Power Dynamics and Positioning in Teacher Home Visits with Marginalized Families

Abstract

Purpose: Considerable research highlights the importance of teachers engaging with students’ families. Home visiting, for example, is associated with valuable outcomes for children and families and for teachers. Less attention has focused on the content of the visits themselves or on the power dynamics within those visits. Research Methods: This study investigates how teams of teachers in two states positioned themselves and their students’ families—who were marginalized by virtue of their linguistic, socioeconomic, or ethnic/racial identities—during 25 home visits. Findings: Data indicate that teachers generally took charge, reinforcing traditional dynamics. However, there were rare moments where teachers or families positioned the families as experts, allowing teachers to learn from and collaborate with families. Implications: This study has implications for how teachers are trained to engage with families in service of children from marginalized families and for future research on the practice of home visiting.