Towards an understanding of home-school partnership among selected top-performing Chinese Filipino secondary schools in Metro Manila

• Main Author: Calamiong, Paul P.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2008
• Subjects: Home schooling > Philippines > Metro Manila; Education, Secondary > Philippines > Metro Manila; High school; Secondary Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/181; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1180&context=etd_doctoral
• Institution: De La Salle University

Home-school partnership among Chinese Filipino secondary schools remains under-researched. For this reason, a study to explore an understanding of homeschool partnership among selected top-performing Chinese Filipino Secondary Schools in Metro Manila is undertaken. Findings of the study show how home-school partnership is a vital component of secondary school leadership and management. Moreover, a model emerged from the data and extant literature. The emergent model is a substantive theory that is anchored on Strauss and Corbins Grounded Theory Methodology. The model is composed of three propositions that lead to the final model. Proposition number one states that home-school partnership must have the support of the governing school board, willingness and readiness of administrators, and cooperation of parents. Strategic collaboration cannot happen if any of the key players of home-school partnership is absent. Moreover, collaboration among the governing school board, administrators, and parents comes in four developmental stages. These stages determine how far home-school partnership is being conducted in a school. The first stage is the acceptance stage where there is explicit recognition and positive belief in the importance of home-school partnership in both the school and the home. The second stage is the exploring stage where explicit recognition and positive belief is being translated into specific home-school partnership actions. The third is the nurturing stage where mutual support and benefit are evident. The home is being nurtured by the school and at the same time the school receives support from the home. The fourth is the empowering stage where parents are involved in organizing, planning, and decision making through a formal parent group. Parents in the fourth stage have clear roles to play in the ii schooling of their children. At the same time, parameters and authority delineation is set to ensure that the school and the home respect their mutually agreed boundaries. Proposition number two states that strategic collaboration in leadership must address and overcome home-school barriers by developing well-organized strategies and creating a positive climate. Barriers abound in schools that do not make partnership their priority. This is seen in schools with a passive attitude towards home-school partnership. The first type of barrier that emerged is the overly cautious attitude of school leaders. This barrier is due to past negative experience with homeschool partnership. The second barrier is the inadequate strategy. This barrier is seen in schools that lack the support, willingness, and readiness of school leaders to work with parents. Lastly, the third type of barrier is the weak home-school climate barrier. This barrier results from having barriers one and two. As a result of lack of leadership support, readiness, and willingness to work with parents, the school now develops a climate that does not support home-school partnership. Because of a weak climate, venue for parent involvement is very limited and at times non-existent. Likewise, parents interest for involvement declines especially as students enter secondary level. Proposition number three states that home-school partnership must be aimed not just in student development but also at parent education. It is very important for schools to have a definite aim for doing home-school partnership. Strategies, plans, and activities must be towards the achievement of a specific aim. Since student development is an aim, both the school and the home must explore strategies on how to improve student achievement as well as the overall development of values and behavior. Likewise, it is proposed that parent development should be part of the aim of home-school partnership. Achievement of this aim means that the schools are able to assist parents in their parenting skills. Home-school partnership aimed at iii student and parental development is a holistic approach to partnership. When schools educate parents, student development is more likely to be sustained. The study provides several implications namely, research addition in homeschool partnership, Chinese Filipino schools, and practice of school leadership and management. Moreover, there is also an implication to the national aim of increased student achievement through home-school partnership.