STORIES OF CONNECTION: A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY INTO PARENT-TEACHER COMMUNICATION

EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION

Effective parent–teacher communication plays a vital role in fostering student success, strengthening home–school partnerships, and promoting a supportive learning environment. This study explored the lived experiences of teachers in maintaining communication with parents in selected private schools in Poblacion, Nabunturan, Davao de Oro. Specifically, it examined teachers’ experiences, challenges encountered, coping mechanisms employed, and insights gained in sustaining effective parent–teacher communication. The study employed a qualitative phenomenological research design involving eight purposively selected teachers from four private schools. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide and analyzed through thematic analysis. Findings revealed that teachers generally described their interactions with parents as open, responsive, friendly, and proactive, utilizing both face-to-face and digital communication platforms. However, they encountered challenges such as limited parental participation, communication barriers, workload constraints, differing expectations, and difficulties in addressing sensitive concerns. To overcome these challenges, teachers adopted coping strategies including maintaining professionalism, practicing patience and empathy, utilizing multiple communication channels, and fostering positive relationships with parents. The study further revealed that effective communication is built on trust, mutual respect, responsiveness, and collaboration between teachers and parents. The study concludes that parent–teacher communication extends beyond the exchange of information and serves as a relational process that strengthens partnerships for students’ academic and socio-emotional development. It recommends that schools develop culturally responsive and context-specific communication programs, provide professional development opportunities for teachers, and encourage greater parental engagement to enhance collaboration and student outcomes. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on parent–teacher communication and provides insights for educators, school administrators, parents, and future researchers seeking to strengthen home–school connections.

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