Examining Teacher Candidates’ Responses to Parental Disclosures During Simulated Conferences and Home Visits

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ABSTRACT Teacher candidates need explicit guidance and support to build their family engagement skills, elements often missing from teacher preparation. In this study, we examined 132 transcripts of candidates’ simulated home visits and parent-teacher conferences to identify patterns in candidates’ responses to caregiver disclosures. In addition to some problematic responses, candidates engaged in three types of partnership-building responses: family-focused, child-focused, and school-focused. By understanding these types of responses, teacher educators can support future teachers with guidance for developing a repertoire of relational moves. This work also has implications for family engagement research to understand the nuances of the effectiveness of interactions.