Who should be doing what? Mutual expectations in collaborative relationships between teachers, educators, and migrant families

Abstract

Collaboration between the school and the families of children and young people can prove to be a resource but also a critical aspect in building opportunities for academic success; in particular, focusing on migrant families, the collaboration with leisure centers providing after-school activities plays an important role in education and in learning. This paper proposes a reflection on the modes of parental involvement and the perception of agency among foreign parents, based on field research concerning synergies between various educational institutions operating in a multiethnic neighborhood in the city of Turin. The thematic analysis of the data collected so far, and the analysis of conversational sequences highlight a range of expectations from teachers and educators regarding the involvement of foreign parents in their educational projects.