Teachers and trainee teachers’ beliefs about family-school relationships

Abstract

espanolEn las ultimas decadas, los investigadores han estudiado las creencias de los docentes en ejercicio y en formacion, pero se han ocupado menos de las creencias sobre la relacion familia-escuela. El objetivo de este trabajo era comparar las creencias sobre la relacion familiaescuela y la auto-eficacia para relacionarse. Participaron 133 profesores y 194 futuros docentes. Se uso el Cuestionario de Creencias sobre las Relaciones Familia-Escuela, que consta de 22 items que exploran las creencias sobre colaboracion, subordinacion (las familias deberian aceptar la autoridad del docente), delegacion (las familias se despreocupan de la educacion), y la auto-eficacia para relacionarse con las familias. Los participantes se sentian altamente capaces y apoyaban la colaboracion, pero los futuros docentes creian mas en la colaboracion que los docentes en ejercicio. Los profesores y los futuros docentes de educacion infantil creian mas en la colaboracion y menos en la subordinacion y la delegacion, comparados con los profesores y futuros docentes de educacion primaria. Estos resultados tienen implicaciones para la formacion inicial y continua de los docentes con respecto a la colaboracion familia-escuela EnglishTeachers’ and trainee teachers’ beliefs have been capturing the attention of researchers for the last few decades but beliefs about family-school relationships are not often addressed. Our aim was to compare teachers and trainee teachers’ beliefs about familyschool relationships and their self-efficacy to relate with families. Participants were 133 teachers and 194 trainee teachers. We used the Beliefs about Family-School Relationships questionnaire comprised of 22 items that explore beliefs about collaboration, subordination (families should accept the teacher’s authority), delegation (families leaving education to the professionals), and self-efficacy to relate with families. Participants felt highly able to relate with families and support collaboration beliefs, but trainee teachers believed more in collaboration than qualified teachers did. Preschool teachers and trainee teachers believed more in collaboration and less in subordination and delegation compared to primary teachers and trainee teachers. These results have implications for teachers’ undergraduate training and lifelong learning about family-school collaboration.