Developing the home-school relationship using digital ... - Futurelab

STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS3.4 CHILDREN’S VOICE AND DEVELOPING AUTONOMY33.4 CHILDREN’SVOICE ANDDEVELOPINGAUTONOMYChildren’s independenceDuring their time at secondary school,children are learning how to ‘be in the world’as independent adults on their own terms. Aschildren get older, parents’ role in supportingtheir learning changes. Parents start to stepback from helping directly with homework aschildren are able to take more responsibility forthemselves, and as parents feel less qualifiedto offer help with school subjects. Both parentsand children are looking towards a time whenparents will not be able to support childrenat every turn. However, parents do still playan important role in children’s learning asthey get older, in encouraging and motivatingthem, and helping them to make decisionsabout educational choices such as takingGCSE options, and post 16 and post 18 choices.Negotiation between parents and childrenfluctuates during this time, for example, someresearch suggests that children aged 14-16want greater freedom from parents in theireducation than they experience, but at age 16­18 tend to want more involvement from parents ata time when parents are generally backing off 72 .“Once she gets to a certain stage I’ll belike, ‘well I’ve no idea what you‘re talkingabout’” (Parent)“You’re not going to be there for their exams” (Parent) Children themselves are often very active ininvolving their parents in their learning, andcan be supported by the school to guide theirparents in how to best support them. Oneschool involves pupils in setting their owntargets and priorities for the term ahead, andthen children themselves share this informationwith parents via the schools’ learning platform(virtual learning environment) 73 .There are likely to be some tensions betweenschool and home as parents and teachersnegotiate with children about the extent towhich they are responsible themselves fortheir own education. Some parents may try toencourage children to take responsibility fortheir own school work by letting them reapthe consequences at school if they do not fulfilthe requirements, while schools may interpretthis as a lack of responsibility on behalf ofparents. While good relationships betweenhome and school can work very well to supportchildren’s learning, there is a danger thatexcessive management of children’s learningby parents and teachers leaves them no roomfor negotiation, and no opportunities to developtheir own independence and responsibility.Digital technologies can provide opportunitiesfor greater co-ordination between parentsand teachers by sharing information aboutchildren’s education and providing opportunitiesfor closer communication. However, it isimportant that these opportunities do notclose down the space for children to exerciseresponsibility for themselves, make their owndecisions and have their voice heard in mattersof their own education. Children themselvestherefore need to be visible, and to have somelevel of control for themselves within digitalsystems to support home-school relationships.Children may be independent and autonomousin some aspects of their learning, but needmore support in others. Children may beintellectually capable of completing homeworkindependently, but parents provide greatsupport in fostering skills of resilience andtime management that ensure that childrencomplete the work in a reasonable time.Children’s voiceChildren are very clear about wanting to belistened to by parents and teachers in mattersconcerning their education. Children areparticularly resentful when they feel teachersand parents are talking behind their back.When children participate in such discussions,they are more likely to have some ownership ofand commitment to any action taken as a result.4272. Interview with Anne Page, Policy Manager, Family and Parenting Institute.73. Interview with Brenda Bigland, Head Teacher, Lent Rise Primary School.