1. ‘Planning the project goals and strategies’

(4 October 2005)

This session introduced the participants to the RESPECT project, to action learning and to current research into staff-parent relationships. Participants learnt how to create a project, how to develop a research question and how to plan a project’s first steps. Participants left with clear ideas about how to explore their work with parents in their specific contexts.

2. ‘Problem-solving & critical reflection’

(11 October 2005)

This session introduced the participants to parent perspectives on parent involvement and to the stress that can accompany parenting. Then, each participant reported progress on their project in a small group. Each group discussed emerging problems and issues and planned the next steps, including how to document the projects.

3. ‘Documenting and evaluating the learning’

(8th November 2005)

Each participant brought data from their projects. RESPECT team-members assisted them to organise their data via themes and categories and to identify significant issues. Participants then reflected critically on what they had learnt from the project and on the issues that had emerged - for them and for the parents. Finally, participants evaluated what they had learnt from participating in the RESPECT project.