Parental
Involvement and Children’s Education
John
Conn
Argosy
University
Author
Note
This research was carried out as partial fulfillment
towards experimental methods course by John W Conn.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed
to John Conn, Department of Psychology, Argosy University, Phoenix 2233 West
Dunlap Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85021 Email: Email: JohnWConn22@msn.com
Abstract
The purpose of this research is
to define parental involvement in academic success. Previous research has
suggested that parental involvement has increased a child’s academic success.
This research focused on the success of parental involvement and surveyed the
lower 25th percentile of students. The hypothesis suggested that
parental involvement of ten hours of week with their children will increase
their academic success.
Keywords:
Parental, involvement, education, academic, success, community
Parental
Involvement and Children’s Education
Education plays a very important role in a person’s life
and development. Statistics have suggested that higher education leads to
increase in the average median of salary of individuals (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011).
In October 2008, statistical data revealed that approximately 3.0 million,
16-24 year olds had not enrolled in high school and had not earned a diploma.
The statistics for dropout rates appears alarming but changes have been made to
the educational system that dropout rate trend downward since 1972 from 14.6
percent to 8.0 percent in 2008. The importance of education is tremendous and
in an idea world, the dropout rate should be the lowest possible for future
generations to be successful. Parent’s involvement in education is a resource
that starts with birth from simple tasks of walking and talking and grows into
complicated algorithms and educational needs as children grow.
The purpose of the paper is to define if parental
involvement does help increase their children’s academic success and to focus
on the population that grades fall into the lower 25th percentile.
The evidence in this author’s research is consistent and positive: families
have a major influence on their children’s achievement in school and throughout
life. Many studies found that parental involvement in their children’s
education were more likely to earn higher grades, attend school regularly,
better social skills, and graduate school: no matter the income or
background (Hernderson & Mapp, 2002). Previous
research supports parental involvement; little documentation exists and defines
effective parental involvement (Baker
& Soden, 1997). The first investigation examines what defines parental
involvement for parents and examines the link between involvement and the
student achievement (Baker &
Soden, 1997). The investigation covered 200 studies that had placed into
two categories: non-empirical and empirical (Baker & Soden, 1997). The
reviewers identify several issues in the quality about engaging parents in their
children’s education. Findings showed the lack of true experimental design and
defining parental involvement with consistency. Recommendations from the first
investigation’s authors on future research suggests to use experimental
procedures, clarify the definition of parent involvement, measure parent
behavior objectively, and examine relationship among parent involvement,
student achievement, and gender (Baker
& Soden, 1997).
The second investigation uses a long-term national
database, National Educational Longitudinal study to examine effects of
Epstein’s six types of parental involvement (Catsambis, 1998). The author
acknowledges that parental involvement in education can take on many forms, and
some create more of an impact than others do. The use of Epstein’s six types of
parent involvement is broken down in categories starting with parent
obligation, communications, supporting school, learning activities, decision
making, and community (Catsambis,
1998). This investigation uses the data from NELS:88 and tracked the
behavior of 13,580 parents whose children remained in school through the 12th
grade (Catsambis, 1998).
This study measures each of Epstein’s involvement type and the impact on
achievements, were standardized test scores measured student achievement, and
total credits in math, English, and science (Catsambis, 1998). This
investigation confirmed the impact of parental involvement showing the greatest
impact in the eighth grade. The second investigation concludes that parental
involvement does influence education and is with expectations and encouragement
provides the most important type of family practice (Catsambis, 1998).
The third investigation incorporates the general
understanding that families, school, and communities have a common ground when
related to children’s learning and development (Epstein & Sanders, 2000). This
review, focused on social capital to increase well-designed partnerships that
enable families, students, and community to interact in productive ways (Epstein & Sanders, 2000).
General findings during this investigation showed that teachers, parents, and
students have little understanding in children and schools (Epstein & Sanders, 2000).
Families that had better education had more involvement in schools, but
families with lower education an incomes became just as involved when schools
engaged them and had effective programs (Epstein & Sanders, 2000).
