1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«In this article, the authors focus on a recent effort aimed at piloting workshops to promote parents’ understanding of assessments.» (p. 9)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
L’étude est basée sur la participation de 22 parents d’enfants de sixième année du primaire. Les parents ont participé à quatre ateliers représentant différentes catégories d’apprentissage d’une journée typique d’un élève.

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«At the end of this research program, […] two points retained our attention: the low level of parental involvement in the workshops, and the context of ambiguity and controversy that currently prevails in Quebec surrounding school reform and assessment of learning. […] There are several explanations for the low level of parents’ participation in the workshops, all equally plausible. Such findings remind us inevitably of the life context elements as they are discussed in the revised model of Hoover-Dempsey et al. (2005). These include the socioeconomic status of parents in addition to their knowledge, availability, and energy, as well as the family culture that encourages parental involvement (or does not) and that is colored by parents’ past school experiences. Also included are parents’ self-efficacy and parents’ role construction. Participants also mentioned the burden of family responsibilities and parents’ fear of being judged or evaluated by their child’s teacher.» (p. 24-25)