Teachers' mediation in initiating positive communication with parents

Abstract

Abstract Warm environment is what all children in the whole world need in order to grow up healthy. Creative teacher s and parents work improves quality of life within family, school, or classroom, and it also influences the community. Partnership certainly contributes to development of democratic changes in school as a micro form of society.

This research focuses on parent - teacher interaction, communication and mediation through eight themes from International Child Development Program (ICDP) which aims to bring out and sustain good quality interaction between teacher and parents. In other words, what is being examined through theory is practice in the case of an inclusive classroom in an elementary school in Sarajevo. The researcher compares experience from period of professional educational work with pupils and their parents in the parent meetings, and the situation nowadays, when the same children and their parents are involved with another class-teacher. The approach is based on existing traditions within a qualitative research using a case study design to investigate and describe the targeted phenomenon in depth during the data analysis and discussion of findings. Observation, interview and focus group discussion methods and document analysis were used to collect data.

The findings obtained confirmed that all of the eight themes for positive communication between teacher and parents were manifested in the observed sessions. While communicating with the parents, teachers attempted to help the parents in their own specific way. Furthermore, the research findings revealed that the teachers have positive perception and experiences of parents in the parent meetings; this is an important resource in children s growing up process. It was also found that teachers are aware that their communication with parents influences the parents development and helps them develop main abilities which they consider important in communication with parents during parent meetings (openness, sincerity, mutual listening, understanding and mutual confidence). On the other hand, the research found that parents have positive perception and experience of teachers in the parent meetings, and that they are aware of the importance of this communication for the well being of their children. Parents are aware that they can contribute in the education process of their children and in school in general. It is recommended that the eight themes for positive communication and interaction between teachers and parents in parent meetings become a part of teacher s education and training.