Partnering With Families Community in ECE U1

EEC 009/03
Partnering with Families

and Community in Early
Childhood Education
Unit 1
Introduction to
Partnership in Early
Childhood Education
Contents
Course overview 1
Unit overview 3
Unit outcomes 3
1.1 Families today 4
Definition of families 4
Demographics of modern families 8
Types of family 15
Suggested answers to activities 21
1.2 Perspectives on family involvement 23
Definition of family involvement 23
Models of family involvement 25
Pugh and De’Ath’s (1989) framework of parental involvement 25
Swap’s (1993) framework of parental involvement 28
Epstein’s (1995) framework of parental involvement 30
Dale’s (1996) models of parental involvement 35
Suggested answers to activities 40
Summary of Unit 1 44
References 45
Course Overview
This course introduces you to the role of families and communities in
children's early education. It helps you to understand contemporary families
and provides you with the skills that you will need to build relationships
with families and the community in early childhood education. The course
will provide you with the specific ideas and strategies for increasing family
involvement in the community and schools. It also provides you with
the knowledge to establish teacher-parent partnership as well as ways
to overcome barriers during the establishment of partnership. Besides
that, this course also exposes you to the foundation and methods of
developing successful partnership. Finally, this course also enables you
to manage diversity in the classroom due to changes in family, cultural
diversity and special conditions of the children.
UNIT 1 Introduction to partnership in early childhood education 1

Course Outcomes
By the end of this course, you should be ale to:
1. Describe the characteristics of contemporary life that

influence the nature of modern families.
2. Discuss the parental roles and their implications for

teachers as well as motivations for family involvement.
3. Identify the benefits and barriers of teacher-family

partnerships for children, parents and teachers.
4. Discuss the steps that are necessary in forming the

foundation for a parent and teacher partnership.
5. Explain the importance of working with families from

diverse background and circumstances.
2 EEC 009/03 Partnering with Families and Community in Early Childhood

Unit Overview
Unit 1 explains the concept of families, demographic of modern
families and types of families. It also discusses the definitions of family
involvement. In addition to this, it also explores the models of parental
involvement.
Unit Outcomes
By the end of Unit 1, you should be able:
1. Define families and family involvement.
2. Discuss the demographics of modern families.
3. Compare the functional and dysfunctional families.
4. Identify the types of parents in dysfunctional families.
5. Explain the models of parental involvement.

1.1 Families Today
Definition of families
When working with families of young children, the first thing that we
need to know is the fundamental concept of family. How do we define
‘family’? The early description of family was provided by Murdock (1949),
who studied social structure. According to him, “the family is a social
group characterised by common residence, economic cooperation and
reproduction. It contains adults of both sexes, at least two of whom
maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more
children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults.”
The Vanier Institute (as cited in Gestwicki 2010) defines family as the
following: any combination of two or more persons who are bound
together over time by ties of mutual consent, birth, and/or adoption
of placement and who, together, assume responsibilities for variant
combinations of some of the following:
1. Physical maintenance and care of group members.
2. Addition of new members through procreation or adoption.
3. Socialisation of children.
4. Social control of members.
5. Production, consumption, distribution of goods and services.
6. Affective nurturance-love.

There are two common terms that are used to describe the types of
family, which are nuclear and extended family.
A nuclear family, which is also known as elementary family or conjugal

family, is a family group consisting of two parents and their children (one
or more). The center of nuclear family is a married couple and they can
have any number of children.
An extended family is a family that extends beyond the nuclear family. It

consists of parents like father, mother and their children, aunts, uncles
and cousins, all living nearby or in the same household. For instance, a
married couple lives with the husband’s parents. In such a situation, the
household has changed from immediate to extended household.
Multidimensional definitions of families
Figure 1.1 The definition for family is multidimensional.

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/cute-family-picture-160994/

Is there a single definition of family? In fact, no single definition of family
exists. Over decades, social scientists have struggled in their attempts
to define the multidimensional concept of family. The definition actually
depends on one’s purpose in defining the term. There are a number of
definitions of family being defined from different perspectives.
From the construct’s perspective, the family has been viewed as a close
relationship or a social group, which a group held together by a common
purpose. A close relationship is defined as “strong, frequent, and diverse,
interdependence that lasts over a considerable period of time” (Kelley
et al. 1983, 38). Then, how can we differentiate family with other social
groups? Day, Gilbert, Settles and Burr (1995) included five distinctions
when comparing family with other social groups:
1. The relationship of family members may be involuntary and

more permanent.
2. The actions of family members can be hidden, so there are both

positive and negative environmental conditions that could
influence the members. The positive elements include
openness and honesty, while the negative element might
include abuse, addictions and neglect.
3. There are more intense family ties or bondings.
4. There is often a shared family paradigm or world view.
5. There are biological connections that are absent in other social

groups.
From the inclusive’s perspective, definitions of family are so broad that

no one’s perception of family will be excluded. For instance, Holstein and
Gubrium (1995) propose an inclusive definition based on how individuals
experience reality. The definition of family is coming from the individual’s
local subculture and is his or her own reality. According to Cheal (1993),
there is a shift in defining the family as the modern family in the 1980s

