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On t.p.: Magister in Opvoedkunde (Spesialiseringsonderwys) / Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The role of primary educators ("parents") in the support of their children within school context, has in the past often been neglected. The responsibility for the support of their children within school context was left to teachers, or it was accepted that primary educators did not have specialized knowledge and that learning support should occur only at school. Within South African context primary educators are often semi-literate, illiterate or socio-economically disadvantaged and see themselves as incompetent to support their children within school context. The important role and influence that primary educators have on learners' learning support is nevertheless emerging prominently. Research indicates that pnmary educators play a key role in the cognitive development, language acquisition, literacy, affective and normative development of a learner. From birth the environment and external stimuli are mediated to the child. The primary educator supports his or her complete development. The learner will, for example, develop a sense of self worth through the security that the primary educator provides within the family system, and social behavior is learned through modelling. The question remains however as to how primary educators can be empowered to support learners within the family system in order to prevent potential barriers to learning and how to actualize learners' learning potential. Currently there is a need for literature regarding non-formal learning support and learning support strategies which are also directed towards the demands of Outcomes Based Education and also provide information regarding the profile of learners in the Foundation Phase. The aim of this study is to conduct a purposeful investigation into non-formal learning support in order that primary educators may be empowered to support their children's learning in such purposeful manner. The study has implications regarding the manner in which pnmary educators deal with their children's learning development, the actualization of the learner's learning potential in both the school and the family system, as well as the quality of the communication between primary educators, learners and teachers. The research was conducted from an eco-systemic and constructivist perspective. Learning support will remain reductionistic and ineffective without the dynamic and reciprocal interaction between the systems in which the individual functions being acknowledged, whether it is in the family or school system or not. The establishment of a triarchic partnership between the learner, primary educator and teacher contributes to the establishment of an unobstructed system of communication which promotes good systemic interaction. Each individual has a unique framework of experience (schemata) that influences the way in which he or she interacts with the social context or learning situation. This unique schemata must be acknowledged and incorporated into the teaching and learning situation in order to make the learning experience meaningful for the learner. The research methodology was planned within a qualitative framework and performed by means of an inductive investigation. Data was collected by means of an open questionnaire directed to four teachers, short biographical questionnaires directed to primary educators and two focus group interviews with ten primary educators. The data was continuously interpreted having regard to the participants' own perspectives, as well as the eco-systemic and constructivist foundation of the study. Such data was presented through a rich and detailed description of the participants' contributions. The completeness of these descriptions were verified through transcriptions and field notes. Such description of data, together with the literature review, formed the foundation according to which categories, themes and sub-themes were identified. The categories and themes subsequently formed the basis according to which data was interpreted and conclusions and recommendations were made. Conclusions confirm the importance of the empowerment of primary educators to support their children within school context. This empowerment embraces the intention of the South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act 84 of 1996). Primary educators already have the ability and skills to support learners within the school context. These skills should however be developed and supported. Primary educators should be made aware of these existing skills and be motivated to use it on a continuous basis. The social and interactive nature of learning is furthermore emphasized by the intentional and incidental interaction between the context, primary educator and learner. Knowledge of their children's development and learning will contribute to the effectiveness of primary educators' support and will ensure that this support is effected within the leamer's zone of proximal development. