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Supporting fathers to engage with their children's learning and education : an under-developed aspect of the Parent Support Adviser pilot

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Cullen, Stephen Michael, Cullen, Mairi Ann, Band, Susan, Davis, Liz and Lindsay, Geoff. (2010) Supporting fathers to engage with their children's learning and education : an under-developed aspect of the Parent Support Adviser pilot. British Educational Research Journal, Vol.37 (No.3). pp. 485-500. ISSN 0141-1926

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01411921003786579

Abstract

The Parent Support Adviser (PSA) role, piloted in 2006-2008 in 20 Local Authorities (LAs) in England, offered preventative and early intervention support to families where there were concerns about children‟s school attendance or behaviour. Overall, this was a highly successful initiative in terms of supporting parental engagement with their children‟s schools. However, this article presents evidence drawn from 162 interviews (with PSAs, their line managers and coordinators in 12 case study LAs) showing that there was one key area in the PSA pilot that was less successful – the engagement of fathers. The article examines views about how to engage fathers and of the barriers explaining the overall absence of fathers from the PSA project. It highlights the dissonance between policy and practitioner guidance on the one hand and practice on the other with regard to the relative failure to engage fathers with this important initiative.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman

Divisions:

Faculty of Social Sciences > Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (CEDAR)
Faculty of Social Sciences > Institute of Education ( -2013)

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Great Britain. Dept. for Children, Schools and Families, Father and child -- Great Britain, Education -- Parent participation -- Great Britain, Parenting -- Study and teaching -- Great Britain

Journal or Publication Title:

British Educational Research Journal

Publisher:

Routledge

ISSN:

0141-1926

Official Date:

15 March 2010

Dates:

Date	Event
15 March 2010	Published

Volume:

Vol.37

Number:

No.3

Page Range:

pp. 485-500

Identification Number:

10.1080/01411921003786579

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Publication Status:

Published

Access rights to Published version:

Restricted or Subscription Access

References:

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