Many studies and literatures indicate that there are problems standing in the way of building genuine partnership (Hughes & MacNaughton, 2000). Modernist perspective defines the meaning of something by creating a binary relationship and distinguishing the thing from its opposite in the binary relationship (Hughes & MacNaughton, 2000). Thus, the image of educators as professionals is to a large extent defined by placing parents in the unprofessional and amatuer position. Many educators, even parents themselves, hold the view that professional knowledge is privileged and parental knowledge is “other than professional knowledge” as it is inadequate, supplementary, subjective, misguided with or without consciousness (Hughes & MacNaughton, 2000).
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Parent participation means families join in children’s educational experiences as a part of children’s learning life in the early childhood setting with opportunities to speak and be listened to (Cagliari, Barozzi, Giudici, 2004). Although parents has always been a crucial part in children’s development, the early childhood educators and services have not always regarded parents as part of their work (Duncan, 2014). Even under Te Whāriki’s emphasis on the family/whānau involvement, participation was “about parents meeting the teachers’ agenda and requirements within the centre programme” for a long time (Duncan, 2014, p. 13). It cannot be denied that asking for parental comments on learning story, fundraising or equipment and ground maintenance, asking parents for supporting teachers’ planning are some forms of participation, but these are not the genuine participation expected in the deeper …show more content…
To form a genuine partnership is the foundation to create the real and optimised participation. The ways of participation reflect the authenticity of partnership. Without partnership, participation stays only on the most shallow level; without participation, partnership is only a concept in mind or mouth without practical meanings. Partnership and participation support and promote each other. Good partnership can arouse the enthusiasm for participation and participation can make partnership firmer and stronger. In the quote of Dahlberg, Moss, and Pence (2007), “working with parents” emcompasses both partnership and participation. Genuine partnership and participation do not mean the educators’ informing or educating parents by showing off their professional knowledge. The ideal relationship between parents and pedagogues is supposed to be a reflective and analytic one which involves deeper understanding on their mutually contributing roles in children’s
Parent participation means families join in children’s educational experiences as a part of children’s learning life in the early childhood setting with opportunities to speak and be listened to (Cagliari, Barozzi, Giudici, 2004). Although parents has always been a crucial part in children’s development, the early childhood educators and services have not always regarded parents as part of their work (Duncan, 2014). Even under Te Whāriki’s emphasis on the family/whānau involvement, participation was “about parents meeting the teachers’ agenda and requirements within the centre programme” for a long time (Duncan, 2014, p. 13). It cannot be denied that asking for parental comments on learning story, fundraising or equipment and ground maintenance, asking parents for supporting teachers’ planning are some forms of participation, but these are not the genuine participation expected in the deeper …show more content…
To form a genuine partnership is the foundation to create the real and optimised participation. The ways of participation reflect the authenticity of partnership. Without partnership, participation stays only on the most shallow level; without participation, partnership is only a concept in mind or mouth without practical meanings. Partnership and participation support and promote each other. Good partnership can arouse the enthusiasm for participation and participation can make partnership firmer and stronger. In the quote of Dahlberg, Moss, and Pence (2007), “working with parents” emcompasses both partnership and participation. Genuine partnership and participation do not mean the educators’ informing or educating parents by showing off their professional knowledge. The ideal relationship between parents and pedagogues is supposed to be a reflective and analytic one which involves deeper understanding on their mutually contributing roles in children’s