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die rol wat primêre opvoeders in die ondersteuning van hulle kinders binne skoolverband speel, is dikwels in die verlede nagelaat. Die verantwoordelikheid vir die ondersteuning van hulle kinders binne skoolverband is aan onderwysers oorgelaat, of daar is aangeneem dat die primêre opvoeder nie spesialiskennis het rue en dat die leerondersteuning dus eerder geïsoleerd by die skool moet plaasvind. Binne Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is primêre opvoeders dikwels semigeletterd, ongeletterd of sosio-ekonomies benadeel en beskou hulself as onbekwaam om 'n rol te vervul in leerders se ondersteuning binne skoolverband Ten spyte hiervan kom die belangrike rol en invloed wat die primêre opvoeder op die leerder se leerondersteuning het al hoe sterker na vore. Navorsing wys daarop dat primêre opvoeders 'n sleutelrol III die kognitiewe ontwikkeling, taalverwerwing, geletterheid, affektiewe en normatiewe ontwikkeling van die leerder vervul. Van geboorte af word die omgewing en eksterne stimuli aan die leerder gemedieer en word hy of sy deur die primêre opvoeder ondersteun in sy ofhaar totale ontwikkeling. Deur die sekuriteit wat die primêre opvoeder en die gesinsisteem verskaf, ontwikkel die leerder byvoorbeeld 'n sin van selfwaarde en word sosiale gedrag deur modellering aangeleer Die vraag blyegter hoe primêre opvoeders bemagtig kan word om leerders binne die gesinsisteem te ondersteun om potensiële leerhindernisse te vermy en hul leerpotensiaal te aktualiseer. Daar is tans 'n leemte in die literatuur wat betref 'n studie na nie-formele leerondersteuning en leerondersteuning-strategieë, wat gerig is op die eise wat Uitkomsgebaseerde Onderwys stel, en wat ook inligting verskaf aangaande die profiel van leerders in die Grondslagfase. Die doel van die studie is om 'n doelgerigte ondersoek na rue-formele leerondersteuning in te stel sodat primêre opvoeders bemagtig kan word om hul kinders se leer doelgerig te kan ondersteun. Die studie hou implikasies in vir die wyses waarop primêre opvoeders met leerders se leerontwikkeling omgaan, die aktualisering van die leerder se leerpotensiaal in beide die skool- en gesinsisteem, asook vir die kwaliteit van kommunikasie tussen primêre opvoeders, leerders en onderwysers. Die navorsing is gedoen vanuit 'n ekosistemiese en konstruktivistiese perspektief. Sonder die erkenning van die dinamiese en wedersydse interaksie van die sisteme waarbinne die leerder beweeg sal enige leerondersteuning, hetsy binne die skoolof gesinsisteem, reduksionisties en oneffektief bly. Die stigting van 'n triargiese vennootskap tussen die leerder, primêre opvoeder en onderwyser dra by tot die vestiging van 'n onbelemmerde kommunikasiesisteem wat goeie sistemiese interaksie sal bevorder. Elke individu beskik verder oor 'n unieke ervaringsraamwerk wat die wyse waarmee hy of sy met die sosiale konteks en leersituasie omgaan, beïnvloed. Hierdie eiesoortige verwysingsraamwerk moet erken word en by die onderrig-en leersituasie betrek word ten einde die leerervaring vir die leerder sinvol te maak. Die navorsingsmetodologie is binne 'n kwalitatiewe raamwerk beplan en uitgevoer deur middel van 'n induktiewe werkswyse. Data-inwinning is gedoen deur 'n oop vraelys wat gerig is aan vier onderwysers, kort biografiese vraelyste gerig aan primêre opvoeders en twee fokusgroeponderhoude met tien primêre opvoeders. Die data is deurlopend geïnterpreteer met inagneming van die deelnemers se eie perspektiewe, asook die konstruktivistiese en ekosistemiese grondslag van die studie. Die data is weergee deur 'n ryk en gedetailleerde beskrywing van die deelnemers se insette. Die volledigheid van hierdie beskrywing is gekontroleer deur transkripsies en veldnotas. Hierdie beskrywing van die data, asook die literatuuroorsig, het die basis gevorm waarvolgens kategorieë, temas en subtemas geïdentifiseer is. Die kategorieë en temas het daaropvolgend die grondslag gevorm waarvolgens die data geïnterpreteer en gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak is. Die gevolgtrekkings het die belangrikheid van die bemagtiging van primêre opvoeders om leerders binne skoolverband te ondersteun bevestig. Hierdie bemagtiging sluit aan by die bedoeling van die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet, 1996 (Wet 84 van 1996). Primêre opvoeders beskik reeds oor die vaardighede om leerders binne skoolverband te ondersteun, hierdie vaardighede moet egter verder ontwikkel en ondersteun word. Hulle behoort bewus gemaak te word van hierdie bestaande vaardighede, asook gemotiveer te word om dit op deurlopende basis te benut. Die sosiale en interaktiewe aard van leer word beklemtoon deur die intensionele en insidentele interaksie tussen die konteks, primêre opvoeder en leerder. Kennis van hul kinders se ontwikkeling en leer sal bydra tot die effektiwiteit van primêre opvoeders se ondersteuning en die aansluiting van die ondersteuning by leerders se sone van proksimale ontwikkeling, bevorder.

