Page 17 - The Inquiry into the Development and Implementation of a Multimedia Resource to Help Improve Parental Involvement in Their Child’s Reading Literacy During the Primary School Years.

In addressing this theme I aim to provide the reader with a brief overview of parental

involvement in education. I will discuss the following questions to help determine
the role parental involvement plays in the education system and how technology can

help accommodate this involvement:

• What is meant by parental involvement and how does it affect student

academic progress?
• How can parental involvement improve their child’s reading skills?

Before I discuss the role of parental involvement in education, it is important to
understand the meaning of ‘parental involvement’ in the context for this research.

There has been much debate and confusion surrounding the definition and what it
actually constitutes as the views of parents and educators often differ (Rapp and

Duncan, 2012). Reynolds and Clements (2005) define it broadly as the behaviour

parents exhibit with or on behalf of their children; attitudes and beliefs about
parenting or education; and the expectations parents hold for the future of their

child’s education. Bouffard & Weiss (2008) define parental involvement as all
activities by parents that are intentionally linked to learning. As previously stated,

parental involvement, for the purpose of this research, refers to both parental
involvement and parental engagement. It includes the participation a parent, carer, or

guardian takes in supporting their child’s schooling, social development, and

academic success. Although a collective definition for the term ‘parental
involvement’ has not been globally established, it is however commonly accepted

that parental involvement in a child’s schooling has a positive effect on their
academic and emotional development. According to Henderson & Mapp (2002)

children whose parents are actively involved in their education achieve higher scores

in standardised tests, are more likely to graduate from secondary school and go on to
post-secondary education. Muller (2009) notes that the impact of parental

involvement not only effects student outcomes but also cognitive and non-cognitive
skills that are important for future learning and employment. Hornby and Witte

(2010) identify studies that demonstrate how the benefits of parental involvement are

manifold for pupils, parents and teachers. For pupils, improvements in attitudes,
behaviour and school attendance were reported; parents establish a sense of

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