Researchers from the University of Warwick, and the Institute of Education at UCL, recently published their study. They pointed to the lack of training teachers have in terms of parent engagement as a large gap. The survey, which involved over 1,700 teachers across England, revealed that many educators feel unprepared to effectively involve parents in their children’s learning.
Professor Olympia Palikara from the Education Studies department at Warwick collaborated with Ph.D. student Cat Jones. As a group, they have produced some innovative work alongside Dr. Vassilis Sideropoulos, senior research specialist at UCL, examining responses from 1,782 eligible primary and secondary school teachers. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Educational Review, sheds light on the inadequacies in initial teacher education (ITE) concerning parental engagement.
Findings of the Study
The survey’s results showed that just 13% of teachers felt like their ITE taught them how to conduct effective parental engagement activities. Even fewer, less than 7%, of respondents reported receiving training or professional development on engagement with parents. This training failed to cover critical elements such as poverty, language barriers, cultural differences, or previous adverse school experiences. This failure to prepare points to a much larger problem embedded in teacher education programs.
The data reveal that fewer than three in ten teachers (29%) felt their ITE covered the fundamental aspects of parental engagement. This is especially alarming with the increasing awareness of the key role that parental engagement plays in their child’s education. Over 50% of the primary and secondary school teachers we surveyed indicated that they have not had any training thus far. This gap in support prevents parents and caregivers from engaging in their children’s learning and education.
The implications of these findings are significant. Yet for decades, education ministers of all colours have called for increased parental involvement in schools. An omission in preand in-service teacher training prevents the cultivation of strong partnerships that exist between educators and families.
Survey Details and Methodology
The online survey, which ran from June 2023 – March 2024, aimed to reach as wide and diverse a cross-section of teachers across England as possible. The participants were highly heterogeneous in ages and years of experience. This diversity provided a holistic picture of the impact and reach of teacher training on engaging parents.
Local researchers decided to investigate the prevalence of parental engagement training in initial teacher education (ITE). They were just as interested in what knowledge and skills teachers possess to best connect with parents. The results indicated a disconnect between the expectations placed on teachers by educational policy and the support they receive during their training.
The full study DOI 10.1080/00131911.2025.2506802 provides all those who are interested to dig deeper into the research for a closer look.
Implications for Teacher Education
The results of this study demand urgent reform within teacher education programs. We need to make sure that the future educators we employ learn all the skills they will need to actively engage parents. Parental engagement improves student performance massively. Thus, universities across disciplines need to focus on eliminating this gap.
Education leaders call for more robust training to support teachers and help them effectively engage families in productive two-way conversations. This includes understanding how to navigate language barriers, cultural differences, and addressing past negative experiences that parents might associate with schools. Through this training, teachers could feel more equipped to create inclusive environments that really encourage the collaboration between schools and families.