and 1990s. It is now defined as the postmodern family. The family is no
longer stagnant form; it is now more free form. It depends on how the
individual perceives to be family. Thus, the perception of family is heavily
affected by an individual’s life, including beliefs, culture, ethnicity, and
even situational experiences.
From the theoretical’s perspectives, the definition of the family will vary
upon the theoretical perspective that one takes. For instance, according
to the family developmental theory, family members occupy socially
defined positions (e.g., daughter, mother, father, or son) and the definition
of family changes over the family career (Klein and White 1996).
From the situational’s perspectives, the definition of family is based on

practical situations, and is used in defining special types of families. For
instance, Crosbie-Burnett and Lewis (1993) use a situational definition
of family when working with families where alcohol is abused. The term
pedifocal, defined as “all those involved in the nurturance and support
of an identified child, regardless of household membership [where the
child lives]” (p. 244). Thus, the definition of the family is not limited to
only family members, but also includes those working with the family.
From the normative’s perspective, family consists of at least one

parent and one child, such as families married couples with children,
non married, separated, or divorced couples with children and single
parents and their children. The child may not necessarily have biological
relationship with their caregivers (Bibby 1995). They may, for example,
be adopted, grandchildren, offsprings of other relationships, or perhaps
children conceived through artificial insemination or a surrogate mother.
From the functionalist’s perspective (Murdock 1949), the family is

viewed as a construct that fulfills important functions and keeps society
running smoothly. The functions include: reproduction; socialisation;
care, protection, and emotional support; assignment of status; and
regulation of sexual behaviour through social norms. The family creates
well-integrated members of society by instilling the social culture into
children.

In fact, the word family has always meant many things to many people.
So what’s your own definition of family? What images comes to your
mind when you think about the word family? Your images of family will
be influenced by your individual life experiences.
Demographics of modern families

Similarly, when working with families of young children, it is important
for us to consider the demographics of modern families. This is because
family structure may be linked to children’s well-being.
Do you know that modern families are encountering numerous challenges

related to changes in family values and structures? The impact of
globalisation has led to new values being accepted by the young
generation. Similarly, the same issue has impacted on Malaysian families.
Some of these key challenges include:
1. Marital instability and rising numbers of unmarried mothers.
2. Decreasing family size.
3. Changes in women and men’s roles.
4. Stress in modern living.

Marital instability and rising numbers of unmarried
mothers
Figure 1.2 There are a rising numbers of unmarried mothers in Malaysia.

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-holding-baby-smiling-1116050/
One of the major changes in the family is the issue of marital instability
due to divorce. According to the Malay Mail Online (2014), there is one
divorce in Malaysia every 10 minutes. The rate of divorce in Malaysia
is alarming nowadays. In 2008, the number of divorces in Malaysia has
more than doubled as compared to 2004. In 2012, a whopping 56,760
divorces were recorded, which is equivalent to a marriage breaking
down every 10 minutes. According to statistics provided by the Syariah
Judiciary Department Malaysia (JKSM), the number of Muslim couples
getting divorced rose by 2.3 times from 20,916 in 2004 to 47,740 in 2012
and to 49,311 in 2013.

In addition to the increased number of divorce cases in Malaysia, Utusan
Malaysia (2010) reported that there are 81,000 illegitimate births, and that
as many as 257,000 birth certificates issued from 2000 until July 2008
did not record the name of father. This showed that there are a rising
numbers of unmarried mothers in Malaysia.
According to Gestwicki (2010), a growing body of social and scientific

data indicates that children in families disrupted by families and birth
outside of marriage often are inferior to children in intact families in a
number of aspects. These children are more likely:
1. To have emotional and behavioural problems.
2. To drop out of high school.
3. To get pregnant as teenagers.
4. To abuse drugs.
5. Get in trouble with the law.
6. To be abused physically and sexually.

Decreasing family size
Figure 1.3 The average household size in Malaysia has dropped in the recent
decade.
Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/adult-adventure-baby-child-532508/
The most important aspect of considering demographics is to realise

how much change families are undergoing. Do you know that the total
fertility rate in Malaysia has declined tremendously for all age groups?
It was as high as 6.0 children per woman in 1960, then it decreased to
2.8 in 2004 and it dropped again to 1.9 children per woman in 2016.
The total fertility rate in Malaysia has been below the replacement level
of 2.1 babies, which is the average number of babies born per woman
throughout her reproductive life has been insufficient to replace herself
and her partner.
The average household size has dropped from 4.8 persons in 1991
Census to 4.6 persons in 2000 Census, and 4.31 in 2010 Census. There
are many reasons that account for the decreasing family size. The reasons
may include:
1. Many women are delaying age at first marriage due to seeking

tertiary education and participating in the labour force.

