dissertation on parental involvement in education

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Parental Involvement in Higher Education_Dissertation

Parental involvement in higher education has become more prevalent on college campuses as evidenced by increased reports in news media, journalistic articles, and academic publications. Parents who play an active role in their children’s day to day college experiences present a new challenge for college administrators who often find themselves attempting to address parents’ concerns while being mindful of student development goals as well as complying with federal laws like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which protect college students’ privacy. Using Nietzsche’s ‘perspectivism’ as a conceptual rationale and employing a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, this study set out to understand a) the common concerns and expectations of parents during their children’s transition to college; (b) how parents view their role during their children’s college experience; (c) how institutional structures such as programs and policies mediate parental involvement on college campuses. Results from this study support the notion that parents consider themselves consumers, involved partners and investors in their children’s college experience. Parental involvement in this study was driven by specific concerns parents had for their students’ academic or social wellbeing. Institutional policies were ineffective in mediating parental involvement and parents’ expectations were mediated more by their student’s ability to address parent’s concerns than by institutional structures. An effective institutional response to parental involvement requires institutions of higher education to meaningfully engage parents in a manner that is developmentally appropriate for the student and respective of the aims and ends of the institution.

Related Papers

Although parental involvement in higher education has received significant attention on college campuses and by the media, this topic has received scarce consideration in the empirical literature on college student development. The chapter begins with a review of theoretical concepts and methodologies used in research on parental involvement in higher education. Next, the chapter reviews relevant findings from this body

Journal of College Orientation, Transition, and Retention

ELizabeth Manuel

Higher education administrators’ expectations of parental involvement have been based on legal implications, research regarding best practices, and student development theories. Little is known, however, about parents’ perceptions of their involvement in college, particularly in students’ first year in college. This research study sought to determine differences, if any, between parents’ perceptions of their level of involvement and parents’ demographic characteristics. Results indicated perceptual differences based on students’ status as a first-generation college student, ethnicities, and students’ anticipated residence for the first year of college. Findings from this research have the potential to inform institutions as they establish parent-university partnerships.

Marjorie Savage

NASPA Journal

Marie-Pierre Moreau

In the UK, widening participation in higher education has been a policy concern for several decades.1 Social divides persist, with gender, class and race key factors in terms of entry into higher education and in respect of the subject, level of education and type of institution students access.2 Yet, despite its mitigated effects, the widening participation agenda has been associated with considerable changes in the student population. In particular, many students now have some parental responsibilities.3 This socio-demographic shift and the different needs and expectations of student parents compared with those of their ‘child- free’ counterparts give rise to some challenges for university leadership and management teams, in a context where the growing presence of this group in academia has not been matched by an equivalent policy concern. With this context in mind, this briefing paper addresses the following questions: I What does the evidence available tell us about student parents enrolled on university programmes? I Which provisions and interventions are in place at institutional level? I What more can be done by universities to address the presence of students with dependent children in academia? To address these questions, this paper draws on a review of the evidence, with specific reference to the author’s recent work in this area, funded by the Nuffield Foundation as part of its Student Parents and Women’s Education programme.4 The paper starts with a review of research on student parents, before progressing to an exploration of the provision and policies currently in place at an institutional level and how they affect this group. The final section considers some of the reasons justifying an intervention in this area and provides some recommendations for institutions. Throughout this paper and unless stated otherwise, ‘student parent’ means higher education students with dependent children for whom they are the main carer, although it is acknowledged that some of these students have other caring responsibilities – and so do some of their child-free counterparts.

Education programme. We are very grateful to the Foundation’s staff and trustees for their support and for making this research possible. We also want to thank our colleagues at the University of Bedfordshire, in particular Michelle Moroney, Prof. David Kirk, as well as Dr Uvanney Maylor and Annika Coughlin who commented on a version of this report. Last but not least, we are very much indebted to the members of staff and the student parents who gave up some of their time to take part in the research. Thank you to all of them. Note: The Nuffield Foundation is an endowed charitable trust that aims to improve social well-being in the widest sense. It funds research and innovation in education and social policy and also works to build capacity in education, science and social science research. The Nuffield Foundation has funded this project, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the

Educational Review

Elodie Marandet , Emma Wainwright

Intra‐ and inter‐generational social mobility have been implicit to a wide range of UK Government policies aimed at promoting social inclusion through a focus on education and employability. Framed by these policy initiatives and a critical look at widening participation in higher education, this paper reflects on the impacts of university learning on the self and the family among students with dependent children. With emphasis on, and differences highlighted between, male and female undergraduate students’ own (often gendered) constructions of the impact of their university experiences and aspirations for social mobility, the paper suggests that while these students face numerous and varied barriers to their learning, they are motivated by the impact their studying will have on themselves and their families. Of notable significance is how higher education is perceived to reverberate within the home, promoting a culture of learning among, and encouraging the educational aspirations of, children. The paper concludes that this potential and perceived social mobility necessitates a bridging of the rhetoric of access with a reality of accessibility and retention for those students with caring responsibilities and offers a number of recommendations to encourage this.