Leung, Nga Man. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-67). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract (English) --- p.i / Abstract (Chinese) --- p.ii / Acknowledgement --- p.iv / Table of Contents --- p.v / List of Tables --- p.vii / List of Figures --- p.viii / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction --- p.1 / An Intergrative Model of Parenting --- p.2 / "Parental Socialization Goals, Practices and Styles" --- p.4 / Academic Socialization Goals and Parental Expectations in Chinese Context --- p.5 / "Parental Socialization Goals, Expectations and Academic Performance" --- p.7 / Parental Expectation and Children's Psychological Development --- p.9 / Perceveid Societal Norms and Socialization Goals --- p.10 / The Importance of Measuring Parental Socialization Goals --- p.13 / Aims and Overview of the Two Studies --- p.13 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Empirical Studies --- p.19 / Study 1: Developing Scales to Measure Maternal Academic Socialization Goals --- p.19 / Method --- p.19 / Instruments --- p.19 / Participants --- p.22 / Measures --- p.23 / Results and Discussion --- p.24 / Psychometric Properties of CPMASG and MASG --- p.24 / "Descriptive Statistics, Preliminary Analysis and Correlation Analysis" --- p.30 / "Study 2: Investigating the Combined Effects of Socialization Goals, Styles, and Practices" --- p.33 / Method --- p.33 / Participants --- p.33 / Measures --- p.34 / Results and Discussion --- p.38 / "Descriptive Statistics, Preliminary Analysis and Correlation Analysis" --- p.38 / Regression Analysis --- p.43 / Structural Equation Modeling --- p.46 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- General Discussion --- p.55 / References --- p.64 / Appendix --- p.68 / The Original Items Asked in Traditional Way --- p.68

The purpose of this project is to assist parents, through the development of a school-based Family Literacy Institute, to learn to actively help their children when they read at home. The study will teach parents how to pick appropriate books for and with their children and use them as a read aloud. It is, also, to get parents involved with their children's literacy development and to support their educational experiences from elementary school through high school.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

The purpose of this study is threefold. First, it is to clarify the construct, parental involvement, by examining its different dimensions both theoretically and empirically. The second purpose is to identify important family factors and institutional factors that affect parental involvement. Finally, this study examines how students' learning outcomes are related to different dimensions of parental involvement. A conceptual framework is proposed that indicates the relationships between school factors, family factors, parental involvement and students' learning outcomes. The construct of "capital" is used as an explanatory tool within this framework. The research was conducted in two phases. Data were collected as part of a larger project which studied the effectiveness of elementary schools in British Columbia (Willms, 1992). Phase I of the study was conducted in 1994. Questionnaires were sent to a population of fifteen hundred B.C. elementary school principals. A total of 831 school administrators returned the questionnaires. Phase II of the study was conducted in 1995. Forty-nine schools were sampled strategically according to the variability of parents' socioeconomic backgrounds. A total of 404 teachers and 1042 fifth-grade students completed questionnaires. Hierarchical Linear Modelling was then used to explore the nature and impact of parental involvement. The extent of parental involvement in grade 5 was generally low in B.C. elementary schools. Levels of parental involvement did not vary substantially among schools; therefore, it was difficult to identify schools which could induce particularly high or low levels of involvement. In exploring the barriers and facilitators of parental involvement, evidence from this study suggests that substantial decentralization of instructional activities, and positive teacher attitudes and practices enhance parental involvement. Another important school factor is the nurturing of social capital within the school. The findings indicate that a positive social climate is a major determinant of parental involvement. An important home factor is cultural capital provided by parents. The results suggest that cultural capital rather than economic capital determines the levels of parental involvement in education. The effects of different types of parental involvement on students' learning outcomes were relatively weak in this study. Home-based involvement was not generally effective for improving children's learning, and school-based involvement had a small positive effect on student's self-esteem but was negatively related to student academic achievement. It appears that parental involvement tended to be reactive rather than proactive. Parents with children at risk academically and