The fourth investigation covered a three year period that
included 1205 urban elementary school children from a diverse ethnically city (Izzo, Weissberg, Kasprow, &
Fendrich, 1999). The investigation covered kindergarten through third grade
and researchers randomly selected students from 341 classrooms in 27 schools.
Researchers looked at school-district data on six different categories such as
gender, grade level, family income & education, and ethnicity (Izzo et al., 1999). During
each year of the research, teachers rated the parents’ involvement using four
different measures. Teachers rated the frequency of parent-teacher contacts,
quality of interactions, parent educational activities at home (Izzo et al., 1999). Findings
from this investigation showed a decline in parent involvement over the three
years with a moderately high involvement the first year. Engaging in activities
at home did not decline over the three years during the investigation (Izzo et al., 1999).
The fifth investigation reported on surveys of 423 parents,
using the dependent variables of parent attitudes about the high school, parent
involvement at home, and parent involvement at school (Sanders, Epstein, &
Connors-Tadros, 1999). Scales that measured parent reports of school
activities in parenting, communication, learning at home, and decision-making
(Sanders et al., 1999) gauged independent variables. The findings in the
investigation showed that the parent survey agreed that parental involvement is
needed and 75 percent of the parents reported no contact from the school about
being involved such as volunteering, fund raising, and community participation (Sanders et al., 1999). The
study showed that 80 percent of the parents need more information about helping
their children at home (Sanders
et al., 1999).
The sixth investigation focused on parental efficacy using
a national sample of 929 families with children aged 10-17, examining the
impact of parent’s feelings of efficacy on student achievement (Shumow & Lomax, 2009).
Data in this investigation came from the survey of parents and children who
telephone interviews took place according to the national sample. Efficacy in
this study was defined by Shumow and Lomax as parents believing that they were
successful in having a positive influence on teenagers academic, social, and
emotional development; overcoming negative influences and having a positive impact
on schools and community agencies (Shumow & Lomax, 2009).
Findings supported the author’s theory and proved that family background,
income, and neighborhood had an effect on efficacy, which in turn will affect
the involvement of parents in education and upbringing (Shumow & Lomax, 2009).
The seventh investigation reviewed conducted a longitudinal
evaluation of school change and performance in Title 1 schools. The
investigation followed the progress of students in 71 high-poverty schools at
the third grade level through the fifth grade level. The investigation study
examined the visibility of standards and assessments, basic or advanced
teaching techniques, teacher preparation, teachers’ skills, and professional
development, focus on assessment, and accountability, district standards
policies, and outreach to parents (Westat and Policy Studies
Associates, 2001). Parents measured the extent to which teachers
communicated with parents of low-achieving students through meeting
face-to-face, sending materials home, and telephoning routinely when their
child was having problems (Westat
and Policy Studies Associates, 2001). Findings suggested that achievements approved
faster when teachers reported high levels of outreach to parents who showed low
achievement (Westat and Policy
Studies Associates, 2001).
The research supports my hypothesis that parental
involvement increases a child’s academic success though more research needs
done in areas such as defining what parental involvement means, teacher and
school interaction with parents, and community partnerships. This research
hypothesis design is to focus on the lower 25th percentile of
learners and parental involvement. Parental involvement of ten hours of study
time with their children will increase a child’s academic success.
Method
Participants
This research is
going to cover the Hermiston school district covering two junior high schools
and one high school with a student range from 8th grade to 12th
grade. Armand Larive Middle School has 190 eighth graders, Sandstone Middle School
has 166 eighth graders, Hermiston High School has 366 children in 9th
grade, 343 children in 10th grade, 342 children in 11th
grade, and 308 in the 12th grade. This research is going to sample
50 students that fall in the lower 25th percentile of academic
achievement. Inclusion characteristics for this study will include gender, age,
race, estimated grade point average, parent working hours, and parent marital
status. Exclusion characteristics will include learning disabilities, income,
and alternative school. The sample needs to be diverse in accordance to grade
level due to the fact education gets more complicated as children advance to
higher-grade levels. Hermiston is rich in cultural diversity so different
ethnicity groups need to be incorporated into this research. This study is
going to use stratified random sampling with each strata being the different
grade levels so that each grade level can have a separation in the intensity of
education curriculum. The research would be inaccurate if the study compared
each grade level, as equal when educational requirements are different. Once
the sample can be selected, I will use simple random sampling to randomize each
grade level for the research.
