For decades, the role of parental engagement in children's schooling has been central to the promotion of learning and wellbeing outcomes for children. However, the recognition of diverse family structures, including where a child's parents are separated, is largely absent from these models of engagement. Instead, prior research has focussed on…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant educational disruption globally. When the pandemic forced schools to switch to emergency home-schooling, parental engagement in education became more critical. Some parents found home-schooling as an opportunity to form stronger relationships with their children. Others acquired an enhanced insight into…

This scoping review reflects on the extant research on parents of the gifted following the last critique of the literature offered by Jolly and Matthews in 2012. The method for the search followed the PRISMA-Scr protocol utilizing the SPIDER framework. Articles fell into two main themes of parental awareness and parental actions in the inductive…

Successful partnerships between families and schools can substantially improve children's success in and out of school. Yet parents of autistic children often report considerable challenges with their children's education. Almost no research, however, has examined autistic parents' own experiences. We, therefore, sought the views and experiences…

Productive teacher-parent partnerships are important to successful student outcomes and rely on positive teacher-parent communication, particularly when students have disability. Through semi-structured focus group and individual interviews, 17 parents of students with disability provided first-hand accounts of teacher communication that…

Understandings of gender diversity have increasingly recognised the rights and experiences of children and young people (Meyer & Pullen Sansfaçon, 2014, Smith et al., 2014). A small, but significant body of work focusses on the schooling experiences of gender diverse children/young people. The critical role parents play in supporting gender…

The relationship between schools and parents has evolved over recent years and is now recognized as a valuable and bi-directional partnership in the educative process. This partnership is of particular significance for parents with a dyslexic child, playing a vital role in ensuring success within the school and beyond. Using a unique conceptual…

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in interruptions to social, economic, cultural, and educational life, with social distancing measures and well-being concerns leading to widespread restrictions to everyday activities. When COVID-19 first made an impact in 2020, many schools across Australia were closed entirely or provided limited access.…

The policy and educational ideal of parent-school engagement rests on assumptions about effective communication with parents about children's educational progress and well-being. Yet communication between school and home varies, and can be a source of parental satisfaction "and" frustration. Here we consider perspectives of Australian…

Children with cerebral palsy frequently experience challenges and barriers to inclusion in early childhood education and care. However, there is limited research exploring the experiences of children with cerebral palsy and their families. Understanding family perspectives on their experience is likely to provide insights for professionals to…

This article presents the findings from interviews with thirteen parents of students with severe vision impairment who attend mainstream schools in Queensland, Australia. Participants were interviewed about their experiences in advocating for their children in a range of educational contexts. These experiences varied greatly depending on a number…

This paper considers the importance parents place on engaging with children's schools following the dissolution of parental intimate partner relationships. These periods of family transition typically involve many changes to everyday life, and can be complicated by tensions, disputes and competing agendas between parties. During such times, school…

This paper explores how trust in teacher professional judgment has been reconstituted through the globalised trends of performative accountability and reductive data-driven logics. The article draws upon empirical research from interviews with teachers and school leaders as well as observations of teacher preparation days, classroom and staff…

In the pluralised contexts of many contemporary Australian Catholic schools, cultural and religious diversity is a reality that could be ignored or potentially utilised to enhance learning. This case study probes the perceptions of parents regarding their children's engagement in Religious Education in a Catholic school and in particular,…

Children learn in the context of relationships with important caregivers. The early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector increasingly recognises that supporting strong relationships between families and ECEC services is a powerful way to improve children's educational, health and wellbeing outcomes. We report findings from a study which, via…