socially were more likely to be involved. Yet the study has demonstrated that investment of educational time and monitoring of peer activities were possible intervening variables through which parents could indirectly affect students' learning outcomes. In the conceptual framework of this study, learning outcomes was viewed as a function of the availability of: economic capital, cultural capital and social capital. Among these major forms of resources, social capital nurtured by the school was the most powerful determinant of students' self-esteem. Cultural capital and economic capital had a moderate effect on both students' self-esteem and academic achievement, but their contribution varied from one cognitive characteristic to another. These results provide substantial evidence to support the integration of Coleman's social capital thesis and Bourdieu's cultural capital thesis. An inclusive model, which emphasizes the inclusion of resources from family, school, and community, appears to be the most promising avenue for improving children's learning.

Parental involvement has been identified as a targeted strategy to improve the academic achievement of children, and thus, educational reform policies and efforts have been created and implemented within the schools in order to bridge the achievement gap. Most educational reform efforts concerning parental involvement have focused on the involvement of parents from lower socioeconomic status and various ethnic and racial groups, including single mothers across these categories. The purpose of this instrumental case study was to understand how single working Black mothers became involved in their children’s education, the reasons why they were involved, and how they constructed their identity and meaning of an involved parent in their children’s education. In an attempt to move beyond the traditional models of parental involvement that place heavy emphasis on the presence of parents within the schools, this study aimed to recognize the efforts of mothers as they relate to their children’s overall growth and development within their homes and community in order to reconceptualize the meaning of parental involvement. / Department of Educational Studies

The purpose of this study is threefold. First, it is to clarify the construct, parental involvement, by examining its different dimensions both theoretically and empirically. The second purpose is to identify important family factors and institutional factors that affect parental involvement. Finally, this study examines how students' learning outcomes are related to different dimensions of parental involvement. A conceptual framework is proposed that indicates the relationships between school factors, family factors, parental involvement and students' learning outcomes. The construct of "capital" is used as an explanatory tool within this framework. The research was conducted in two phases. Data were collected as part of a larger project which studied the effectiveness of elementary schools in British Columbia (Willms, 1992). Phase I of the study was conducted in 1994. Questionnaires were sent to a population of fifteen hundred B.C. elementary school principals. A total of 831 school administrators returned the questionnaires. Phase II of the study was conducted in 1995. Forty-nine schools were sampled strategically according to the variability of parents' socioeconomic backgrounds. A total of 404 teachers and 1042 fifth-grade students completed questionnaires. Hierarchical Linear Modelling was then used to explore the nature and impact of parental involvement. The extent of parental involvement in grade 5 was generally low in B.C. elementary schools. Levels of parental involvement did not vary substantially among schools; therefore, it was difficult to identify schools which could induce particularly high or low levels of involvement. In exploring the barriers and facilitators of parental involvement, evidence from this study suggests that substantial decentralization of instructional activities, and positive teacher attitudes and practices enhance parental involvement. Another important school factor is the nurturing of social capital within the school. The findings indicate that a positive social climate is a major determinant of parental involvement. An important home factor is cultural capital provided by parents. The results suggest that cultural capital rather than economic capital determines the levels of parental involvement in education. The effects of different types of parental involvement on students' learning outcomes were relatively weak in this study. Home-based involvement was not generally effective for improving children's learning, and school-based involvement had a small positive effect on student's self-esteem but was negatively related to student academic achievement. It appears that parental involvement tended to be reactive rather than proactive. Parents with children at risk academically and socially were more likely to be involved. Yet the study has demonstrated that investment of educational time and monitoring