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An exploratory study of parental involvement at home
Author
Kee, Bee Lian
Supervisor
Kang, Trivina
Abstract
Given current interest in Singapore schools towards encouraging parents to be more involved in their children’s learning, this study focuses on one aspect of such involvement – namely, parental involvement at home. Using quantitative and qualitative data gathered from pupils from one neighborhood primary school in Singapore, this study examines the different forms of parental involvement at home, how pupils perceive their parents’ involvement, variations in parental involvement of parents from different ethnic groups, correlation between parental involvement at home and pupil achievement as well as the barriers parents face.
The study shows that parents play a multi-faceted role at home to help their children in their learning. This includes being a “provider’, “monitor” as well as a “motivator/mentor”. Pupils indicate that parents are mainly involved as providers and their involvement is passive rather than active and on-going. Chinese and Malay parents are not statistically different in emphasis on providing learning resources and structuring the home environment, although certain facets of their involvement as monitors and mentors do vary. Pupils indicate they feel encouraged and motivated when channels of communications are open and parents talk to them about school work. However, they also acknowledge that not all ways of parental involvement are effective from their perspective. Correlations also show that not all forms of involvement at home are positively and significantly correlated to pupil outcomes. What is needed is customized parental involvement that is not one size fits all but appropriate to the needs of the child. This is not an easy endeavour as the study suggests that there are numerous barriers to parental involvement that include time constraint for working parents, the lack of confidence in parents to coach their children because of their educational background and lack of communication with teachers.
Findings from the study would allow school practitioners to better understand the level, capacities and involvement profile of parents who maybe providers, motivators or monitors or a combination of all three. As such, a school administrator or teacher planning to foster better home-school collaboration could use the information to guide parents in more effective involvement to support their children’s learning at home.
The study shows that parents play a multi-faceted role at home to help their children in their learning. This includes being a “provider’, “monitor” as well as a “motivator/mentor”. Pupils indicate that parents are mainly involved as providers and their involvement is passive rather than active and on-going. Chinese and Malay parents are not statistically different in emphasis on providing learning resources and structuring the home environment, although certain facets of their involvement as monitors and mentors do vary. Pupils indicate they feel encouraged and motivated when channels of communications are open and parents talk to them about school work. However, they also acknowledge that not all ways of parental involvement are effective from their perspective. Correlations also show that not all forms of involvement at home are positively and significantly correlated to pupil outcomes. What is needed is customized parental involvement that is not one size fits all but appropriate to the needs of the child. This is not an easy endeavour as the study suggests that there are numerous barriers to parental involvement that include time constraint for working parents, the lack of confidence in parents to coach their children because of their educational background and lack of communication with teachers.
Findings from the study would allow school practitioners to better understand the level, capacities and involvement profile of parents who maybe providers, motivators or monitors or a combination of all three. As such, a school administrator or teacher planning to foster better home-school collaboration could use the information to guide parents in more effective involvement to support their children’s learning at home.
Date Issued
2006
Call Number
LC225.33.S55 Kee
Date Submitted
2006