LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature Review

Literature Review

Introduction

Zoppa (2006) said that parental involvement in the education of their offspring is essential for their academic success. These researchers also acknowledged that the research evidence for this relationship is less than conclusive. Concerns have been expressed regarding the methodology of some investigations, for example, inconsistent definitions of parent involvement, lack of isolation of parent involvement effects, the use of non-experimental designs, non-objective measures of parent involvement, and inaccuracy of program evaluations (Zoppa, 2006). However, according to Baker and Soden, when the results from scientifically rigorous investigations were reviewed, consistently strong parent effects were revealed.

It appears that parental involvement itself is a complex variable. The frequency and the type of parental involvement seem to positively influence academic success. Additionally, some studies have also shown that parental involvement interacts with other factors such as socioeconomic status, gender, family structure, family background, ethnicity, and maternal employment status (Zoppa, 2006).

No one has explained why the effects occur. It is accepted knowledge that parents are important in the lives of their children (Agronick, Clark and Steuve, 2009). Ideally, parents serve as strong, warm, nurturing, role models in the lives of their children. Furthermore, children learn to internalize the values and expectations their parents hold, and are motivated to gain the approval of their parents (Hill & Tyson, 2009). Therefore, it seems that if parents value education, then they will transmit these feelings to their offspring by their words and actions (Agronick, Clark and Steuve, 2009). Regardless of the reason, research suggests that a child benefits when s/he has parents who are willing to expend the time and resources in their education.

Parental Involvement: A Working Definition

Numerous studies have investigated and reviewed strategies that are expected to improve academic achievement and classroom behavior (Wherry, 2011). The National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA) and others have argued that teachers need cooperation from the parents so that their offspring will learn that there is accountability at home for what they do and how they perform at school (NPTA, 2000). Students themselves are aware of the power parents have over their behavior. Blendinger & Snipes, (1993) asked the children to report who they felt could change behavior in the schools. The responses from the students showed that they felt that parents were more capable than teachers or students in bringing about positive changes.

It is possible that there is some confusion about exactly what parental involvement means. Researchers have focused on different aspects of parental involvement. That is, parental involvement has been operationalized in many different ways over the years. Some researchers have focused on the attitudinal components of parental involvement (i.e., parental expectations or aspirations for the educational success of their offspring) and others have focused on the behavioral components of parental involvement (i.e., type of activity, frequency, attendance at parent-teacher conferences, family interaction patterns, parenting styles) (Wherry, 2011). For instance, McDermott & Rothenberg (2000) conceptualized parental involvement as family interaction or parenting style patterns. They concluded that parents who provide rules, assistance, and guidance ...