(Re)framing teachers’ family engagement practice as cultural work

Family engagement in children’s learning is an evidence-based approach supporting student learning. This study examines four primary school teachers’ family engagement practice, within a non-dominant community. Utilising the framework of Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR), the teachers examined their partnerships with families, identifying barriers to family engagement. The teachers began to act as cultural workers as they changed their homework practice to strengthen non-dominant families’ connection to their children’s school learning. Through the theory of practice architectures, the teachers’ language (sayings), activities and resources (doings) and relationships (relatings) with families were considered. Data were collected through transcripts from reflective practice meetings, reflective practice tools and semi-structured interviews undertaken throughout the CPAR process. The theory of practice architectures underpinned data analysis, identifying practice conditions which support teachers to (re)frame family engagement as cultural work. The resulting practice framework scaffolds how schools can critically examine their own family engagement practices.