The involvement of a parent in his or her child’s education is one of the most vital elements that can lead to the realization of positive student outcomes and achievement. This argument recognizes the importance for parents and teachers to develop positive relationships between themselves to ensure this realization. According to Minke et al . (2014), the positive relationships between teachers and parents can be developed through effective teacher-parent communication. In the light of the identified necessities, this literature review focuses on providing a comparative view of the teachers and parents concerning teacher-parent communication, and the effects of a good teacher-parent communication. In the view of the positive relationship between teachers and parents, it would also be essential to look into the manner in which the communication between the two affects the relationship between teachers and their students.
According to the Santiago et al . (2016), effective communication between teachers and parents is one of the foundational elements that can lead to the development of school-family partnerships. Joan Walker and Angela Legg (2018) support this notion by further arguing that the gap existing between regular communication between parents and teachers can prevent effective school-family partnerships, consequently affecting the success of the student. The sentiments provided by the authors point towards the idea that parent-teacher communication is necessary. It is possible to posit that a considerable number of teachers often underestimate the value of developing a relationship with their student’s parents. Such teachers often ignore the notion that parents can be either their best friends or their enemies. However, Wilder (2013) indicates that parent-teacher communication is vital for building trust, consequently leading to a cooperative relationship.
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In most cases, some of the parental concerns relate to miscommunication or misconceptions. To avoid the misconceptions or miscommunication, it is crucial for parents and teachers to communicate effectively, regardless of the provision that the process can be time-consuming (Hill & Taylor, 2004). Good communication does not only benefit the students but the parents and teachers as well. For instance, Kraft and Dougherty (2013) highlight the need for effective communication between teachers and parents, citing reasons that go beyond developing a trusting relationship between the teacher, the student, and parents. In this case, good communication between teachers and parents can alter the view of student motivation and engagement (Kraft & Dougherty, 2013; Hughes & Kwok, 2007). Since teachers and parents are considered as the principal actors that can influence the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of the students, good communication between the two can assist in influencing the engagement of the students in their studies as well as other activities within the school (Kraft & Dougherty, 2013). An improved student engagement affects their learning outcomes.
Given that parents are considered as principal actors that influence student engagement and motivation, their involvement in their children’s school education can assist in the promotion of the students’ sense of self-efficacy (Kraft & Dougherty, 2013). Accisati, Gurgand, Guyon and Maurin (2013), parents should be involved in their child's education primarily because they are considered as a reserve for inputs that are not used fully, meaning that their contribution to their child's education, which is not costly, can assist in enhancing the achievement of improved school outcomes. Parental involvement cannot only assist in student achievement but also the student's behavior and school attendance (Lekli & Kaloti, 2015). In spite of the benefits attached to parental involvement, it is possible to take note of the idea that education practitioners are still struggling with determining meaningful parental involvement, while many of the parents do not feel that their involvement leads to the success of school improvement initiatives.
The success of parental involvement is pegged on their active and ongoing participation in the education of their children. Parental involvement is not limited to their communication between teachers regarding the participation of their children in a school setting, but also their involvement at home (Kraft & Dougherty, 2013). In this case, parents should assist their children with their homework, engage them through discussions about the events at school, and attend school functions or volunteering programs. The activities are necessary for envisioning parents in the learning process in the learning process, which calls for the teachers to implement suitable strategies to develop effective structures that can assist in parental engagement. One of the strategies proposed by Kraft and Rogers (2015) is that teachers should continually present their concerns to parents since parents cannot appreciate being ambushed by information about their children. This calls for the development of a tentative plan that might be adjusted based on the input from the parents.
Good communication between parents and teachers is also vital in influencing the quality of the relationship between the teachers and their students. According to Hughes and Kwok (2007), the development of a sense of social relatedness in students is one of the fundamental constructs in the modern theories of academic engagement and motivation. The effective communication between parents and teachers is one of the factors that can influence a student’s sense of belonging in a school environment. As mentioned earlier, good communication between both parties will lead to the development of positive teacher-family relationships. As a result, the relationship between the teacher and a student’s family will support the relationship between the student, his or her teachers, and other classmates (Hughes & Kwok, 2007). They will then be motivated to participate actively and appropriately in the classroom and school environment.
Additionally, the teachers can derive significant benefits from improving communication between them and the parents. Santiago et al . (2016) refer to different studies on the development of parent-teacher relationships to posit that teachers can benefit from a good relationship since it gives them more time to focus on their primary role, which involves teaching the students. When teachers are in constant contact with parents, they can learn more about their students, consequently implementing suitable strategies for improving student engagement and learning. When the parents and teachers share information about the students, the teachers will be equipped to assist the students with the necessary knowledge and tools that can enable them to succeed.
To conclude, it is vital to consider effective communication between teachers and parents as a vital tool for ensuring suitable student achievement. In this case, the two parties foster student motivation and engagement (Kraft & Dougherty, 2013; Hughes & Kwok, 2007). Based on the notion that effective-parent teacher communication encourages the development of a trusting relationship, the student can significantly benefit since he or she will be not only self-efficient, but also comfortable in engaging in the classroom and school activities. When parents and teachers share information about a student, the teacher will be in a better position to implement suitable strategies that can enhance student success, which consequently affects the overall success of the school.
References
Avvisati, F., Gurgand, M., Guyon, N., & Maurin, E. (2013). Getting Parents Involved: A Field Experiment in Deprived Schools. The Review of Economic Studies , 81(1), 57-83. doi: 10.1093/restud/rdt027
Hill, N. E. & Taylor, L. C. (2004). Parental School Involvement and Children’s Academic Achievement: Pragmatics and Issues. American Psychological Society, 13 (4), 161-164.
Hughes, J., & Kwok, O. (2007). Influence of Student–Teacher, and Parent–Teacher Relationships on Lower Achieving Readers' Engagement and Achievement in the Primary Grades. Journal of Educational Psychology , 99(1), 39–51. doi: 10.1037/0022-0663.99.1.39
Kraft, M. A., & Dougherty, S. M. (2013). The effect of teacher-family communication on student engagement: Evidence from a randomized field experiment. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 6(3), 199-222.
Kraft, M. A., & Rogers, T. (2015). The underutilized potential of teacher-to-parent communication: Evidence from a field experiment. Economics of Education Review , 47, 49-63.
Lekli, L. & Kaloti, E. (2015). Building Parent-Teacher Partnerships as an Effective Means of Fostering Pupils’ success. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 4(1), 101-104.
Minke, K., Sheridan, S., Kim, E., Ryoo, J., & Koziol, N. (2014). Congruence in Parent-Teacher Relationships. The Elementary School Journal , 114(4), 527-546. doi: 10.1086/675637
Santiago, R. T., Garbacz, S. A., Beattie, T., & Moore, C. L. (2016). Parent ‐ Teacher relationships in elementary school: An examination of parent ‐ teacher trust. Psychology in the Schools , 53(10), 1003-1017.
Walker, J., & Legg, A. (2018). Parent-teacher conference communication: a guide to integrating family engagement through simulated conversations about student academic progress. Journal of Education for Teaching , 44(3), 366-380. doi: 10.1080/02607476.2018.1465661
Wilder, S. (2013). Effects of parental involvement on academic achievement: a meta-synthesis. Educational Review , 66(3), 377-397. doi: 10.1080/00131911.2013.780009
