Teacher Initiated Communication: Engaging Parents Responsively in an Urban School Context

Abstract

This study investigated teacher initiated communication efforts as it related to engaging urban parents in the elementary school classroom. Qualitative data from an auto ethnographic research project yielded four narratives. Grounded theory and narrative analysis was employed to develop and validate the narratives and examine themes and types of communication used. The analysis led to the establishment of Teacher Initiated Communication Scale (TICS). The results revealed that empowerment, responsive planning, developing cultural knowledge and establishing trust were essential in responsive communication. The results also suggested that the use of multiple teacher initiated communications strategies were most effective to engage parents responsively.