"Co-operation is strength" -educators' and parents' views and experiences of educational partnership

This thesis deals with educational partnership between educators and parents in day care. Qualitative research was carried out in co-operation with a day care unit in Vantaa during spring 2011. The data were collected with a questionnaire for day care workers and children’s parents and also with a theme interview in the group of educators. The purpose of this research was to find out how educational partnership works in our co-operation day care unit and what kind of development needs and opportunities there are in partnership from the perspectives of educators and parents. Additionally, the study examines how children’s parents know the concept of educational partnership.

The results highlighted that day care workers as well as parents find educational partnership important or very important. All participated parents think that their co-operation with educators worked well or very well when doing the study. Also most of the educators found that the forms of co-operation are functional. Furthermore, the results of the study show that one third of the parents had never heard of the concept of educational partnership. However, it appeared that children’s parents are familiar for example with the key principles and intentions of educational partnership. According to the results, our co-operation day care unit uses more the concept of co-operation between home and day care than the concept of educational partnership. Educators’ general opinion was that common forms in educational partnership are not required with all client families in day care unit.

Day care workers’ and parents’ answers represent that it would be good to consider more the meaning of educational partnership in day care, for instance, in discussion of the day care unit’s values and in parents’ evenings. The discussion could help educators and parents find a coherent policy in educational partnership, which benefits the child. According to the participated educators, the forms of co-operation are not systematically evaluated in the day care unit, which is also one subject in developing the educational partnership. Judging from the results of this study, it would be worthwhile to identify parents’ interest and preparedness in establishing and participating in the parents’ committee in the day care unit. In addition, the results highlighted educators’ and parents’ wishes of increasing joint events and parents’ peer support, which would also enhance the sense of community in the day care unit.