Challenges of the family-school relationship in a Mapuche context: An approach from the teachers’ perspective

Abstract

This research presents results on the meaning of school education from the perspective of the actors of the educational and social environment, namely, the teachers. The objective is to account for the challenges of the family-school relationship in an indigenous context, from the perspective of the teachers of two rural schools located in Mapuche communities of La Araucanía, a Southern region in Chile. The research problem states that the family-school relationship in a Mapuche context has historically been characterized by power relations that deny the involvement of the family members in the processes of intercultural school management. In this way, just nominal participation in administrative aspects is assumed. The methodology is qualitative with a descriptive scope, and the participants are six teachers. The data collection instrument is the semi-structured interview, and the data analysis technique is based on content analysis in complementarity with grounded theory. The main results show hegemonical powers that persist in the family-school relationship in the Mapuche context, marked by racism and discrimination. The main conclusions highlight the urgency of establishing continuous training on interculturality for schoolteachers working in Mapuche communities, which might allow reversing the hegemonical practices towards ‘the Mapuche’ present in the school. In this context, teacher training on interculturality would allow strengthening the educational relationship between the indigenous family and the school based on the incorporation of indigenous educational knowledge and skills, contributing to a school education with an intercultural perspective.