Eija Pakarinen

A home-school partnership refers to the shared responsibility between home and school, whereby families and school staff work together to support student learning (Epstein, 2018; Goodall & Montgome...

The Classroom Assessment Scoring System–Secondary (CLASS‐S) is a widely used observation instrument. However, it is important to gain knowledge whether the instrument is applicable in its specific context. This study investigates the applicability of the CLASS‐S in Norwegian upper secondary schools. The sample included 95 upper secondary school teachers and their classes from two counties and 12 different schools, including both academic and vocational track classrooms (1342 students). During one school year, the teachers video‐recorded their teaching seven times; these videos were scored by certified raters of the CLASS‐S. Given the nested data, two‐level models were tested. Results supported the original three‐factor structure of the CLASS‐S (emotional support, classroom organisation, and instructional support) when the instructional learning formats dimension was modelled exclusively at the between‐level. Reliability tests revealed good overall item, scale, and interrater reliability values. Some evidence was found between emotional support, classroom organisation, and instructional support, and study track and teacher characteristics. The current study supports the applicability of the CLASS‐S in upper secondary schools in Norway.

In the present study, longitudinal associations between parental depressive symptoms and child behavior (externalizing and internalizing problems and adaptive skills) were examined using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model. The participants were 200 Finnish children (106 boys, 94 girls) and their parents. Both fathers and mothers reported their depressive symptoms and rated child behavior of their children at the ages of 4, 6, and 9. In the combined models including effects from both parents, the results showed that at the between-person level, maternal depressive symptoms were significantly correlated with child behavior, while paternal depressive symptoms were significantly correlated with maternal depressive symptoms yet not with child behavior. Significant within-person-level predictive panels from child internalizing behavior at child ages of 4 and 6 to maternal depressive symptoms at child ages of 6 and 9, and from paternal depressive symptoms at child age of 6 to child externalizing behavior and adaptive skills at child age of 9 emerged in the model identifying the unique effects of maternal and paternal depressive symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Since the 1990s, educational policies have emphasized the importance of parental involvement in their offspring’s schooling. Home-school collaboration is positively associated with students' academic achievement, well-being and school satisfaction. The ideal home-school partnership is based on shared expertise, mutual respect, trust and dialogicity. However, not all parents have equal opportunities to participate in home-school collaboration. Practices often overlook family diversity and power dynamics, marginalizing parents' voices. This study explores parents' perspectives on home-school partnership ideals and related power dynamics, using responses from 921 parents as part of the larger survey. Our approach emphasizes the discursive nature of home-school partnership and highlights how dominant discourses shape social realities and practices in both home and school contexts. The results reveal diverse and often tense views among parents. Despite the discourse of partnership, parental involvement is often limited to teacher-parent discussions, event organization, and receiving information. Some parents express a desire to be more actively involved in developing school culture. Taking parents’ experiences into account is essential for planning effective home-school cooperation in both educational policy and practice.