Collaborative Autonomy–Support – A Pivotal Approach in the Legislation Regulating School–Home Collaboration in Norwegian Upper Secondary Schools

Gørill Warvik Vedeler

doi:10.1080/00313831.2020.1788155

Gørill Warvik Vedeler

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2020.1788155

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Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores how current legislation addresses adolescents’ need for support in upper secondary school through school–home collaboration and introduces the framework of collaborative autonomy–support as the pivotal approach for analyses. Self-determination theory is used to describe adolescents’ need for competence, relatedness and autonomy. The study involved a document analysis in which Norwegian legislation was deconstructed through the lens of pedagogy in order to consider how legislative enactment challenges professional educational practices. The study uncovered three tensions in the legislation: the adolescents’ self-determination versus parental obligations, parents’ lack of formal representation in upper secondary school, and different directions in language used about parents in school. The article illuminates how legislation promotes adolescents’ autonomy, intrinsic motivation and volitional functioning.

Highlights

I elaborate how current legislation underpins school–home collaboration in upper secondary school, I introduce the concept of collaborative autonomy–support as a theoretical lens to study how educational legislation meets adolescents’ need for support
The analysis revealed that the current jurisdiction contains certain tensions, such as roles, formal representation and language, and demonstrated how legislation underpins the students’ competence, relatedness and autonomy
Current legislation contributes to practising school–home collaboration in several ways

Summary

Introduction

I elaborate how current legislation underpins school–home collaboration in upper secondary school, I introduce the concept of collaborative autonomy–support as a theoretical lens to study how educational legislation meets adolescents’ need for support. Supportive practices from both parents and teachers contribute to students’ intrinsic and autonomous motivation for school (Martinek et al, 2016). Shared reflections leads to increased awareness of shared responsibilities and adequate practices, both contingent aspects of professionalism, that are aligned with legislation (Perryman et al, 2017).

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