2. Women are also entering childbearing later and are stopping
at a younger age. More couples are delaying the birth of their
child as they hope to establish their career and secure
economical status first.
Changes in women and men’s roles
Figure 1.4 There are increased numbers of women in the workforce in Malaysia.
Source: https://pixabay.com/en/executive-businesswoman-world-510490/
Globally, there are changes in traditional gender roles. The days when
men were looked upon as the sole breadwinner and women as the
nurturer and homemaker were gone. Similarly, the changing trends of
gender roles also occur in the Malaysian context. Nowadays, there are
increased numbers of women in the workforce due to better education
opportunities among women. The imbalance of gender roles at home was
being phased out gradually too. Men were noticed to take care or share
of the domestic-reproductive roles and responsibilities. These changes
have opened doors for a more democratic family model.

Stress in modern living
Figure 1.5 Parental stress at workplace may affect the overall emotional
wellbeing of a family.
Source: https://pixabay.com/en/work-stressed-accounts-2005640/
The modern living in Malaysia has led to many mental issues among
Malaysians. Research done by the Malaysian Psychiatric Association on
the prevalence of depression among Malaysians showed a 50 per cent
increase in depressed patients from 2011 to 2015. The National Health
and Morbidity Survey last year indicated 29 per cent of Malaysians had
depression and anxiety disorder compared to 12 per cent in 2011.
The ‘Malaysia’s Healthiest Workplace’ by AIA Vitality Survey 2017 as

reported in FMT News (2017), showed that more than half of a total
of 5,369 employees from 47 organisations, were found to be at risk of
mental health issues. 53% of Malaysian employees reported at least one
dimension of work-related stress, while 12% experienced high levels of
anxiety or depression. In the same study, Malaysians were found to work
an average of 15 hours more than their contracted hours each week,
the highest rate compared with the other three countries, which were
Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.

Therefore, parents in Malaysia are working harder than ever. When
parents feel overloaded, their emotional well-being would be affected.
Thus, parents may not have choices about the time spent at work and
apart from family.
There are many possible causes of the stress at workplace. These include:
1. Declines in real wages.
2. Demands for a more highly skilled and educated workforce.
3. Competitive job environment due to advancement in technology.
4. An increased cost of raising children.
When teachers have a better understanding about the changes in modern

family, they could provide a better support and services that suit the
needs of the family. Awareness of demographics of family helps them
make sense of the fast-changing world. It is important for teachers to
understand the conditions and circumstances in which the students
grow. By studying the challenges that are facing by the family, teachers
may avoid make assumptions about the family.

Reading
Please click on the following web link to read the article on issues
faced by family institutions in Malaysia.
https://www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol._1_No._4;_April_2011/20.
pdf
This paper discussed four current issues faced by family institutions

in Malaysia, namely single family, divorce, parents with children
involved with juvenile cases and domestic violence or abuse. It
also mentioned the contributing factors to problematic families
such as economy, urbanisation, employment, communication and
value change.
Types of family
It is vital for teachers to focus not on family composition, but rather
on family disposition, such as beliefs, values and behaviours. How do
you differentiate a functional and dysfunctional family? Here are some
distinctions between these families (Gestwicki 2010). Generally, there
are two types of family, which are functional and dysfunctional family.
Let us go through the main characteristics of these families.
Functional family
1. It supports and nurtures its members by meeting their needs.
2. The family members feel emotional and social attachment to

one another.

3. The family members understand the importance of both
independence and interdependence.
4. The family members can communicate effectively.
5. The family members are able to cope with problems and

conflicts.
6. It provides a secure, safe and protective environment for family

members.
7. It provides a safe platform for family members to grow and

develop.
Dysfunctional family
1. All family members’ needs are not met.
2. Do not support healthy growth and relationships due to

personal, psychological and environmental factors.
3. Negative parental behaviours dominate the lives of their

children.

Normally, there are four types of parents that are present in the
dysfunctional families:
Deficient parents Addicted parents
The main problem of these parents These parents are addicted to drugs
is omission of good parenting skills. or alcohols are usually unpredictable,
chaotic and inconsistent.
These deficient parents are normally
suffering from mental illness or They tend to change their expectations
disabling physical conditions. from day to day, and do not keep their
promises.
The children become their own
parents’ caretakers and are expected Their attitudes vary from strict to
to meet the needs of their parents and indifferent.
take on the role and responsibility of
adult. They do not encourage emotional
expression.
Thus, children with deficient parents
tend to disregard their own needs and Children are expected to keep the
feelings. alcoholism a secret.
Abusive parents Controlling parents
These parents can abuse their children These parents make decisions for their
verbally, physically or sexually. children and keep them dependent
longer than necessary.
Verbal abuse occurs when they criticise
children about their intelligence, looks, They are often fearful that their
capabilities or value, either directly or children no longer need them.
subtly.
They feel abandoned when children
Physical abuse happens when parents become independent.
bite, punch, kick, beat, paddle and
stab the children to cause burns,
bruises, welts, cuts and skull fractures
in them.

Reading
Please read the following article on dysfunctional family structures.

You may access the full article from this link:
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ886120.pdf
Dysfunctional Family Structures and Aggression in Children:

A Case for School-Based, Systemic Approaches with Violent
Students
This article will (a) introduce the structural elements of a family

system (b) describe links between dysfunctional family structure
and child aggression, (c) propose school-based strategies for
working with students and their families that address the structural
antecedents of aggression, and (d) underscore the feasibility and
benefits of a systemic approach to violent students.
Activity 1.1
1. What are the changes in the modern families nowadays?
2. Discuss what will be the symptoms and difficulties of an adult

who grew up in a dysfunctional family.

