Abstract
There are several programs that aim to strengthen the bond between families and schools that have shown a positive impact on this relationship as well as its effectiveness in improving academic and socioemotional child indicators. Most of the studies in this area come from Anglo-Saxon countries while in Latin America research is still scarce. Thus, this study aims to assess the influence of implementing an Ecological, Participatory, Integral and Contextualized Family-School Collaboration Model (EPIC) on family involvement, social-emotional development, and cognitive test outcomes in children in elementary school. Three possible hypotheses have been considered: (1) The EPIC Family-School Collaboration Model will have a positive and significant influence on the level of family involvement; (2) The EPIC Family-School Collaboration Model will have a positive and significant influence on the results of some cognitive tests; and; (3) The EPIC Family-School Collaboration Model will have a positive and significant influence on child social-emotional development. The study included 171 students who attended second and third elementary grades in schools in Chile during 2017 and fourth and fifth grades during 2019. The children were between 7 and 12 years old (M = 8.17, SD = 0.98), during 2017 and between 9 and 14 years old (M = 9.88, SD = 0.99), during 2019. The results show that the EPIC Family-School Collaboration Model has a positive and significant influence on the level of home-based involvement, memory and attention and intrapersonal skills in the first cycle of elementary education.
Highlights
Family-school collaboration allows for a broader conceptualization of school and family roles, their relationships and the impact on the all-round development of children (Patrikakou et al, 2005; Christenson and Reschly, 2010; Yamauchi et al, 2017)
The most significant impact is observed in the greater coherence and mutual support between the family and the school, becoming a protective factor for children and their families (Phelan et al, 1998)
Programs that seek to strengthen the relationship between families and schools are theoretically supported by an ecosystemic perspective which recognizes the importance of positive and fluid interactions between the different spheres of a child’s life
Summary
Numerous researchers have endorsed the crucial role of family in the academic performance and in the development of socio-emotional and cognitive abilities of children (Jeynes, 2012; Castro et al, 2015; Ma et al, 2016; Chavkin, 2017; Garbacz et al, 2017).Most of the studies in this area are predominantly from Anglo-Saxon countries while in Latin America (Baker et al, 2016; Garbacz et al, 2017; Garbarcz et al, 2019; Eichin and Volante, 2018)A Family-School Connection Model research is still scarce. This study aims to assess the preliminary influence of implementing an Ecological, Participatory, Integral and Contextualized Family-School Collaboration Model (EPIC) in Chile on family involvement, socio-emotional development, and cognitive tests in children in the first cycle of elementary education. Due to previous research indicating that the degree of family involvement in school processes is a critical element in children’s development and learning during the first school stage (Caspe et al, 2006; Galindo and Sheldon, 2012), the EPIC model was designed for implementation in the first cycle of elementary education (Lara and Saracostti, 2020). The principles of the Family-School EPIC Collaboration Model are: (1) an Ecological Perspective where children are in a situated and contextualized way, including their significant environment, family dimensions and educational and socialcultural contexts is considered key (Frey and Dupper, 2005; Saracostti, 2013). The principles of the Family-School EPIC Collaboration Model are: (1) an Ecological Perspective where children are in a situated and contextualized way, including their significant environment, family dimensions and educational and socialcultural contexts is considered key (Frey and Dupper, 2005; Saracostti, 2013). (2) a Participatory Approach that understands higher levels of participation of key actors is necessary to implement the solution model. (3) an Integral approach that supposes the efficient use of the social-educational intervention resources present in the school and in the community under the logic of comprehensive continuous improvement. (4) Contextualized co-construction in which training, planning, and implementation of the model is co-constructed with schools and in dialog with the team of professionals and the educational community
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
