How is it defined?
Parental investment in their child’s education can entail both school-related participation, such as involvement in parent-teacher committees and volunteering at school, or home-based support including homework checks and discussions about school (Shute et al., 2011). Though parental involvement in school events can serve a valuable social and community role, it is the involvement of parents in their children's learning at home that is most likely to lead to improved educational outcomes (Harris & Goodall, 2008).
The Learning Bar’s Parent Survey is based on a framework developed by Joyce Epstein designed to foster positive relations between school and community (Epstein et al., 2002). The survey covers parents’ perceptions of their children’s experiences at home and school, as well as the extent to which parents feel the school supports learning and positive behaviour and promotes a safe and inclusive environment.
Why is it important?
- Home-based educational support from parents helps children reach their full learning potential (Suparjan et al., 2024).
- Children assume greater educational aspirations when their parents initiate schooling-related conversations at home and/or set high academic expectations (Hong & Ho, 2005).
- Praise of a student’s efforts at home has the capacity to enhance a student’s intrinsic motivation (Henderlong & Lepper, 2002)
- Parental support of literacy at home is positively associated with student achievement (Shute et al., 2011).
How do we measure it?
In OurSCHOOL, parents and caregivers respond to two sets of questions concerning their level of involvement in their child’s learning at home.
- Academic Encouragement - Parents and caregivers respond to 5 questions regarding the encouragement they provide in relation to their child’s education. The results are reported as "the percentage of parents and caregivers who provide academic encouragement."
- Active Learning Support - Parents and caregivers respond to 5 questions concerning active involvement in and advocacy for their child’s education. The results are reported as "the percentage of parents and caregivers who provide active learning support."
References
Epstein, J. L., Sanders, M. G., Simon, B. S., Salinas, K. C., Jansorn, N. R., & Van Voorhis, F. L. (2002). School, family, and community partnerships: Your handbook for action (2nd ed.). Corwin Press.
Harris, A., & Goodall, J. (2008). Do parents know they matter? Engaging all parents in learning. Educational Research, 50(3), 277-289.
Henderlong, J., & Lepper, M. R. (2002). The effects of praise on children's intrinsic motivation: A review and synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 128(5), 774-795.
Hong, S., & Ho, H. Z. (2005). Direct and indirect longitudinal effects of parental involvement on student achievement: Second-order latent growth modelling across ethnic groups. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97(1), 32-42.
Shute, V. J., Hansen, E. G., Underwood, J. S., & Razzouk, R. (2011). A review of the relationship between parental involvement and secondary school students' academic achievement. Education Research International, 2011, 1-10.
Suparjan, S., Wibawa, L., Fauziah, P. Y., & Ismiyani, N. (2024). Assisting students learning at home: Parents’ role. Journal of Education Research, 5(1), 969-974.