Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/22719
Record ID: 23d66a74-2ef9-45e8-a980-db3088f1712b
| DOI: | doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-1848-1 |
| Web resource: | https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-97-1848-1_9 |
| Type: | Chapter |
| Title: | Living Well in the Aftermath of Separation and Divorce: The Role of Teachers, Schools, and Early Childhood Services |
| Authors: | Mahony, Linda |
| Keywords: | Separation and Divorce;Child Wellbeing;Early Childhood Education;Teacher Collaboration;Family Support Services;Education |
| Topic: | Children and young people |
| Population: | Children and young people |
| Year: | Jun-2024 |
| Publisher: | Springer |
| Citation: | p117-132 |
| Abstract: |
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Separation and divorce have become common phenomena globally, with significant impacts on families, particularly children. This chapter explores parents’ aspirations for living well post-separation and their experiences with teachers, schools, and early childhood services. Data from interviews with 12 mothers reveal varying degrees of support received from educational institutions, highlighting the importance of effective communication and collaboration. Suggestions are provided for how teachers and schools can better support families to promote wellbeing.
| Notes: |
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This research was included in the ANROWS Register of Active Research (RAR). The research has concluded and the output has been added to the ANROWS library. Please visit https://www.anrows.org.au/register-of-active-research/ for more information on the RAR.
Project: Mothers’ perceptions of communication and collaboration with their children’s teachers about their separation and divorce
Abstract/project description: Separation and divorce has become a common phenomenon in Australia and affects a substantial proportion of children. While there is much research about parental stress factors and the effects on children, there is a paucity of research focusing on the nexus with education and how teachers work with these children and their families. Teachers see these children for a greater proportion of time each day than any adult other than children’s parents. Therefore, teachers and schools are in a strategic position to promote children's wellbeing and learning. However, teachers have reported that they often are not informed of a particular child's family circumstances and they have to acquire this knowledge largely through informal means.
Aims: The aim of this research is to identify the perceptions of mothers with regard to communication with their children's teachers about sensitive issues such as their separation and divorce. Strategies for teachers and families to work together to support young children experiencing separation and divorce may be identified.
Methods: Eleven mothers who were purposefully selected participated in the study. This research aims to gain an understanding of mothers’ experiences of communication and collaboration with their children’s teachers. Therefore, participants were mothers who separated or divorced when their children were aged between 3 and 12 years.
Participants undertook a semi-structured interview with the researcher. Interviews lasted between 20 and 40 minutes and were conducted either face to face, by telephone or via Zoom. A detailed information sheet was provided and consent obtained before the interview commenced. Mothers were informed that they could withdraw their consent and participation in the study at any point of the project. They were asked about their experience with their children’s teachers with regard to their separation and divorce – what they would like their children’s teachers to know, what they think their children’s teachers needed to know, and what they would have liked the teachers to do more or less of or avoid doing.
Significance: This study investigates mothers’ perceptions of communication and collaboration with teachers regarding their separation and divorce. These insights will be important to inform schools' and early childhood services’ culture, as well as policy that focuses on families experiencing parental separation and divorce and encourages and supports partnerships between families and teachers facilitating open communication, shared responsibility, collaboration, mutual respect and support. Teachers and families need to understand and influence each other to benefit children. A culture that implies an attitude of shared responsibility and a willingness to collaborate in a context of mutual respect and support where all players are working towards the benefit of the children is suggested.
| URI: | https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/22719 |
| Appears in Collections: | ANROWS Completed Register of Active Research projects
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