Overview

Constructed around powerful stories of maternal agency, care and emotion, this novel volume conceptualises the primary homework experience as a social and relational practice and act of mothering, thereby raising wider questions about parental involvement in education, families’ agency in school practices, and the broader implications for policy. Using data gathered through repeat interviews, videos of mother-child primary homework interactions, and stimulated reflections, chapters present a series of unique maternal portraits that reflect various dimensions such as class, ethnicity, and parenting children with additional needs. The book demonstrates how practices from the educational sphere bleed into family relations, and how in return, mothers shape educational processes through their mothering. Contesting prevalent deficit discourses about mothers, the book highlights their relational skills and investment in their children's education. Chapters contextualise parent involvement and the international reach of primary homework practices, as prompted by neoliberal discourses of parental responsibilisation, and the globalisation of educational approaches. This book will appeal to researchers, academics and postgraduate students interested in parent involvement and engagement, homework and primary education. The book will also be important for those researching mothering, parenting and gendered practices.

Full Product Details

Author:   Rachel Lehner-Mear (University of Nottingham, UK)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Weight:   0.453kg
ISBN:  

9781032852553

ISBN 10:   1032852550
Pages:   202
Publication Date:   01 December 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Not yet available  
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

Contents List of figures List of tables Acknowledgements Preface Introduction 1 Homework as a core educational and parental practice: disempowering discourses 2 A feminist portrait of mothering and mothers’ educational support Part A – Portraits of integration 3 Homework as a mothering tool: reinventing a mother’s place A portrait of Anna and Izzy A portrait of Nell and Lucy 4 Homework as a family-school partnership: playing the educational game A portrait of Helen and Corey A portrait of Leah and Jack 5 The temporal, practical and emotional burden of integrating homework support A portrait of Fiona and Sam Part B – Portraits of resistance 6 Resisting and reproducing intergenerational homework practices A portrait of Ruth and Lois A portrait of Sian and Emma 7 Navigating homework from outside the dominant educational culture A portrait of Ting and Ryan A portrait of Priti, Kuja and Marut 8 Disrupting the gendered responsibility of homework A portrait of Jenny and Claire Conclusion 9 The motherisation of homework: centring relationality, agency and care 10 Reconceptualising homework as an act of mothering

Reviews

'In ""Primary Homework, Mothering and Maternal Agency"", Lehner-Mear brings together scholarly insights and the stories of individual mothers in relation to homework. The book shines the light of various theories – neoliberalism, feminism, intersectionality among them – on the day-to-day experiences of mothers negotiating home-based, but school-directed, learning. This book will be of value to anyone interested in mothers’ work, parent (which usually means mother, after all) engagement, or out of school learning.' - Janet Goodall, Professor of Education, Swansea University, UK 'Drawing on valuable data from family experiences, Primary Homework, Mothering and Maternal Agency illustrates the emotional entanglement of mothering and homework. It recognizes the important work of mothers in reconceptualising homework as a social and relational activity, demonstrating the nuanced experiences of varied families. An insightful read for all educators.' - Carolyn Clarke, Assistant Professor, St. Francis Xavier University, Canada

'In ""Primary Homework, Mothering and Maternal Agency"", Lehner-Mear brings together scholarly insights and the stories of individual mothers in relation to homework. The book shines the light of various theories – neoliberalism, feminism, intersectionality among them – on the day-to-day experiences of mothers negotiating home-based, but school-directed, learning. This book will be of value to anyone interested in mothers’ work, parent (which usually means mother, after all) engagement, or out of school learning.' - Janet Goodall, Professor of Education, Swansea University, UK 'Drawing on valuable data from family experiences, Primary Homework, Mothering and Maternal Agency illustrates the emotional entanglement of mothering and homework. It recognizes the important work of mothers in reconceptualising homework as a social and relational activity, demonstrating the nuanced experiences of varied families. An insightful read for all educators.' - Dr. Carolyn Clarke, St. Francis Xavier University, Canada

Author Information

Rachel Lehner-Mear is ESRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Education, University of Nottingham, UK.

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