Learning on the Periphery: Novice Teachers’ Family Engagement Beliefs and Practices During COVID-19

Family engagement is both a well-documented contributor to student success and a federal policy mandate, making it critical for educator preparation programs (EPPs) to equip novice teachers with the skills, dispositions, and experiences needed for meaningful school–family partnerships. Grounded in situated learning theory, this qualitative case study examines how eight novice teachers developed their beliefs and practices related to family engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on interviews and focus groups, the study explores how participants engaged families in Title I schools amid significant instructional disruption. Findings reveal that participants valued family involvement but relied on transactional communication and often described families through a deficit lens. Preparation was inconsistent and shaped more by mentor initiative than by program structure. The study calls for EPPs to adopt systematic, equity-focused approaches that center critical reflection, elevate family voices, and support novice teachers’ movement from peripheral observation to active participation during clinical experiences.