Helen Malone

Higher Education Research &Development

Colleen B . Doyle

ABSTRACT The transition to college is a critical determinant of student success in higher education. Increasingly, students’ parents play a key role in supporting their sons and daughters as they adjust to the academic and social demands of university. However, little research has been conducted into parents’ experiences of their child’s transition to college. Arnett’s theory of emerging adulthood is concerned with the developmental stage typically associated with students. Parents of university students were invited to describe the challenges faced by students in the transition to college. Quantitative and qualitative data were elicited on the parents’ experiences of students’ transition to higher education. A survey was conducted, and participants were interviewed at key points during one academic year. Parents reported struggling with changes in their home and family life during this phase. They expressed mixed and complex views on the adult status of their children. They also sought direct communication and guidance from the university to support more effectively their child during the transition process. The findings of the study are discussed in the light of Arnett’s theory of emerging adulthood and implications are highlighted in this regard. Recommendations are made regarding transition planning, effective communication with parents and the provision of academic and personal support systems to facilitate the successful transition of students to college.

Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice

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Home > Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies > Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies > 7843

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Factors associated with parental involvement in their child's education.

John Joseph Trentalange , Walden University

Date of Conferral

Rolande Murray

After 4 decades and a large body of research on children's academic success, there is still a need to understand how to increase children's academic performance. Researchers agree that the key component to elementary school children's academic success is parental involvement. However, little is known on how to increase parental involvement and the characteristics of the parents who participate in their children's education. This quantitative study examined 2 parental characteristics, parents' internal attachment patterns and parenting styles, and their relationship with parental involvement and children's academic success. Bowlby's theory of attachment and Baumrind's parenting typologies served as the theoretical framework. Parents who have a child between 7 and 11 years of age (n = 85) from two different western cities completed an online survey via Survey Monkey that consisted of Relationship Scales Questionnaire, Parenting Style Scale, the Parent and School Survey, and a Grade Questionnaire. Linear regression was used to determine if parental involvement mediates the relationship between parents' internal attachment patterns (independent variable Model A) and children's academic success and if parental involvement mediates the relationship between parenting styles (independent variable Model B) and children's academic success. The study found that parental involvement does mediate the relationship between parents' internal attachment patterns and children's academic success. Parental involvement also mediates the relationship between parenting styles and children's academic success. Positive social change includes having a better understanding for increasing academic performance for elementary school children.

Recommended Citation

Trentalange, John Joseph, "Factors Associated with Parental Involvement in their Child's Education" (2019). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies . 7843. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7843

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Survey: Most Students Approve of Education Quality, Climate

Initial findings from Inside Higher Ed ’s annual Student Voice survey challenge popular narratives about how college is failing students, while also pointing to areas for improvement.

By  Colleen Flaherty

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Most of the 5,025 two- and four-year respondents to the annual Student Voice survey say they’re somewhat (58 percent) or very (20 percent) confident that their education and experiences during college have prepared them for success, however they define it, in life after college.

Xavier Lorenzo/iStock/GettyImagesPlus

Public doubts about higher education may be increasing, but three in four current students rate the quality of education they’re receiving as good (46 percent) or excellent (27 percent), according to just-in results from Inside Higher Ed ’s annual Student Voice survey. This is relatively consistent across institution types.

Initial survey results hold more good news for higher ed: Most of the 5,025 two- and four-year students surveyed say they’re somewhat (58 percent) or very (20 percent) confident that their education and experiences during college have prepared them for success (however they define it) in life after college. This, too, is consistent across institution types.

Additionally—and perhaps surprisingly, given the tumultuous spring term in many places—two in three students say that their campus climate is one in which nearly all students seem to feel welcomed, valued and supported (18 percent) or most students do (49 percent).

The annual survey was fielded May 6 to 21, in partnership with Generation Lab. Nearly three in 10 respondents (28 percent) attend two-year institutions and closer to four in 10 (37 percent) are post-traditional students, meaning they attend two-year institutions and/or are 25 or older.

The student feedback isn’t all so positive, however. For example, even as the majority of students seemingly approve of their campus climate, just over half of students (52 percent) say they have some or a lot of trust in their college or university president and other executive-level officials. This makes senior campus leaders, as a group, students’ least-trusted employees from a long list, suggesting there’s work to do to build or rebuild these relationships. (Professors rank No. 1 here, with 87 percent of students having some or a lot of trust in them.)