Activity 1.2
1. Please indicate the perspective of these definitions of family.
a. The perception of family is heavily

affected by an individual’s life, including
beliefs, culture, ethnicity, and even
situational experiences.
b. Family members occupy socially defined
positions (e.g., daughter, mother, father,
or son) and the definition of family
changes over the family career.
c. The definition of family is based on
practical situations, and is used in
defining special types of families.
d. Family consists of at least one parent
and one child, such as families married
couples with children, nonmarried,
separated, or divorced couples with
children and single parents and their
children.
e. The family is viewed as a construct that
fulfills important functions and keeps
society running smoothly.
f. The family is viewed as a vehicle to
maintain patriarchy (gender inequality)
and social inequality in society.
g. A close relationship or a social group,
which a group held together by a
common purpose.

2. Please match the types of parents (deficient, addicted,
abusive, controlling) based on the characteristics of these
families.
a. Joshua, a 6 year-old boy, is frequently

absent from class. His mother is
sick and has been bed-ridden for
many months. He needs to help out
with some house chores, and look
after his younger brother.
b. Alice’s father is alcoholic. Alice is
afraid to let her friends know about
this condition. She feels disappointed
with her father, as he has not been
keeping his promises.
c. Wei Han always comes to class
with bruises in his body. When
asked by teachers, he told teachers
that his father caned him because
he was naughty. His father also
insults him by calling him ‘stupid’
all the times.
d. Lily seems unable to do most of the
self-help activities on her own (e.g.
dress up, feed herself). Most of the
times, her parents will do it for her.

Suggested answers to activities
Feedback
Activity 1.1
1. Marital instability and rising numbers of unmarried mothers,

decreasing family size, changes in women and men’s roles
and stress in modern living.
2. There is no fixed answer for this question. You may refer to

suggestive answers as below. The answers were retrieved from
http://www.wiseword.org/pg/dysfunctional_family_
symptoms
Activity 1.2
1. a. inclusive
b. theoretical
c. situational
d. normative
e. functionalist
f. conflict
g. construct

2. a. deficient
b. addicted
c. abusive
d. controlling

1.2 Perspectives on Family
Involvement
Definition of family involvement
What is your understanding about family involvement at preschool
level? I am sure that parents may perceive it differently based on their
knowledge. For instance,
Parent A: Family involvement is parents meeting together and deciding

a programme for the preschool.
Parent B: Family involvement means parents work as a teacher assistant
in the classroom.
Parent C: Family involvement refers to parent education programme
where parents learn about the teaching skills.
Parent D: Family involvement is all about participating in preschool’s
activities like Sports Day, School Carnival and etc.
From the above examples, we can see that the term ‘family involvement’ is
perceived differently by different parents. The types of family involvement
include policy making, parent education, fundraising, volunteering time
and exchange of information. The programmes or activities may range
from a low to high level of involvement. Early childhood education settings
with a low level of family involvement usually permit parents to participate
in activities that do not interfere with teachers’ expertise or school’s
decision making power. The examples of low level of family involvement
include newsletters, parent meetings and parent conferences. On the
other hand, early childhood education settings with a high level of family
involvement provide opportunities for parents to make their presence
known. Parents’ expertise is recognised, and they have the rights of
decision making for their children education. The examples of high level

of family involvement include parent visits, classroom observations, and
volunteer assistance of many kinds (e.g. classroom teaching, running
extra-curricular activities like baking class, storytelling).
In fact, family involvement is an all-purpose term used to describe all

manner of parent interaction at school level. Parental involvement as
such may be defined in different ways. Table 1.1 shows the different
definitions to define family involvement.
Definition Author/s
The amount of participation a parent has when it Althoff (2010)
comes to schooling and her child's life
The activities occurring between a parent and a Abdullah, Seedee,
child or between a parent and teachers at school Alzaidiyeen, Al-Shabatat,
that may contribute to the child's educational Alzeydeen and
outcomes and development. Al-Awabdeh (2011)
The active engagement of a parent with their child Nye (2006)
outside of the school day in an activity which
centres on enhancing academic performance.
A multi dimensional construct that refers to the Hoglund, Jones, Brown
engagement of significant caregivers into the and Aber (2014)
education of their children at home, such as
helping their child with homework, and at school,
such as communicating with their child’s teacher
and supporting their child in school.
Parent involvement is defined as families and Epstein et al. (1997)
communities who take an active role in creating
a caring educational environment.
Table 1.1 Definitions of family involvement

Reading
Please read the following article, which discusses the importance

of parental involvement at school level. According to this article,
parental involvement is an essential part of a successful learning
system. This brings benefits to students, parents and schools.
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2018/03/25/
parental-involvement-vital-part-of-learning/
Models of family involvement

In fact, there are many models of parental involvement being proposed
by researchers. They conceptualised different forms of how parents could
work together with early childhood teachers and their settings. In the
following section, we are going to learn about four models of parental
involvement.
Pugh and De’Ath’s (1989) framework of

parental involvement
Gillian Pugh and Erica De'Ath came up with a framework to help
teachers and parents think widely about partnership (Pugh & De’Ath’s,
1989). The framework was based on a study with children who had
disability challenges, which were recruited from 130 nurseries, play
groups and early childhood centres. Pugh and De’Ath’s (1989) study
included investigating the extent of involving families with children under
five in partnership, promoting initiatives, disseminate information and
discussion of parent-professional with the service providers. Pugh and
De’Ath (1989) advised that the progression of the framework should not
be too linear as the involvement of parents may differ either at different
levels or due to circumstances at the settings.

