Practices of parental participation: a case study

The nature of parental participation in children's education is changing rapidly. A growing body of research points to the positive effect that parental involvement has on outcomes of schooling and on children's well-being. This paper examines parental participation practices in terms of parents working together with a range of professionals, exchanging knowledge and information regarding their child's SEN, challenging practices, and negotiating SEN provision. The parents in this study exercised agency - that is, they showed resilience and took initiative, within a context of shared responsibility and accountability, and advocated for their child's right to educational provision. This paper argues for a strengths-based approach towards enabling active parental participation and advocacy.