Parents looking for a "good school". A study of social representations from the Grounded Theory

Abstract

his work is the product of an investigation carried out during the year 2012-2013. Using a qualitative design focused on the constant comparative method, typical of Grounded Theory, we have tried to account for the representations that parents with children of primary school age have about it. Our interest has been to explore, describe and interpret the notions and images associated with the school, its value and the expectations generated towards it. Given that the interest of this study is to describe and illustrate the meanings that society assigns to the school, the nucleus of analysis are the social actors that, as has been considered, are in close and permanent relationship with it, but in a certain place. external to the object: parents of school-age children. Through the concept of representations, we have tried to explore the evaluations, attitudes, beliefs and opinions that parents of school children have about school. The central question that has guided this work is the following: What are the representations of the parents about the school institution? From which other questions necessarily arise tending to address the previous one: What do they expect from it? What do parents value in a school? What do they consider desirable? How do you imagine an ideal school? How do you describe the "good school"?