They identified the following five dimensions to parental involvement as
shown in Figure 1.6.
Parents in control
Partnership
Participation
Support
Non-Participation
Figure 1.6 Models of parental involvement by Pugh and De’Ath (1989)
1. Non-participation
Generally, parents are not involved in their children’s learning.

Non-participation parents are further divided into two types.
The first type is active non-participation, where parents decided
not to participate due to some reasons. For instance, parents
might have busy work schedules or want time away from their
children. The second type is passive non-participation, where
parents would like to be involved, but are unable because of
other constraints, for examples, lack of confidence, or may be
unhappy with the form of partnership offered.

2. Support
Parents support a setting ‘from the outside’. These parents

become involved but only when invited. Support’ from parents
may be through fundraising, providing money for learning
resources to the centre and attending events.
3. Participation
Parents participate in a setting ‘from within’. There are two

types of role in this involvement. The first type is known as
parents as helpers, where parents helps to provide assistance
on outings, support children's learning in the setting, or run
a toy library. The second type is parent as learners. Parents
receive knowledge about child development by attending
workshops, parent education sessions, and parent forums.
4. Partnership
Parents are involved in a working relationship with teachers.

Partnership is demonstrated by a shared sense of purpose and
mutual respect. For instance, parents have equal access to
information and records; share in the diagnosis and assessment
of their children.
5. Control
Parents ‘in control’ have the same responsibility and control

as governors in the school. Parents determine and implement
decisions; choose and govern staff; take care of resources
and budgets; determine and centre’s aims and objectives; and
are ultimately responsible and accountable for the provision
of the setting.

Swap’s (1993) framework of parental involvement
“Home-school partnership is no longer a luxury.
There is an urgent need for schools to find ways to support the
success of all children. One element we know contributes to
more successful children and more successful schools across all
populations is parent involvement in children's education. When our
focus is on improving the achievement of children at academic risk,
partnership with families is not just useful — is crucial.”
Susan Swap
1993
Susan Swap was a professor of education and psychology at Wheelock

College in Boston, and the director of the school’s center on families,
communities, schools and children’s learning. Swap developed a
conceptual framework of home-school interactions. Swap (1993)
identifies three models of parental involvement as displayed in Figure 1.7.
Protective
Model
Swap’s
(1993)
Curriculum-
Tansition
enrichment
Model
Model
Figure 1.7 Models of parental involvement by Swap (1993)

The ‘protective model’ aims to protect the schools from interference by
parents by avoiding conflict between teachers and parents. The roles
and responsibilities of teachers and parents are clearly separated. The
teachers’ role is to educate children, while parents’ role is to ensure
children get to school on time. In this model, parental involvement in
working together is considered inappropriate or unnecessary by the
school. Parental involvement is deemed as potentially interfering with
the education of children.
The ‘transition model’ aims to enlist parents to support the mission of

the school. However, teachers are deemed to be the primary source
of expertise on children, and parents are recognised as a resource to
support and facilitate children’s learning and progress. This model is
based on an assumption that all parents can, and should, take on the
role of acting as a resource. The direction is primarily from school to
home with little feedback from parents. However, this could potentially
overburden parents by putting excessive demands on them to carry out
activities at home.
The ‘curriculum-enrichment model’ aims to extend the school curriculum

by incorporating parent’s contributions. Teachers draw on parents’
knowledge and experiences to enhance curriculum and instruction within
schools. In this model, parents’ expertise is valued, and the interaction
between parents and school is deemed to be useful in enhancing the
curriculum and the educational objectives of the school. The major
drawback to this model is that it involves teachers allowing parents to
have heavy input regarded what is taught and how it is taught. In some
instances, this may seem threatening to the teacher.

Epstein’s (1995) framework of parental involvement
Dr. Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University, who is a leader in parent-
teacher-school research, has developed a framework for defining six
different types of parent involvement. This framework assists teachers
in developing school and family partnership programmes. Many schools
are using this model. Here is an overview (Figure 1.8) of Epstein’s (1995)
typology of parent involvement in education.
Parenting
Collaborating with
Communicating
the community
Epstein’s
(1995)
Model
Decision making Volunteering
Learning at home
Figure 1.8 Joyce Epstein’s typology and framework for parental involvement
in education
1. Parenting
Parenting is one of the key aspects in parental involvement.

Schools need to assist all families in establishing home
environments that are supportive to their children.

