Moral distress among school leaders: an Alberta, Canada study with global implications

Teachers and School Leaders’ Readiness for Parental Engagement: Critical Policy Analysis of Canadian Standards

“…Prior research shows that teachers often feel unprepared to work with parents (E. de Bruïne et al, 2018; Jones, 2020; Mutton et al, 2018; Patte, 2011; Stelmach et al, 2021; Unal & Unal, 2014). There is an even bigger body of literature that focuses on the multifaceted role of parents in children’s learning, education, and schooling (Goodall, 2018; Jeynes, 2012; Rios-Aguilar et al, 2011) and the complexities in family–school relationships (Antony-Newman, 2019a; Calarco, 2018; Warikoo, 2022).…”

“…Teacher education programs often lack explicit emphasis on parental engagement due to (a) "crowded" curriculum mostly dedicated to curriculum and instruction topics (E. de Bruïne et al, 2018;Mutton et al, 2018); (b) the haphazard inclusion of parental engagement content based on instructors' interests rather than any systemic approach (Antony-Newman, 2022), or (c) insufficient understanding of parental engagement with the narrow focus on communicating with parents at the expense of holistic conceptualization of parental engagement at home, school, and the community (Mehlig & Shumow, 2013;Saltmarsh et al, 2015). As a result, many teachers are caught between the increased expectations to engage parents (Fernandez & Lopez, 2017;Smith, 2021) and the piecemeal approach to preparing teachers for efficient and meaningful parental engagement (Antony-Newman, 2022;Baquedano-López et al, 2013). To ensure that teachers are well-supported in their work with parents, it is critical to have a clear idea about the existing expectations for teachers' knowledge and skills in parental engagement at the policy level.…”

“…Unfortunately, prior research shows that many teachers report lack of preparation for parental engagement during their initial teacher education (ITE; E. de Bruïne et al, 2018; Jones, 2020; Mutton et al, 2018; Patte, 2011; Uludag, 2008; Unal & Unal, 2014; Willemse et al, 2016), whereas practicing teachers are not adequately supported to manage stress related to family-school communication (Stelmach et al, 2021). Teacher education programs often lack explicit emphasis on parental engagement due to (a) “crowded” curriculum mostly dedicated to curriculum and instruction topics (E.…”

Psychological Applications and Trends 2022

“…Using cluster analysis, they found that professors working in Brazilian federal public universities experience from mild to moderate intensity of moral distress and the profile with the greatest number of participants (136 participants) is composed of less experienced (worked in their respective institutions for approximately 5 years) and younger female professors (aged 37 years old on average) working in graduate programs, experiencing moderate intensity of moral distress. Stelmach et al (2021) aimed to understand the extent to which moral distress affects a school leader's role, and the key sources of moral distress. His study shows how moral distress in school leaders affects who they are and how they perform as leaders.…”