Parent and Pupil perceptions about their involvement in a school engagement project 'Our Future' : A Qualitative Study

Aim and objective

The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of young people and their parents in relation to their engagement in a school designed intervention, called ‘Our Future’. The objective was to find out whether or not, and how these experiences might be improved, in particular, through more positive social engagement between school and family.

Methods

Qualitative methods were used including in-depth interviews with parents and young people from three families. The families were identified by the school as including young people who needed further motivation to overcome underachievement; build confidence; increase attendance; and engage more fully in the school community.

Analysis

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the data following the guidelines of Smith, Flowers and Larkin, (2009).

Results

Three superordinate themes emerged from the data. Two themes, ‘Value of Support’ and ‘Legacy of Enjoyment’ were shared by both the parent and pupil participants. The third superordinate theme ‘Sense of Belonging’ was drawn from the pupil data.

Conclusion

The research concludes that it is more constructive to promote a solution-focused rather than a problem saturated approach. In schools where this occurs it is more likely to encourage school staff to ‘think outside of the box’ and to lead to more positive experiences for the pupils. When the perspectives of vulnerable, complex or challenging young people and their families change it is likely to lead to difference in narrative.

Recommendations for future best practice include the Educational Psychologist to work with schools and families in solution-focused ways. It is also hoped that the findings of this study will contribute towards answering broad and open questions posed by professionals concerned with promoting engagement between schools, families and young people.