Here are some suggestions of activities that can be supported
by schools:
a. Lending reading or audio visual materials (e.g. books and

video tapes) to parents
b. Organising educational courses or training workshops

for parents, such as child development, homework help,
and family literacy.
c. Conducting family support programmes, resources and

referrals to assist families with nutrition, health care, and
other services.
d. Supporting and recognising for the role grandparents play

in the extended family as teachers.
e. Encouraging parents to form a parent-led support group

where families can share their experiences and their
knowledge with each other.

2. Communicating
Communication between families and schools is important to

ensure successful partnership. It is essential to create effective
two way communication modes between school and families.
There is a need to establish constant communication with
families about school programmes and student progress.

by schools:
a. Organising teacher-parent conferences with every parent

on regular basis.

b. Conducting annual orientation for families.
c. Providing parent handbook which contains clear

information on programme policies.
d. Providing translation services to assist families as needed.
e. Keeping regular folders of student work for parent review

and comment.
f. Having bulletin board to post news and announcements

for parents.
3. Volunteering
Volunteering is an important component to recruit and organise

parent help and support. It is necessary to improve recruitment
and training to involve families as volunteers and as audiences
at the school. This also allows teachers to work with volunteers
who support students and the school. However, it is important
to provide meaning work and flexible scheduling for families.

by schools:
a. Conducting parental survey to check on their talents and

availability.
b. Organising volunteer training programme to help parents

find out how they can participate and utilise their potentials
and skills.
c. Creating parent room or family center for volunteer work,

meetings, and resources for families.

d. Organising school/classroom volunteer programme to
help teachers, administrators, students, and other parents.
e. Providing opportunities for parents to help with safety,
academic work and career related information.
4. Learning at home
Learning is not limited to school only, but also at home. Schools

can provide information and ideas to families about how to help
students at home with homework and other curriculum-related
activities, decisions, and planning.

by schools:
a. Provide information for families on skills required for

students in all subjects at each grade.
b. Provide information on homework policies and how to

monitor and discuss schoolwork at home.
c. Host parent forums that create platforms for parents to

meet one another and discuss their concerns and
experiences with child rearing, culture clash, and other
family matters.
d. Organise workshops that focus on how parents can make

games, flash cards, and activity boxes to use at home.
5. Decision making
Families have the rights or says in their children’ education.

Thus, it is essential to include families in programme decisions,
developing parent leaders and representatives.

by schools:
a. Set up programme level committees for family participation

and community involvement.
b. Encourage parent to participate on advisory councils.
c. Set up networks to link all families with parent

representatives.
d. Prepare suggestion box where staff, students, and parents

can contribute.
6. Collaborating with community
Schools need to constantly collaborate with community in

the process of building partnership with families. Schools can
help to identify and integrate resources and services from the
community including businesses, agencies, cultural and civic
organisations, colleges and universities for families, students,
and the school. Such collaboration can help to strengthen
programmes, family practices, and student learning and
development.

by schools:
a. Provide information for students and families on

community health, cultural, recreational, social support,
and other programmes or services.
b. Provide information on community activities that link to

learning skills and talents, including holiday programmes
for students.

c. Integrate services in partnership with business, civic,
counseling, cultural, recreation and other agencies and
organisations.
d. Organise art exhibitions that display student artwork, and

inviting parents and the community to view the art.
Dale’s (1996) models of parental involvement

Dale (1996), a clinical psychologist who also worked with children with
special needs identified five common partnership arrangements between
schools and parents/carers as displayed in Figure 1.9.
Protective
Model
Negotiating Expert
Dale's
(1996)
Model
Empowerment Tansplant
Figure 1.9 Models of parental involvement by Dale (1996)

The consumer model
The consumer model involves more of a partnership between parents

and professionals. This model utilises ideas from the marketplace where
the parent and the disabled child are regarded as consumers of services.
This model granted parents to decide what services they need and want
for their child. Thus, the professional gathers information from parents
by picking up clues from complaints, suggestions, conversations,
questions and opinions. The key of this model is mutual respect, so that
the professional is not considered to have lost his or her status.
The expert model
The expert model reflected the traditional way of working, where

professional was considered as the expert and the parent did not involve
in the process with the child. The professionals rely on his or her expertise
to make decisions and take control of what needs to be done. The parent
had to depend on the professional’s opinion without querying anything
done. Professionals maintain their status as ‘experts’ and expected
parents to follow their directions. In other words, teachers are in charge
of all decisions, while the parent’s role is to receive information and
instruction about their children. The need for a mutual relationship and
information sharing is not emphasised. Parents’ role is primarily providing
information. Parent’s perspectives and feelings are not very much valued.
The transplant model
In this model, the role of professionals is to share their expertise with

parents by transplanting their skills to the parents. Parents are enlisted
as co-teachers and are taught the necessary techniques that they should
use with their children. Parents play a more active supporting role in
this model, but the professional still has the ultimate responsibility for
decision making. Parents are seen as lack of knowledge in meeting the
needs of their children, and required professional direction.

