Maternal Communication During A Deployment with School Staff: A Phenomenological Study
Document Type Article
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of maternal soldiers’ in communicating with school staff during a military deployment. The increasing number of deployments since 2001 has affected the family unit, especially the children. The primary focus of the research on military deployments has been related to the effects on children and the family. This study used purposeful sampling to select seven maternal veterans who experienced a military deployment within the past five years lasting six months or longer. Participants shared their experiences with a deployment through a semi-structured interview. Prior to the interview, participants completed an online parental involvement survey to determine their level of involvement with their child’s school. A focus group with school staff was conducted to explore parental involvement during a maternal deployment. The four themes that emerged from the data analysis included; school connection, technology based communication, school support, and lack of understanding and feelings of helplessness.
