Enhancing the Mesosystem for Adolescent Growth: Home-Based Parent Involvement and Guided Inquiry Activities for Parents and Children

Abstract

Parent involvement in education is almost universally recognized as a positive influence on children, their academic performance, and attitudes toward school. While studies generally support these ideas, research on parental involvement is challenged by problems including a lack of agreement about what are the key aspects of parental involvement and limited research employing a theoretical model. Focusing on parental involvement as adults helping their children at home, this study had 101 sixth-grade students complete at-home guided-inquiry science activities with their parents. Levels of participation varied but were best when the activities aligned with the school curriculum and materials were readily available. Parents and students generally had positive attitudes toward the program, with parents more positive than students and female students slightly more positive than male students. Interview and survey results suggest most parents felt they helped their child learn science. Shortages of parent time and student procrastination were problems that were identified. Many parents reported learning more about their children.  The majority of students indicated they would rather work on this type of homework with a parent than work alone.