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Appendix D
Topic Guide - Parents
The following question areas have been developed to provide a framework for discussion. All topic areas of relevance should be covered at some point in the discussion but should be addressed in an order that facilitates easy and relaxed conversation. Be sure to allow opportunities for respondents to raise new or different issues that they consider significant to the core subjects
Remember to refer to findings from the quantitative phase of interviewing among local authorities and schools if relevant
Background / Warm-Up
- Details of parental involvement in school life of children - informal / formal; how did they get involved / what motivated them to get involved; how they define parental involvement
Sources of information used
- (spontaneous) What sources of information have ever / regularly been accessed for parental involvement; how useful has each been and why / why not;
- (prompted) Awareness of specific information sources - probing on Making the Difference leaflets, Parentzone website, Parents as Partners in Learning toolkit, Guidance on Parental Involvement Act, information from their local authority, information from their school(s);
Making the Difference
- Awareness of the Making the Difference leaflets; how did respondents become aware of these and how were they provided;
- What are the key messages of the Making the Difference leaflets; how effectively have these messages been put across;
- To what extent is the Making the Difference literature valuable and/or necessary; in what ways; who does it benefit and in what ways;
Content of Making the Difference leaflets
SHOW RESPONDENTS FULL RANGE OF LEAFLETS
- Which of these specific leaflets have been read / accessed / used; Views on the content of each used; how appropriate is the content for parents / schools / local authorities and why / why not;
- Which of these leaflets are more / less appealing and why (probing on
- content / subject matter
- relevance
- layout
- use of colour / photographs
- text
- provision of useful links & contacts
- use of questions
- use of boxes / bullet points / sub headings etc;
- How relevant is this series of leaflets for parents and why / why not;
- What are the key strengths and weaknesses of each of the leaflets and why;
- When would parents be likely to use the leaflets ?
Use of other sources of information
SHOW SCREENSHOTS TO RESPONDENTS / ACCESS ONLINE
- Awareness of the Parentzone website; has this been used and why / why not; how would respondents rate this in terms of
- content
- accessibility
- information content
- ease of navigation
- signposting etc;
- Awareness of Parents as Partners in Learning toolkit; has this been used and why / why not; how would respondents rate this in terms of
- format
- layout
- appropriateness
- information content
- ease of use
- signposting
usefulness of CDrom
- How have the Making the Difference leaflets and Parentzone website changed / affected the role you play in your child's/children's educational development;
Impact of Making the Difference leaflets and other materials
- How useful do you think the Making the Difference leaflets will be in terms of encouraging parents to get more involved in their child's learning at home?
- How useful do you think the Making the Difference leaflets will be in terms of encouraging parents to get more closely involved with their child's school?
- How useful do you think the Making the Difference leaflets will be in terms of encouraging parents to express their views on parental involvement?
- Preferences for each of the materials shown, together with reasons;
- What do you think are the best ways to use these leaflets?
- What are the reasons why parents may not want to use the leaflets?
- How best could parents get access to the leaflets?
- What improvements could be made?
- What other topics would you like in the Making the Difference series?
- What other information could be provided to parents to increase parental involvement?
- Any other comments.
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