Hannesdóttir, Guðbjörg FjólaGísladóttir, Lóa GuðrúnHreinsdóttir, Anna Magnea2025-11-202025-11-202025-02-15Hannesdóttir, G F, Gísladóttir, L G & Hreinsdóttir, A M 2025, '„Þetta snýst auðvitað alltaf um að búa til kúltúrinn“ : Þátttaka foreldra í foreldrafræðslu í leik- og grunnskólum', Netla, pp. 1-18. https://doi.org/10.24270/netla.2025/1, https://doi.org/10.24270/netla.2025/11670-0244236210089aaa1c6a9-e246-41c7-ad81-1de492e20349unpaywall: 10.24270/netla.2025/1ORCID: /0000-0003-4923-3879/work/178229844https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/7760Greinin fjallar um mikilvægi foreldrafræðslu í leik- og grunnskólum og hvernig slík fræðsla getur styrkt foreldra í uppeldishlutverki sínu, aukið farsæld barna og stuðlað að betri tengslum milli skóla og heimila. Rannsóknin byggir á þróunarverkefninu Föruneyti barna, sem var unnið í samstarfi við leik- og grunnskóla og skólaþjónustu sveitarfélaga. Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að kanna sýn kennara og starfsfólks skólaþjónustu til foreldrafræðslu og kortleggja raunhæfar leiðir til að stuðla að þátttöku foreldra. Rannsóknin sýnir að foreldrar þurfa að hafa hvatningu og tækifæri til að sækja fræðslunámskeið. Þátttakendur bentu á að námskeið sem haldin væru á dagvinnutíma eða með stuðningi vinnustaða væru líklegri til að ná til fleiri foreldra. Mikil áhersla var lögð á að nýta leik- og grunnskóla sem vettvang fyrir foreldrafræðslu, þar sem skólar eru í lykilstöðu til að ná til foreldra. Niðurstöður benda til þess að markviss foreldrafræðsla geti orðið að eðlilegum hluta foreldrahlutverksins, ef hún er skipulögð sem hluti af skólastarfi og kynnt með jákvæðum hætti. Rætt var um mikilvægi persónulegrar nálgunar til að ná til foreldra, svo sem með símtölum og beinum samskiptum leiðbeinenda við foreldra til að auka þátttöku þeirra í foreldrafræðslu. Lagt er til að þróa þurfi nýja menningu þar sem foreldrafræðsla er sjálfsagður hluti af skólasamfélaginu. Með þessu má efla samstarf heimila og skóla, byggja upp traust og skapa samfélagslegar forsendur til að stuðla að farsælu uppeldi barnaThe Minister of Education and Children in Iceland, in collaboration with the University of Iceland – School of Education, initiated a developmental project for parental education. This initiative seeks to empower parents and teachers while enhancing collaboration to support children’s development and learning. By integrating structured parenting programmes within kindergartens and elementary schools, the project aims to strengthen basic family services, and promote child and parent welfare. The long-term goal is to build a system where parental education is a foundational element in the Icelandic schools and parenting culture. Parental education as a formal initiative is relatively new in Iceland, and research on parents’ participation in such programmes remains limited. Teachers report that parents’ engagement in school-organised events, including workshops and meetings, is notably low, despite legal mandates emphasising parents’ responsibilities in their children’s upbringing. Icelandic laws stress the importance of creating a loving, safe, and secure environment for children. This study aims to gather essential information to identify strategies for initiating parental education in Icelandic schools and to explore how to encourage parents to participate in these programmes at both kindergarten and elementary school levels.To explore these issues, data were collected through 12 group interviews, with four distinct groups: preschool teachers, teachers at young elementary-school level, teachers of older elementary and middle-school children, and school service professionals. These interviews explored their experiences and perspectives, offering practical insights into the challenges and opportunities surrounding parental education. The project attracted significant interest, with participation from 25 kindergartens, 30 elementary schools, and seven school service offices, highlighting the demand for parental education. Participants overwhelmingly agreed that schools are the most logical and accessible venues for parents to seek education about effective parenting practices. However, many teachers acknowledged lacking the tools and expertise needed to lead these programmes, particularly considering today’s fast-paced and dynamic societal challenges. The discussions also emphasised the value from the fields of teachers’ and other staff ’s experiences and daily interactions with parents and children. By involving them in the process, their practical knowledge was prioritised, ensuring that recommendations reflect real-world needs. The findings reveal three key themes related to fostering parental participation in education programmes: increasing communication with parents, changing cultural habits around parenting, and adopting a more personal approach. Among these, transforming cultural perceptions emerged as the most critical factor. Parental education in Iceland is not yet normalised or widely perceived as a standard family service. Many parents experience stigma or shame when seeking support, highlighting the need for societal changes to reduce these barriers to enhance participation.Participants also highlighted the challenges associated with parents’ busy schedules and the difficulty of finding suitable times for extended educational programmes. Offering sessions during school hours (9 a.m. – 3 p.m.) was identified as a practical solution, eliminating the need for childcare. Additional incentives, such as providing refreshments, childcare services, or reduced school fees were suggested to boost attendance. For example, one school successfully increased attendance by offering snacks and childcare during sessions, creating a welcoming and convenient environment for parents.The findings also emphasise the importance of direct, personal communication between schools and parents. Participants noted that individual invitations, such as phone calls or personalised messages, were more effective in encouraging attendance compared to impersonal mass emails or announcements. Building trust and making parents feel genuinely welcome were identified as key factors in driving participation. In one example shared by a teacher, parents felt more inclined to attend when schools actively followed up with them and demonstrated a sincere desire for their involvement.The broader cultural shift required to normalise parental education involves creating a supportive narrative around it, where seeking education and support is seen as a strength rather than a weakness. The title of this article, ‘It’s All About Making the Culture’, underscores this point. Participants stressed that parental education should become an accepted and expected part of the parenting journey, much like attending prenatal classes or other routine parenting practices. Ultimately, this study underscores the pivotal role of schools in shaping the culture of parental education in Iceland. By working closely with parents and addressing their practical needs, schools can create a supportive environment where parental education is accessible, meaningful, and valued. The findings from this project offer practical guidance for policymakers and the school community to implement sustainable parental education programmes, ensuring a positive impact on families and, by extension, the wider community. The next step, as indicated by the participants and echoed in this research, is to build on this momentum, normalise parental education, and foster a culture of collaboration between schools and families that supports children’s growth and success.2664541-18isinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessParent educationCollaborationChanging cultureParentingDevelopment projectsForeldrafræðslaSamstarf heimila og skólaForeldrahlutverkUppeldi/dk/atira/pure/researchoutput/researchoutputtypes/contributiontojournal/article10.24270/netla.2025/1