ERIC Number: ED468441
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2002-Apr
Pages: 55
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: ISBN-1-898453-33-0
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Parental Perspectives of Family Learning. Wider Benefits of Learning Research Report.
Brassett-Grundy, Angela
Parental perspectives on family learning were examined through focus group discussions with parents who had participated in family learning courses at a nursery school, primary school, secondary school, and family support center in London, England. Five focus group discussions with a total of 25 family learning course participants, 2 in-depth interviews with family learning course participants, and 1 focus group discussion with 4 nonparticipating parents were conducted. The "participating" parents conceptualized family learning very broadly, as an entity involving a wide network of people, activities, and places. The "participating" parents saw family learning as a means to gaining qualifications, improving their employment situation, increasing their stimulation, increasing their contact with others, gaining more confidence, and enabling them to teach their children more and better prepare them for their future. The barriers to participation in family learning cited by the "participating parents" included lack of time, lack of physical and financial support for child care, and poor accessibility/availability of courses. Compared with the "participating parents," the "nonparticipating" parents conceptualized family learning very similarly but cited many more disadvantages of and barriers to participation. Twenty-one recommendations regarding the marketing, design, and delivery of family learning programs were formulated based on the focus group findings. (Contains 23 references.) (MN)
Descriptors: Access to Education, Adult Basic Education, Adult Programs, Delivery Systems, Educational Attitudes, Educational Benefits, Educational Needs, Educational Practices, Elementary Secondary Education, Enrollment Influences, Family Literacy, Family Programs, Focus Groups, Foreign Countries, Intergenerational Programs, Learning Motivation, Literacy Education, Numeracy, Parent Attitudes, Participation, Preschool Education, Research Problems
The Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning, Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL (6.50 British pounds). For full text: ftp://cls.ioe.ac.uk/pub/Wbl/Acrobat/ResRep2.pdf.
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Department for Education and Skills, London (England).
Authoring Institution: London Univ. (England). Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning.
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (London)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A