Engaging Families in School-Based Physical Activity Promotion

This dissertation explored how schools promote and engage families in physical activity (PA) opportunities through two studies conducted in a Mountain West state. Study one explored strategies schools used to engage families in PA. Study two examined how a purposefully selected K-8 school developed family-school partnerships to support PA engagement through Epstein’s (2010) Six Types of Involvement framework. Study one used a collective case study design guided by the following research questions: Q1.1 What strategies do schools implement to promote and engage families in physical activity programming? Q1.1a What tactics do schools use to implement these strategies? Q1.2 What are key barriers and facilitators to promoting and engaging families in physical activity programming? Seven K-12 physical education teachers participated, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews and documents. Analysis included open coding, content analysis, and thematic analysis. Study one results indicated that most schools implement multiple strategies, including offering volunteer opportunities and various communication methods. Key barriers included work schedules, time constraints, competing interests, family dynamics, and socioeconomic factors. Facilitators identified included offering events at various times of the day, communicating using families’ preferred language, and providing year-round PA opportunities. Study two employed a collective explanatory case study design guided by the following research questions: Q2.1 How does a school develop family-school partnerships as defined by Epstein’s family-school partnership model to promote and engage families in physical activity opportunities? Q2.2 What are the perspectives of school staff, families, and students regarding school promotion and engagement of families in physical activity opportunities? Data sources included observations, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and documents. Open coding and thematic analysis were employed to deductively and inductively analyze the data, which showed the school employed practices aligned with Epstein’s framework, such as PA programs and communication channels. Additionally, three themes were identified: parenting practices, areas of growth, and facilitators. The findings underscored the complexities of involving families in school-based PA initiatives and importance of developing family-school partnerships. This research highlighted actionable strategies and supportive conditions to enhance family engagement. These insights can help prepare educators to develop family-school partnerships to enhance children’s PA and overall well-being.