A Multidimensional Examination of Parent Involvement across Child and Parent Characteristics

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify equivocal findings in the parent-involvement literature and examine novel interactions in a New Zealand context. Specifically, this study tested direct effects of school year, parent education, family structure, and child gender on parent involvement in elementary school. In addition, interactions between parent, family, and child characteristics were explored as moderators on the relation of school year and parent involvement. Participants were 421 primary caregivers of children attending their first through final years of elementary school on New Zealand's South Island. Structural equation models were used to detect direct and interaction effects. Findings revealed statistically significant direct effects for several parent, family, and child characteristics examined. No interaction effects were found. Implications and future research directions are discussed. P A R E N T educational involvement is considered a critical element in fostering academic and social-emotional development, and has been identified as such in national policy in many countries (e.g., Ministry of Education, 2011; U.S. Department of Education, 2010). Policy initiatives advocating for increased and nuanced parent involvement are supported by numerous studies documenting positive relations between parent involvement and important child outcomes (Barnard, 2004;

Parent‐teacher Relationships in Elementary School: An Examination of Parent‐teacher Trust

“…Finally, some findings are associated with modest to weak magnitudes, particularly for Research Question 2, indicating caution is needed when interpreting findings. Nevertheless, many findings are within the magnitude range of other studies examining parent involvement (Garbacz, McDowall, Schaughency, Sheridan, & Welch, ; Jeynes, ).…”

“…Furthermore, this study had a unique contribution to the parent trust literature by identifying that parent trust in school may not be associated with parent educational involvement. This underscores the importance of meaningful connections between parents and teachers (Garbacz, Sheridan, Koziol, Kwon, & Holmes, ) in elementary school. Because the importance of parent educational involvement is well documented (e.g., Anderson & Minke, ), school staff may wish to target the parent‐teacher trust relationship as one way to increase parent involvement in educational activities.…”

“…This work could inform a study examining congruence in parent and teacher ratings of trust (c.f. Garbacz, Sheridan et al., ). Second, future studies could delve into the relationships between trust and student behavior.…”

Family involvement and parent–teacher relationships for students with autism spectrum disorders.

“…The FIQ-E total score was used in the current sample as an overall mean. Evidence for FIQ-E internal consistency reliability is strong across international samples (e.g., Garbacz, McDowall, Schaughency, Sheridan, & Welch, 2015; Manz et al, 2004). The internal consistency reliability for the current sample was α = .94.…”

School Community Connectedness and Family Participation at School

“…Although, as discussed earlier, Epstein (2011) suggests family involvement is influenced by processes and complex relationships which makes it more complicated than simply attending events. While family involvement has different influences and interpretations, it has been found to significantly impact children's development within various domains including academic, social, and behavioral outcomes (Choi, Chang, Kim, & Reio, 2015;Deckner, Adamson, & Bakeman, 2006;Domina 2005;El Nokali, Bachman, & Votruba-Drzal, 2010; Fernández-Alonso, Álvarez-Díaz, Woitschach, Suárez-Álvarez, & Cuesta 2017; Garbacz, McDowall, Schaughency, Sheridan, & Welch, 2015;Tichovolsky, Arnold, & Baker, 2013;Weigel, Martin, & Bennett, 2006).…”