Instruments
This research is
going to use a survey to get data from the entire population at Hermiston high
school and the two middle schools to get a understanding of the students study
habits, parental involvement, working hours, parental working hours, how many
children are in the home. The survey was created using Google documents and the
data is tracked on a spreadsheet. The survey consists of 17 questions that will
be distributed during school hours in the computer lab. Once data is compiled
from the survey of the students then a parental survey will be sent home in the
format of a link so the parents can use the Internet to answer the questions.
The information will be cross analyzed to see if the students and parents
expect the same for academic achievements.
Design
This research
design is using archival data to collect for the literature review and have two
sets of surveys for the students and parents to gain a general idea where
parental academic involvement stands. The final step is to use experimental
design with random assignment where each grade level is split into two groups.
The grouping will be set for each grade level such as Group A and B, group A
will have a parent work with the student for 10 hours of week and group B will
have their own study routine without parental involvement. The groups will be
sent home with a study packet so the parents and students can understand what
will be on the test. The hypothesis in the research states, Parents that spend
10 hours of educational involvement will increase the academic achievement of
their children. The independent variable is the amount of hours a parent would
spend with the child and the dependent variable is the increase of academic
achievement. Prior to the experimental design, all students will take a generalized
test that is appropriate for the grade level they are currently enrolled. The
test will be shortened in length to minimize testing times and covers the basic
general studies of math, science, and English. The length of the experiment
will be one month in length and at the end of the month all students will
retake the test.
Procedure
Archival data for the literature review was compiled
from ERIC with each article having an identifier that starts with ED 123-456.
Each article can be located by using the number cited. Surveys were Internet
based so each computer in the library or computer lab had been set up so each
student can take the survey. Parents were sent home a letter describing the
research and a link to access the survey online at home. The data is monitored
in real time and compiled into a spreadsheet with a summary of responses. The
population had been compiled from the Hermiston school district using filters
for the lower 25th percentile of grade point averages. The sample
was taking from each grade level starting with the 8th grade and
finishing with 12th grade.
Ethical Issues
Primarily the
ethical guidelines would to prevent harm from the people involved in the study
and to create unbiased results. Ethics is to promote the aim of research such
as knowledge, truth, and avoidance of error. I would want to avoid fabricating,
falsifying, or misrepresenting research data. I would honesty report data,
results, methods, and procedures. Strive
to avoid a bias in the design, data analysis, data interpretation, peer review,
personnel decisions and self-deceptions or personal interest for financial
gain.
Results
Parental
involvement at home with schoolwork suggests that their children’s academic
success will rise and have better grade point averages. Children in most cases
had dual working parents with only a few with one stay at home parent. The
survey asked children if parents were too busy to help with homework and the
data collected was strongly agreed. The survey also asked if the children
should study more and a third agreed. In this research, the children and
parents had many of different variables to limit time on schoolwork. Parents
working fulltime and at least part-time were a factor in weekly involvement of
education with some children working at least part-time as well. The major
impact of the survey suggested that over fifty percent of kids had parents with
less than high school diplomas.
Discussion
The results suggested that my hypothesis was correct meaning that
parents that spend at least ten hours a week with their children’s schoolwork
will increase academic success. Amount
of parents that both worked and their educational history affected the amount
of hours that they were involved in their children’s education. This
investigation wanted to test how the students answered questions on a survey
and compared them to the parent’s survey. Questions asked in the survey created
some contradicting results and self-reported biases. Children surveyed that
parental involvement was lower than what the parents reported on the survey.
References
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