of peer activities were possible intervening variables through which parents could indirectly affect students' learning outcomes. In the conceptual framework of this study, learning outcomes was viewed as a function of the availability of: economic capital, cultural capital and social capital. Among these major forms of resources, social capital nurtured by the school was the most powerful determinant of students' self-esteem. Cultural capital and economic capital had a moderate effect on both students' self-esteem and academic achievement, but their contribution varied from one cognitive characteristic to another. These results provide substantial evidence to support the integration of Coleman's social capital thesis and Bourdieu's cultural capital thesis. An inclusive model, which emphasizes the inclusion of resources from family, school, and community, appears to be the most promising avenue for improving children's learning. / Education, Faculty of / Graduate

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This dissertation examines how changing neighborhoods and the rise of urban school choice policies shape the experiences of parents raising young children. Drawing on 102 interviews with parents of elementary-aged children across New York City, descriptive network and geographic data from parent surveys, and four years of ethnographic observations of school district meetings, I answer four interrelated questions. First, how do parents integrate their sense of self into their school decision-making rationales? Second, how do ideologies around intensive mothering shape the particular experiences of mothers as they navigate school decision-making? Third, how do parents construct school decision-making networks that they draw on for advice and what are the spatial and geographic features of these networks? Lastly how do parents develop assessments of economically-disadvantaged neighborhoods and how do these evaluations guide their parenting strategies and childrearing logics? Through this research, I make four theoretical contributions. I examine parent decision-making standpoints and demonstrate how parents construct their identities through school decision-making. My findings suggest that socioeconomic differences shape how parents construct their identity as they make school decisions. Working-class parents primarily draw on their past school experiences while middle-class parents integrate their stance for equity into their school decisions. I find that parents across socioeconomic background center their parenting ideals on cultivating their child’s creativity and individuality and seek schools that will nurture their child’s identity. Second, I conceptualize the particular emotional labor mothers expend as they make school decisions. I find that mothers extend emotional labor in their search for schools for their children. Working-class mothers extend emotional labor at the beginning of the application process as they attempt to navigate application procedures. Middle-class mothers extend emotional labor in later stages as they attempt to implement a strategy for enrollment. Important racial and ethnic differences also shape how mothers take on these additional burdens of care work. I find that white mothers extend emotional labor by persistently contacting school administrators to seek enrollment while mothers of color across socioeconomic background extend emotional labor in their search for schools that will reaffirm and support their children’s marginalized identities. Third my dissertation contributes to our understanding of network effects in spatial context. I put forth a theory of cumulative network effects by evaluating the spatial attributes of parents’ advice networks. I find that parents draw on advice from family members, other parents, and organizations as they make school decisions. I find that both working-class and middle-class parents are more likely to enroll their children in non-zoned schools and schools that are greater distances away when they accumulate a large and spatially dispersed network. Lastly, I link together theories on neighborhood perceptions and childrearing by demonstrating how parents’ neighborhood assessments guide their parenting strategies in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. I find that parents’ varying views of economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in turn shapes their child rearing strategies. Parents who view the neighborhood more positively, cultivate relationships with neighbors and encourage their children to do the same, while parents who view the neighborhood less favorably create distance between their family and the neighborhood. Overall, my findings demonstrate that parenting approaches have shifted as neighborhoods have undergone changes and as educational policies in urban areas have emphasized greater school choice options. I demonstrate how parenting is shaped by decision-making standpoints, longstanding ideologies about motherhood, cumulative network effects in spatial context, and parents’ neighborhood assessments.