The negotiating model
The negotiating model, Dale (1996) suggested as the most integrated

model of partnership. Both the parent and the professional have different
contributions and responsibilities that are valuable that lead to the best
decisions for children. Parents and professionals negotiate to reach a
decision which lead to shared understanding.
The empowerment model
The empowerment model is a more recent model of parent-professional

partnership. Professional recognises the family as a social system. Family
relies on informal networks of support such as neighbours, other family
members, and friends rather than on the formal network between the
professional and the parent. In this model, a professional recognition of
the family as a social system and the right of the parent to choose as a
consumer is combined. The professional job is to empower the family
to meet its own needs rather than to make judgements and decisions
about those needs.
Activity 1.3
1. Based on Epstein’s (1995) framework, what are the challenges

that you can foresee when carrying out the activities in these
dimensions? Please provide your opinions.
a. Parenting
b. Communicating
c. Volunteering

d. Learning at home
e. Decision making
f. Collaborating with the community
Activity 1.4
1. Based on the activities listed in the table, please link them

to the six dimensions (parenting, communicating, volunterring,
learning at home, decision making and collaborating with
the community) of parental involvement as proposed by
Epstein (1995).
Activities Dimension
a. Hosting parent forums that create
platforms for parents to meet one
another and discuss their concerns
and experiences with child rearing,
culture clash, and other family
matters.
b. Conducting family support
programmes, resources and referrals
to assist families with nutrition,
health care, and other services.
c. Providing information on community
activities that link to learning skills
and talents, including holiday
programmes for students.
d. Lending reading or audio visual
materials (e.g. books and video
tapes) to parents
e. Keeping regular folders of student
work for parent review and comment.

Activities Dimension
f. Organising school/classroom
volunteer programme to help
teachers, administrators, students,
and other parents.
g. Setting up networks to link all
families with parent representatives.
h. Providing opportunities for parents
to help with safety, academic work
and career related information.
i. Having bulletin board to post news
and announcements for parents.
j. Providing information on homework
policies and how to monitor and
discuss schoolwork at home.
k. Encouraging parent to participate on
advisory councils.
l. Providing information for students
and families on community health,
cultural, recreational, social support,
and other programmes or services.

Suggested answers to activities
Feedback
Activity 1.3
1. Answers were taken from Hatchuel Tabernik & Associates,

who adapted from Joyce L. Epstein, Co-Director of the
Center on Families, Communities, Schools and Children’s
Learning at The Johns Hopkins University. Accesed from
cscinnovation.org/wp-content/.../09/Epsteins-Typology-of-
Parent-Involvement.pdf
Dimension Challenges
a. Parenting • To get appropriate information to all
parents, not just those who attend
workshops
• To get the word out to all families
• To get appropriate information to all
parents, attend workshops Enable
parents to share family/child strengths/
talents, including cultural values
b. Communicating • Language and literacy barriers
• Quality and clarity of communication
media — print, telephone, video, etc.
• Establish clear pathways for two way
communication between school and
home.
• Establish effective multi-track
communications

c. Volunteering • Recruit families widely so all know
their time and talents are welcome.
• Create flexible scheduling for
volunteers, assemblies, and events so
parents that work can participate.
• Organise volunteer work, provide
training, match time and talent with
school/teacher/student needs.
• Recognise and acknowledge the time
and effort parents give to the school.
d. Learning at • Design regular interactive activities
home that engage students and families in
the assignment.
• Coordinate family-linked activities
between multiple staff members.
• Involve families with their children in
important curricular-related decisions.
e. Decision making • To adequately involve family
representatives of all racial, ethnic and
socioeconomic groups.
• Train parent leaders to serve as
representatives of other families and
to provide consistent feedback to their
fellow parents.
• To include students as well as parents
in the decision making process.
• Redefine decision making to mean a
partnership of shared views and goals
vs. power struggle.

f. Collaborating • Solve turf problems — responsibilities,
with the funds, staff, and locations for
community collaborative activities.
• Inform families of community
programmes for students (e.g.,
mentoring, tutoring, business partners).
• Assure equity of opportunities for
students and families to participate in
programmes and services.
• Match community contributions with
school goals; integrate child/family
services with education.
• Redefine community to be inclusive of
all social and economic groups with an
interest in education.
Activity 1.4
a. learning at home
b. parenting
c. collaborating with the community
d. parenting
e. communicating
f. volunterring
g. decision making
h. volunterring
i. communicating

j. learning at home
k. decision making
l. collaborating with the community

Summary of Unit 1
Summary
In this unit, the definitions of family and family involvement are

described. The demographics of modern families are discussed.
The characteristics of functional and dysfunctional families
are compared. Four types of parents in dysfunctional family
are explained. In addition to this, the four models of parental
involvement are illustrated.

