Reception, communication, and participation of families of foreign origin: Lights and shadows of the family-school relationship

Abstract

The inclusion and participation of families of foreign origin in schools form an important challenge. For this reason, this study aims to present the reality of the schools in Catalonia, to identify their main weak points regarding the inclusion of families of foreign origin, and to propose some strategies to promote the family-school relationship and the inclusion of all families within the educational community. The study, with its qualitative design, is based on focus groups with families of foreign origin and management teams of schools in the city of Barcelona. The results show the absence of specific continuous actions to promote the inclusion of families of foreign origin in the educational community, likewise highlighting these families’ scarce knowledge about the educational system, the use of ineffective communication channels, and the lack of the families’ participation in schools. The suggested improvement strategies are to provide liaison-parents to promote inclusion and communication with families of foreign origin, the use of digital translators, the improvement of the informative material given to families, and the creation of ties of trust between teachers and families.