Perspectives of parents and educators on mutual trust in inclusive preschools

When parents and educators form and maintain collaborative partnerships to support children’s development, the outcomes of inclusive preschool practices improve, not only for children but also for parents and educators. Since trust is a crucial foundation for building such partnerships, and...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jelić Marija, Buha Nataša
Format: Article
Language:srp
Published: Institute for Educational Research, Belgrade 2024-01-01
Series:Zbornik Instituta za pedagoška istraživanja
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Online Access:https://doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0579-6431/2024/0579-64312402303J.pdf
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Summary:When parents and educators form and maintain collaborative partnerships to support children’s development, the outcomes of inclusive preschool practices improve, not only for children but also for parents and educators. Since trust is a crucial foundation for building such partnerships, and given the lack of research on this topic in our context, this study aimed to examine the congruence of trust levels between parents and educators, as well as differences in trust based on children’s developmental status (children with and without developmental disabilities). The sample included 306 educators and 450 parents of children with and without developmental disabilities. The Trust Scale was used, with separate forms for educators and parents. The results showed that educators exhibited higher levels of trust compared to parents. Additionally, parents of children with developmental disabilities reported significantly lower trust in educators than parents of children without developmental disabilities, particularly regarding aspects of developmental support and educators’ communication with parents. The lack of trust between educators and parents of children with developmental disabilities poses a risk to building effective partnerships, which undermines unified efforts to support children’s learning and development. To address this, educators should be empowered through initial training and professional development, with an emphasis on effective communication strategies and approaches for working with children with diverse needs and with their families. The study also highlights directions for future research to develop successful inclusive education programs where parents and children feel a true sense of belonging.
ISSN:0579-6431
1820-9270