References
Archives, 30 June 2010 and Utusan Malaysia [Kuala Lumpur], 2 July 2010.
Bibby, R W (1995) The Bibby Report: Social Trends Canadian Style,

Toronto: Stoddart.
Cheal, D (1993) ‘Unity and difference in postmodern families’, Journal

of Family Issues, 14(1):5 – 19.
Crosbie-Burnett, M and Lewis, E A (1993) ‘Theoretical contributions from

social, cognitive, and behavioral psychology’ in Boss, P G, Doherty, G
W, Larossa, R, Schumm, W R and Steinmetz, S K (eds) Sourcebook of
Family Theories and Methods: A Contextual Approach, New York: Plenum
Press.
Dale, N (1996) Working with Families of Children with Special Needs,

Partnership and Practice. London: Brunner-Routledge.
Day, D, Gilbert, K R, Settles, B H and Burr, W R (1995) Research and

Theory in Family Science, Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.
Epstein, J L (1995) ‘School, family and community partnerships: Caring

for the children we share’, Phi Delta Kappan, 76, pp. 701 – 712.
Gestwicki, C (2010) Home, School and Community Relations, 9th edn,

USA, CA: Wadsworth.
Hoglund, W L G, Jones, S M, Brown, J L and Aber, J L (2014) ‘The

evocative influence of child academic and social emotional adjustment
on parent involvement in inner city schools’, Journal of Educational
Psychology.

Holstein, J A and Gubrium, J F (1995) ‘Deprivatization and the construction
of domestic life’, Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57(4): 894 – 908.
Kelley, H H, Berscheid, E, Christiansen, A, Harvey, J H, Huston, T L,

Levinger, G et al. (1983) ‘Analyzing close relationships’ in Kelley, H H,
Berscheid, E, Christiansen, A, Harvey, J H, Huston, T L, Levinger, G,
McClintock, E, Peplau, L A and Peterson, D R (eds.) Close Relationships,
20-67, New York: W. H. Freeman.
Klein, D M and White, J M (1996) Family Theories: An Introduction,

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Malay Mail Online (2014) https://www.malaymail.com/s/628027/one-

divorce-in-malaysia-every-10-minutes (Accessed 23 October 2018).
Murdock, G P (1949) Social Structure, New York: Free Press.
Nye, C (2006) Approaches to Parent Involvement for Improving the

Academic Performance of Elementary School Age Children, USA: Sage.
Pugh, G and De’Ath, E (1989) Working Towards Partnership in the Early

Years, 2nd edn, London: National Children's Bureau.
Swap, S M (1993) Developing Home-school Partnerships: From Concepts

to Practice, New York: Teachers College Press.

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Partnering With Families Community in ECE U1

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EEC 009/03

Partnering with Families

1.1 Families today 4

Demographics of modern families 8

Suggested answers to activities 21

1.2 Perspectives on family involvement 23

Definition of family involvement 23

Models of family involvement 25

Pugh and De’Ath’s (1989) framework of parental involvement 25

Swap’s (1993) framework of parental involvement 28

Epstein’s (1995) framework of parental involvement 30

Dale’s (1996) models of parental involvement 35

Suggested answers to activities 40

UNIT 1 Introduction to partnership in early childhood education 1

1. Describe the characteristics of contemporary life that

2. Discuss the parental roles and their implications for

3. Identify the benefits and barriers of teacher-family

4. Discuss the steps that are necessary in forming the

5. Explain the importance of working with families from

2 EEC 009/03 Partnering with Families and Community in Early Childhood

1. Define families and family involvement.

2. Discuss the demographics of modern families.

3. Compare the functional and dysfunctional families.

4. Identify the types of parents in dysfunctional families.

5. Explain the models of parental involvement.

UNIT 1 Introduction to partnership in early childhood education 3

1. Physical maintenance and care of group members.

2. Addition of new members through procreation or adoption.

4. Social control of members.

5. Production, consumption, distribution of goods and services.

4 EEC 009/03 Partnering with Families and Community in Early Childhood

A nuclear family, which is also known as elementary family or conjugal

An extended family is a family that extends beyond the nuclear family. It

Multidimensional definitions of families

Figure 1.1 The definition for family is multidimensional.

UNIT 1 Introduction to partnership in early childhood education 5

1. The relationship of family members may be involuntary and

2. The actions of family members can be hidden, so there are both

3. There are more intense family ties or bondings.

4. There is often a shared family paradigm or world view.

5. There are biological connections that are absent in other social

From the inclusive’s perspective, definitions of family are so broad that

6 EEC 009/03 Partnering with Families and Community in Early Childhood

From the situational’s perspectives, the definition of family is based on

From the normative’s perspective, family consists of at least one

From the functionalist’s perspective (Murdock 1949), the family is

UNIT 1 Introduction to partnership in early childhood education 7

Demographics of modern families

Do you know that modern families are encountering numerous challenges

Some of these key challenges include:

1. Marital instability and rising numbers of unmarried mothers.

2. Decreasing family size.

3. Changes in women and men’s roles.

4. Stress in modern living.

8 EEC 009/03 Partnering with Families and Community in Early Childhood

Figure 1.2 There are a rising numbers of unmarried mothers in Malaysia.

UNIT 1 Introduction to partnership in early childhood education 9

According to Gestwicki (2010), a growing body of social and scientific

1. To have emotional and behavioural problems.

2. To drop out of high school.

3. To get pregnant as teenagers.

5. Get in trouble with the law.

6. To be abused physically and sexually.