific needs in the child’s learning and development. In order to facilitate the development of these relationships, there has recently been an increase in schools’ uses of digital technologies and tools to forge communication links with families. This research explores how digital technologies are used by primary schools to develop connections that support families as their children transition to school. The research further seeks to investigate how digital technologies are used to maintain home-school connections and develop positive relationships. School case studies, four in Northern Ireland, and four in New Zealand, taking evidence from purposively selected schools with nursery provision, have provided the context to enable a small-scale comparative study of how digital technologies enable the development of relationships between home and school over time.