"I Feel Much More Confident Now to Talk With Parents": An Evaluation of In-Service Training on Teacher-Parent Communication

Abstract

This paper describes a teacher in-service training program on teacher–parent communication in Cyprus and its impact on teacher trainees. Data were gathered through questionnaires completed by teachers prior to their training and after having tried, in real school settings, the communication skills and approaches taught during the course. The analysis of the data showed a considerable modi-fication of teachers ’ perceptions about various aspects of communicating with parents and a positive appraisal of their competence in organizing and imple-menting communication sessions with parents. The findings provide evidence for the effectiveness of teacher training on communication skills. Key Words: teachers, parents, in-service training, Cyprus, professional devel-opment, school–family communication, skills, conferences, active listening