Teachers Upfront 2015Parents as Partners in the Classroom

Presenter: Dr Misheck NdebelePresentation Title: Parental involvement in homework: does the socio-economic factor matter?

A BRIDGE Community of Practice

• Parent – person who is the learner’s guardian, or is legally entitled to custody of the learner; or has undertaken to fulfil the obligations of a parent or guardian towards the learner’s education (SASA,1996)

• Extent to which parents are involved directly affects children’s literacy & numeracy in the primary school; the more parents are involved in reading activities outside school, the more children are likely to develop love for reading (Nye, Turner & Schwarts, 2006)

A BRIDGE Community of Practice

• Homework – tasks given to learners by teachers that are meant to be carried out during non-school hours (Bruce, 2007; Marzano & Pickering, 2007; Pool, 2003); a window through which parents can observe their children’s education, as well as an opportunity for schools to let parents know what their children are learning (Goldstein & Zentall, 1999).

• Homework critics – excessive homework; not necessary at FP level; social inequalities widened; Eurocentric approach; Proponents – improves academic performance; develops good study habits; academic discipline & lays a foundation for later years

• Homework – main area of parental participation in their children’s education

A BRIDGE Community of Practice

• Low parental participation in black SA schools;

• Socio-economic status (SOS) of families – a leading factor in the degree of parental participation (Mmotlane, Winaar & Kivilu, 2009)

• 2014 Study: Aimed at investigating the influence of the SOS of parents of Foundation Phase learners in 8 selected public primary schools in Johannesburg on their involvement in homework

• A qualitative study of 704 parents from eight schools from different geographical and socio-economic settings in Jhb (inner-city; peri-urban; suburban; township)

• Two schools from each setting (Berea & Jeppestown-inner-city; South Kensington & Observatory ext. – peri-urban; two schools from Alexandra township; two schools from suburban areas – Houghton; Linksfield)

A BRIDGE Community of Practice

• Parents responded to questionnaire items such as, whether they perceived homework as important for their children’s learning; priority of homework over other children’s activities; their feelings about homework given to their children; teachers’ feedback on children’s homework; provision of homework environment; homework supervision; support for reading & literacy skills

• Findings: Common perceptions among all parents; Socio-economic differences

A BRIDGE Community of Practice

• Common perceptions: homework perceived as important; homework to be given priority above all other activities; teachers gave manageable homework; satisfied with teachers’ feedback on homework

• Socio-economic differences: - Homework environments: parents from poorer home

backgrounds – provided less supportive environments - Homework supervision: poorer parents supervised late in the

evening, when tired, or never supervised at all; richer parents in the afternoon, when fresh & active, had a fixed homework supervision schedule

- Reading and literacy skills: poorer parents – less active in promoting reading and literacy skills

A BRIDGE Community of Practice

DISCUSSION ON THE FINDINGS• Findings are consistent with the view that the higher the income &

SOS, the more parents are likely to become involved (Friedman, 1990); Recent research: parents from a low SOS are less likely to be involved (Schmitt & Klein, 2010; Turney & Kao, 2009; Ratcliff & Hunt, 2009)

• While poorer parents value homework, their involvement is held back by their disadvantaged socio-economic background

• Because poorer parents are less involved as early as FP level, their children’s numeracy & literacy skills development suffer, and poor foundations are laid for future academic work

• On the other hand, richer parents provide a strong foundation for future academic success, further promoting inequalities in our society

A BRIDGE Community of Practice

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GOVERNMENT, SCHOOLS AND PARENTS

• Govt to develop a standard, mandatory homework policy for all primary schools, and monitor the implementation of such a policy

• Govt to promote strategies for assisting schools with less parental involvement, e.g. Employment of homework assistants in all affected schools

• Govt to facilitate workshops teachers and parents, to promote effective homework

A BRIDGE Community of Practice

• Schools to always work in partnership with parents; keep parents informed about their children’s performance, progress and homework (principals to monitor this); parental involvement to be more than fund-raising, etc.; conduct workshops for parents

• Schools in disadvantaged environments to devise strategies to deal with their own challenges, e.g. provide after-school classes where homework is done before children go home (be creative)

• Schools to learn from other schools; share ideas on how to improve parental involvement in homework

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GOVERNMENT, SCHOOLS AND PARENTS

A BRIDGE Community of Practice

• Parents to put the child’s school interests first, and be involved in their children’s homework

• Parents to fetch their children from school early

• Parents to establish an environment for homework performance (regular times; homework behaviour; space, materials, monitor TV viewing; house chores)

• Parents to monitor, supervise & sign homework

• Parents to respond to the child’s homework performance (good or bad)

I thank you!

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GOVERNMENT, SCHOOLS AND PARENTS