During this year ELT practicum workshop we continue the topic of the role of school placements as a source of knowledge about parents as partners in the educational process. The point of departure for our discussion is Dr Joyce Epstein’s framework of Six Types of Parental Involvement. The report from two studies that will be presented during the workshop clearly shows that there is a correlation between trainee teachers’ opinions about the importance of the six types of parental involvement and their contact with parents during school placements. Most interestingly, the types of contact with parents that they experienced is of great importance here in shaping their opinions as regards which types of parental involvement are most important or least important.
During the workshop there will be raised a question: Which types of contact with parents during school placements can help trainees reject their stereotypes of parents as distant supporters?