1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«Our study […] constitutes the first stage of a school-family-community partnership undertaken by MVE [Mamanva à l’école]. After presenting the theoretical framework, we describe the aids and challenges encountered by single mothers enrolled in adult education. This is followed by the solutions they propose for facilitating their roles as students and mothers. We then discuss their education needs and the points of convergence among the solutions offered to identify ways to support their retention and achievement as well as their parental skills for educating their children and getting involved in their schooling.» (p. 80)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«How do single, non-diploma mothers experience their return to school as students and parents?» (p. 80)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«A total of 39 single mothers from the Mauricie took part in the study. Twenty-two had been back in school for 1 to 3 years; with a few exceptions, most were over 24 years old. Their children’s age varied from a few months to about twenty years. Of the mothers, 21 were attending a general adult education centre [...], while 18 were enrolled in a vocational training centre[.] Data were collected from six group interviews.» (p. 82)

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien de groupe

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«This study proposed to document how single dropout mothers experience their return to school in general adult education or vocational training centres. [W]e examined the facilitating elements and, especially, the challenges related to the accomplishment of their roles as students and parents and, therefore, to school retention and achievement. Obviously single dropout mothers who return to school need more help not only regarding their own schooling but also their child schooling. Identifying challenges and the approaches for alleviating or overcoming them corresponds to the stage commonly referred to as Needs Assessment (or identifying starting points) in an Action team approach on school-family-community partnerships […] such as the project initiated by MVE with the other members of the Tracking Table in the Mauricie region. […] Our observation, however, is that the needs of dropout single mothers are specific and unique, and that some of their proposed solutions coincide. All in all, these elements can inspire the organization MVE in its mission and guide the Tracking Table in deciding what avenues to privilege in the next stages of a school-family-community partnership with a special attention paid to mothers’ relations to school and to their children school learning.» (p. 88-89)