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Fanau Engagement: Understanding the effects of digital learning and home

school partnership

OCIES 43RD International Conference 3 - 6 November, 2015

University of South Pacific – Emalus Campus Port Vila, Vanuatu

v  Maria Meredith

v  PhD Candidate v  University of Auckland, New Zealand v  Faculty of Education and Social Work v  School of Curriculum and Pedagogy v  m.meredith@auckland.ac.nz

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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Aim of study

v  Describe parents engagement online/offline at home, in schools and community

v  Identify family digital literacy practices v  Identify other sites of family learning v  Identify cultural models v  Describe academic socialisation in the real

and virtual world

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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Background to study

v Explore digital schooling innovation in a low socioeconomic school community in New Zealand

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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Research v  Digital Learning Initiatives

(Jewitt & Parashat, 2011; Broadbent & Papadopoulos, 2013; Rivera, 2014)

v  Digital Access and Use (Norris, 2001; Davies & Jewitt, 2011; Jewitt & Parashat, 2011; Vuorikari, et

al, 2011; Coster, 2012)

v  Parental Involvement (Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 1998; Desforges & Abouchard, 2003;

Lee, 2008; Hollingsworth, et al, 2011; Istead & Shapiro, 2014)

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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The Community v  15,966 residents living in Glen Innes, Point England & Panmure v  The area is rated a Decile 10 (lowest) on the NZ Deprivation Index v  There are 3699 families v  It has a youthful population v  Ethnic groups include: European, Pacific, Maori, Asian & Other v  A high percentage of Pacific Peoples’ 45.5%; A large Māori population 22.4% v  36.1% of families in Tāmaki are headed by single parents v  Income threshold is lower in Tāmaki compared to rest of Auckland -53.9% of people aged 15 years & over earn less than $20K per year (NZ 38.3%) -15.8% of people aged 15 years & over earn over $50K per year (NZ 26.7%) v  21.1% of people receive some type of welfare benefit v  Unemployment rate for those 15 years & over is high at 17.0% (NZ 7.1%) v  65% of dwellings are state owned; 35% are private dwellings or held in a family

trust

Source: (Tamaki Redevelopment Company, 2013; NZ Census, 2013)

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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School communities v  Tāmaki schools perform well below the national

average at primary and secondary level v  10 out of the 13 schools in Tāmaki are rated Decile 1

or 2 (ratings 1 & 2 are the lowest) v  31.8% of people aged 15 years & over have no

formal qualification v  13.5% have a bachelor’s degree or higher

Source: (Tamaki Redevelopment Company, 2013; NZ Census, 2013)

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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Research question

How do parents in a digital learning environment engage in literacy at home, school and community to support their own learning as well as their children’s

education?

Sub questions: v  What are the emerging patterns of digital learning for parents and their

fanau? v  What conditions operate to support fanau engagement in digital

learning and other learning activities? v  What conditions operate that may prevent fanau engagement in digital

learning and other learning activities? v  What do parents believe schools should be doing to support fanau and

their children’s learning? v  What conditions support or constrain parental involvement in schools?

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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Definition of terms •  Fanau = Family •  Involvement > Participation •  Engagement > Partnership •  Fanau Engagement = Empowerment

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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Methodology

v  Qualitative (Miles & Huberman, 1994), ethnographic in-depth case studies of eight Pacific parents

v  Talanoa (Thaman, 1997; Johansson Fua, 2014).

v  Semi-structured interviews: 2015 & 2016 v  Use of emails, texts, blogs, phone calls -

between interviews

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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Participants Age   Gender   Ethnicity   NZ

Born  Pacific Born  

Occupation   No. of children  

Digital experience  

Parent training  

No parent training  

School involvement  

Access  to  school/  Child’s  site  

30s   Female   Samoan   ü     Mother   6   1990s     ü   ü   ü  

40s   Female   Samoan   ü     Teacher/ Manager  

4   1990s     ü   ü   ü  

40s   Female   Samoan   ü     Mother/Student   3   1990s   ü     ü   ü  

50s   Female   Samoan   ü     IT Programmer   4   1990s     ü   ü   ü  

30s   Female   Tongan     ü   Mother/Student   6   1990s     ü   ü   ü  

30s   Female   Tongan     ü   Mother   2   Recent     ü   ü  

40s   Male   Tongan     ü   Case Manager   6   1990s     ü   ü  

40s   Female   Cook Islander  

ü     Mother/Student   2   1990s   ü     ü   ü  

  7=female 1=male  

4=Samoans

3=Tongans

1=Cook Islander  

5=NZ

Born  

3= Pacific Born  

7=mothers & 1=father  

 3=studying  

 3=employed  

 2=at  home  

33= children  

  2=did parent training  

6=no parent training  

8=involved with child’s

school  

6=access  school/  

Child’s  site  

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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Significance of study

•  Low-income family learning practices •  Best practices in digital literacies •  Parental engagement at home with

child / family •  Parental engagement in schools •  Parental engagement with learning in the

community

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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Fanau Learning

(Bourdieu & Passeron, 1979; Epstein, 1996; Epstein & Sanders, 2002; Fantuzz, McWayne, Perry & Childs, 2004; Crozier & Reay, 2005; Hill & Taylor, 2010; Ferlazzo, 2011; Zedan, 2011; Riveria, 2014; Suizzo, Pahlke, Chen &

Romero, 2014; Jesson & Meredith, 2014a)

Fanau Engagement Hypothesis Parents / fanau

stories

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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Digital Learning

Fanau Learning

(Bourdieu & Passeron, 1979; Epstein, 1996; Epstein & Sanders, 2002; Fantuzz, McWayne, Perry & Childs, 2004; Crozier & Reay, 2005; Hill & Taylor, 2010; Ferlazzo, 2011; Zedan, 2011; Riveria, 2014; Suizzo, Pahlke, Chen &

Romero, 2014; Jesson & Meredith, 2014a)

Fanau Engagement Hypothesis Parents / fanau

stories

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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Digital Learning

Other sites of learning

Fanau Learning

(Bourdieu & Passeron, 1979; Epstein, 1996; Epstein & Sanders, 2002; Fantuzz, McWayne, Perry & Childs, 2004; Crozier & Reay, 2005; Hill & Taylor, 2010; Ferlazzo, 2011; Zedan, 2011; Riveria, 2014; Suizzo, Pahlke, Chen &

Romero, 2014; Jesson & Meredith, 2014a)

Fanau Engagement Hypothesis Parents / fanau

stories

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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Digital Learning

Other sites of learning

Aspirations

Fanau Learning

Practices

Values Beliefs

Parents / fanau stories

(Bourdieu & Passeron, 1979; Epstein, 1996; Epstein & Sanders, 2002; Fantuzz, McWayne, Perry & Childs, 2004; Crozier & Reay, 2005; Hill & Taylor, 2010; Ferlazzo, 2011; Zedan, 2011; Riveria, 2014; Suizzo, Pahlke, Chen &

Romero, 2014; Jesson & Meredith, 2014a)

Fanau Engagement Hypothesis

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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Emerging Themes v  Cultural identity and language v  Family learning v  Relationships v  Communication v  Academic socialisation

Maria Meredith University of Auckland

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THANK YOU!

Fanau Engagement: Understanding the effects of digital learning and home school partnership v  Maria Meredith v  PhD Candidate v  University of Auckland, New Zealand v  Faculty of Education and Social Work v  School of Curriculum and Pedagogy v  m.meredith@auckland.ac.nz

Maria Meredith

University of Auckland 17