[Commpsych] FW: VIC UNI PSYCHOLOGY COLLOQUIUM THIS FRIDAY - 12-1 L203 FOOTSCRAY PARK- Building home-school partnerships: cohesion, diversity, and difference

[Heather Gridley]

I'VE ARRANGED THIS COLLOQUIUM AT SHORT NOTICE BECAUSE JENNY'S
PRESENTATION AT THE APS Conference in Darwin was not to be missed for
anyone working in Melbourne's West....

FACULTY OF 

ARTS,

EDUCATION &

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Invites you to a Colloquium

 


Building home-school partnerships: cohesion, diversity, and difference


 

Presented by Dr. Jenny Ricketts

 

When:  Friday 23rd October   Time: 12.00 - 1.00pm

Where:   L203, Victoria University Footscray Park Campus (Ballarat Rd)

The Presenter

Dr Jenny Ricketts is a school psychologist who works with adolescents,
families, and staff in a Catholic, coeducational secondary school. She
is currently completing a PhD at La Trobe University. The focus of her
research is developing sustainable, respectful, and mutually beneficial
relationships between all members of the school community.

 

Abstract

This paper describes selected findings from a social justice orientated
qualitative research project.  Research shows that effective home-school
partnerships enhance students' learning. Within a social justice
framework, home-school partnerships activate the independence and
interdependence of cohesion, diversity and difference. How do families,
staff, and young people build partnerships that embrace cohesion,
diversity, and difference?  As psychologist in a Catholic,
co-educational, impoverished SES, multicultural (50+ ethnicities),
multilingual (28 home languages), secondary school, my aim was to
explore the construction of socially just, dynamic, and sustainable
home-school partnerships. Staff members (3) undertook in-depth, loosely
structured interviews; individual family members (10) contributed as
cultural/language consultants; other participants joined focus groups
(12), arranged by culture/language (families), role (staff), and year
level (students). These generated input on the topics of at-home support
for learning, sense of welcome, and interrelationships. All information
was analysed using constructivist grounded theory that enabled an
open-ended, flexible, reflexive approach, allowing for emergent thematic
layers and responsive actions.  The outer layer suggests cohesive goals,
'diversity is valued', and 'triadic (family-staff-student) relationships
are welcomed'. A deeper layer suggests process themes regarding policy
formation, decision-making, and communication. Deeper still are themes
reflecting power relations.  Thematic layers and emergent actions
suggest pathways towards building partnerships that value cohesion,
diversity, and difference. The imperative is embedding culturally aware
triadic conversations and decision-making processes in all home-school
interactions.

 

PLEASE NOTE THAT A LIGHT LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED.

RSVP:  9919 4673 or email Maureen_E_Ryan at vu.edu.au 

 



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