PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN PRIMARY SCHOOL HOMEWORK: THE NEED FOR PARENTAL TRAINING

Gzim XHAMBAZI, Jasminka KOCHOSKA, Vesna STOJANOVSKA

Abstract

If we wish to implement the curriculum successfully and achieve educational objectives, given that the amount of time available for students to be in school is limited, part of the learning process directed towards acquiring new and developing previously acquired knowledge, customs, and abilities is conducted outside the classroom, i.e., at home. For this reason, it is necessary that parents collaborate with their children during their homework assignments by supporting them and guiding them appropriately, since they are at an age when they lack the ability to solve problems or complete homework assignments independently. This study seeks to find out if teachers and parents share the same opinion about the need for special training for parents to assist their children in completing their homework, and whether parents ask teachers for advice on how to help their children. Our Hypothesis was that there were no significant differences among teachers and parents in the need for training on assisting their children with their homework. We began assuming no real difference between teachers’ and parents’ views. The data tell a different story: on an aggregated “need for training” measure, teachers showed partial agreement (M = 3.25 on a 1–5 Likert scale), whereas parents tended to disagree (M = 2.43); the difference is statistically significant (t = 4.425, p < .001). Given this gap, we argue that parents would benefit from targeted, practical training—especially around how much help to provide and how to give it—so that home support reinforces classroom learning rather than unintentionally undermining it.

Pages: 182 - 188