Additionally, rating their institution’s overall effort to support students in career exploration and development, less than half of students say it’s good (34 percent) or excellent (11 percent). What do students want more of in this area? The top response by far is help finding internship and job possibilities, with nearly half (48 percent) of students selecting this from a list of potential institutional priorities (multiple options allowed).

Student wellness also remains a challenge: Just about half of students rate their overall well-being as good (37 percent) or excellent (15 percent), with fewer (42 percent) rating their mental health, specifically, as good or excellent.

Looking at dimensions of belonging, relatively more students rate their sense of academic fit at their institution as good or excellent (57 percent) than their sense of social belonging (42 percent).

Asked about stress, four in 10 (41 percent) students say their ability to effectively manage it is good or excellent, meaning the rest may need more support in this area. Students’ top two sources or kinds of stress experienced in college (selected from a long list) are balancing academics with personal, family or financial responsibilities (48 percent of the sample) and paying for college (34 percent). So work-life balance and financial concerns are impacting students’ sense of well-being, too.

As for how their mental health, physical health and stress levels impact their ability to focus, learn and perform academically, four in 10 (40 percent) students say their mental health impacts this a great deal. About the same share (43 percent) say that stress is impacting academics, underscoring the connection between student wellness and student success.

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More Initial Findings From Across the Student Experience

Below are some more initial results from the annual survey, organized by Inside Higher Ed ’s four pillars of student success. Look for additional findings, analysis and demographic breakdowns in the coming weeks and months.

Academic life: Asked which classroom-focused institutional actions would most increase their academic success , the No. 1 response from a long list of options (with multiple selections allowed) is encouraging faculty members to limit high-stakes exams, such as those counting for 40 percent of one’s course grade, with nearly half (46 percent) of students choosing this.

Asked which student experience-focused institutional actions would most increase their academic success from a long list (multiple options allowed), 55 percent of students choose making tuition more affordable so they can better balance school and work. A close second choice (49 percent of the sample) is creating more opportunities for on-campus work, including internships or leadership opportunities that fit their field of interest. These findings further highlight the link between students’ academic success and financial concerns.

As for whether students have a clear sense of when, how and whether to use generative artificial intelligence to help with their coursework, just 19 percent say they don’t, while another 11 percent are unsure.

Health and wellness: From a long list of factors, students most attribute what’s been called the collegiate metal health crisis to the need to balance personal, economic and family responsibilities with schoolwork (42 percent); increased academic stress (37 percent); and prevalence of social media (33 percent, with multiple options allowed for this question). This differs from what college and university presidents said this year in an annual s urvey by Inside Higher Ed and Hanover Research, with vast majority (87 percent) attributing the collegiate mental health crisis to the prevalence of social media (the No. 1 choice) and relatively few (42 percent) attributing it to academic stress (the least-selected option).

Asked which in a list of institutional actions would be most helpful in promoting their overall well-being, including their mental health, Student Voice respondents’ No. 1 choice is rethinking exams schedules and/or encouraging faculty members to limit high-stakes exams (46 percent). This echoes students’ responses to the earlier question about what classroom-focused actions would be best promote their success, though few institutions appear to have made changes in this area: In their own annual survey, just 5 percent of presidents said they’d rethought exams schedules at their institution to promote well-being on campus since 2020.

The college experience: Despite reports of decreased student involvement on campus post-pandemic, most Student Voice respondents appear to consider participation in extracurricular activities and events as somewhat or very important to their overall well-being and success, both while they’re in college (68 percent) and after graduation (6 percent). As for how that translates to action, 6 percent of respondents indicate some level of involvement in activities on campus—think clubs, organizations, research opportunities, paid positions or other volunteer roles. Four in 10 (40 percent) students say they’d be more involved in campus life if timing and location of events and activities were more convenient .

Maybe unsurprisingly, given growing concerns in some corners that higher ed is moving toward a customer-service model of education, four in 10 (41 percent) students say they consider themselves customers of the institution, both in classes and across campus, rather than simply as students. This is defined in the survey as thinking their college or university should meet their needs and empathize with their personal experiences because they’re paying tuition and fees.

Life after college: Students seem to have mixed feelings and experiences (or lack thereof) with their campus career services or career center and staff : just a third (34 percent) affirmatively describe their campus career services and staff as welcoming. However, only 4 percent of students say they’ve had negative interactions with their career center. Another third (33 percent) aren’t sure either way, or have had no relevant experience.

Thinking about their stress level in preparing for life after graduation, the largest share of students say they’re somewhat stressed (47 percent). Another 22 percent of students say they’re extremely stressed about this, in that impacts their daily life.

What strikes you as surprising or resonant about these initial findings? What would you like to hear more about? Tell us. We’d also love to hear about any relevant student success programs or initiatives at your institution; share here .

Helping Students Unlearn ‘Learned Helplessness’

The challenge is to promote help-seeking behaviors without fostering dependency, Erin Andrews writes.

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