Sharing Student Projects

This dissertation set out to explore how teacher-parent relationships shape the wellbeing of primary school teachers. While parental engagement has long been championed in educational policy and research as beneficial for children (Collie et al., 2012; Goodall & Montgomery, 2013), far less attention has been paid to its impact on teachers themselves. The study therefore aimed to investigate the ways in which teachers experience interactions with parents, the factors that support or undermine these interactions, and the strategies teachers use to protect their wellbeing. The research focused on primary school teachers, a group for whom parental contact is particularly frequent and direct. The sample consisted of twelve teachers from a range of school types, including both state and independent schools. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, providing space for participants to reflect openly on their experiences. A reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019) was then conducted, allowing themes to be developed inductively from the data rather than imposed from existing theory. The findings revealed that teacher-parent interactions are socially situated, ambivalent, and cumulative in their effects. They are shaped by institutional context and socio-economic conditions: for example, teachers in independent schools described parents as highly visible and demanding, while those in state schools reported barriers such as limited parental availability. Communication modes such as face-to-face conversations and digital platforms were shown to be neither inherently good nor bad; rather, their impact depended on tone, trust, and strategy. A striking feature was the everydayness of contact: how small interactions built over time into climates of affirmation or strain. The study also found that trust and affirmation act as protective factors for wellbeing, while hostility, mistrust, and unrealistic demands contribute to stress and anticipatory anxiety. Teachers perform significant emotional labour to manage these encounters, sustaining professionalism even under pressure. Strategies such as proactive communication, boundary-setting, and conflict management were widely used, but their effectiveness depended heavily on leadership support and institutional scaffolding. These findings contribute to the literature by extending Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Epstein’s overlapping spheres framework. While both emphasise the importance of home-school connections, this study highlights the ambivalence of overlap: engagement can protect or undermine wellbeing depending on relational climate. The findings also resonate with emotional labour theory (Hochschild, 1983; Zembylas, 2007), showing that relational work is both a source of professional pride and a site of vulnerability. The conclusions point to several recommendations. Schools should recognise teacher-parent relationships as central to teacher wellbeing, not just student outcomes. Leadership teams should establish clear communication norms, particularly regarding digital contact, and ensure visible support in conflict situations. Professional development should include relational and conflict management skills, while workloads should acknowledge the time and effort required for proactive communication. Future research should explore these dynamics across different educational phases, international contexts, and career stages to better understand how relational climates shape wellbeing over time.

This research has practical significance for teachers, school leaders, policymakers, and parents. For teachers, the study validates their lived experiences, highlighting that the challenges they face in managing parental relationships are not simply part of the job but genuine wellbeing concerns. By naming and analysing these dynamics, the study provides a language through which teachers can articulate their needs. For school leaders, the findings underscore the importance of establishing collective norms around communication and offering visible backing to staff. By embedding proactive communication into workload planning, and by setting boundaries for digital contact, leaders can protect staff from avoidable stress. For policymakers, the study challenges the assumption that more parental involvement is always beneficial. National frameworks should acknowledge that while engagement supports children, it must also be managed carefully to protect teachers. Policy could, for example, recommend co-constructed communication agreements between schools and parents. Parents may also benefit from greater awareness of the impact of their interactions. Understanding that even small gestures of trust and appreciation can have significant positive effects may encourage more constructive engagement. In broader terms, the study contributes to societal debates about teacher wellbeing. It highlights that protecting teachers is not only a matter of workload or pay, but also of relational respect. If teachers feel affirmed and supported, they are better placed to provide high-quality education, benefitting students and communities alike.