Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for Family Engagement: Insights from the Initial Teacher Education Syllabus

Family involvement and participation in education (FIPE) profoundly impacts the quality of students' academic and social development. Initial teacher education contribution in fostering attitudes, skills, and strategies for effective FIPE is therefore unquestionable. We aimed to find out to what extent Portuguese pre-service teachers are prepared to engage families. A document analysis was conducted to establish explicit information regarding FIPE within initial teacher education syllabi. Out of 621 syllabi across 36 master's courses from 25 institutions, only 98 included some information on FIPE. A mere 12 syllabi, from seven institutions, exclusively addressed family-school relationships. Our study covered over 87% of the master's courses and syllabi, exposing inconsistencies in their educational aims, content, and recommended literature. These findings highlight discrepancies within the initial teacher education syllabi and underscore the need for the enhanced training of pre-service teachers in FIPE. It is crucial to promote more in-depth and explicit syllabi to promote effective family engagement and enrich initial teacher education programs.