The International Observatory on Academic Achievement - Documentary search

File number :
CS-CEFC-30e

Bibliographic reference :
Humbeeck, B., Lahaye, W., & Pourtois, J.P. (2006). Les relations école-famille : de la confrontation à la coéducation. Revue des sciences de l’éducation, 32(3), 649-664.

Abstract :

This article presents an action research carried out by the CERIS – Centre de recherche et d’innovation en sociopédagogie familiale et scolaire (centre for research and innovation in family and academic socio-pedagogy) in three underprivileged elementary schools in the Charleroi area in Belgium. This study pursued a dual objective. First, the study was to establish a common base for parents and teachers to help them to agree on a working definition of education. In turn, this would help in the implementation of a co-education process where children would benefit from consistent family and school environments and in the adaptation of parent-teacher communication practices to stimulate co-education.

Co-education
Co-education first requires that schools and families identify their individual roles and common areas of action. Basically, teachers are responsible for teaching explicit knowledge and the psychosocial development of children in learning situations, while parents are essentially responsible for teaching implicit knowledge at home such as language practices, behaviour patterns, attitudes and so on.

There is co-education when teachers and parents “consider the fundamental needs of children while preserving individual knowledge (implicit and explicit) and teaching areas (family and school).” The twelve-need psycho-pedagogical model of Pourtois and Desmet is the preferred foundation of co-education. Parents and teachers become educational partners who agree not to question the knowledge taught by one another.

Three fundamental rules underlie co-education: (1) Co-educating is not co-teaching (e.g., parents’ criticism of teaching methods); (2) Co-educating is not co-management (e.g., parents’ criticism of school functioning); and (3) Co-educating is not educating families (e.g., teachers’ criticism of families’ way of being or behaving).

Co-education Instruments
As part of the research conducted by the CERIS, achieving co-education in the selected schools required changing the form and function of the main school media used to ensure communication between school and family (homework, classroom log and report cards).

Some results from the action research showed that eight out of ten parents viewed homework time as unpleasant or very unpleasant. Therefore, homework was considered differently. Parents were encouraged to record, for each assignment, the specific areas where their child had exhibited difficulties causing inconveniences. Hence, homework can become a communication tool between teachers and families in addition to being an effective pedagogical tool.

Classroom logs were somewhat diverted from their traditional use to serve as a means for teachers and parents to assess not only children’s life at school and home, but also the links these two environments could sustain in order to ensure that educational practices are in line with each other.

Traditional report cards were also changed to emphasize children’s socio-emotional development rather than their learning difficulties. Besides academic scores, the comments of students, parents and teachers were recorded on report cards.

Links :
This journal is also available in electronic format. Publisher’s Website Address: http://www.rse.umontreal.ca/"

Key Words :
Co-education, Cooperation, Explicit Knowledge, Implicit Knowledge, School Media, Homework, Classroom Log, Report Card, Communication Practices, Action Research, Primary/Elementary School, Newsletter8

Monitored Countries :
Belgium