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The theoretical framework for this research is Epstein's model of Overlapping Spheres of Influence Theory. This theory demonstrates how home, school, and community spheres in a child’s life overlap with one another, affect one another, and change continuously throughout a child’s education. Epstein suggests creating a partnership between the home and school sphere that allows both to work together, celebrate successes, solve problems, and guide students collaboratively. To increase the sphere overlap, teachers need to increase interaction with parents. Epstein claimed positive overlap between the home and school spheres will result in positive effects on the child's academic, personal, social, and emotional growth. Epstein suggested a student’s achievement and motivation to learn are influenced by both his/her school and home spheres. Parents feeling connected to the school will allow for the home and school spheres to overlap and help ensure the ultimate student success. Using this theoretical framework, technology in education creates reinforcement for the overlap of the home and school spheres. As access to technology continues to expand, the capabilities for connecting parents to schools will continue to grow.
This regression study was conducted to gather data to analyze if technology communication between parents and teachers predicted a parent’s feeling of connectedness to their child’s classroom. Parents of students in a Midwest state were surveyed using Likert-scale type questions to determine the results. A total of four regression tests were run in order to answer the research questions.
The participants of this study were the parents of students who attend a rural school district in a Midwest state being tested. In order for a school district to qualify for this study and be classified as “rural”, the school district needed to be in the Midwest state being sampled, belong to a district composed of at least three communities, and have a district population under 400 students, grades Pre-K through 12th grade. If these three inclusion criteria were met, the parents of students who attend school in these districts were eligible to participate in the study. Five districts met the criteria and participated.
The methodology for this quantitative study was four simple linear regression analyses to determine if technology communication was a predicting factor of parent connectedness to their child’s school. Four different regressions were completed in order to predict the relationship between technology communication and parent connectedness to their child’s school. A quantitative closed-item 34 questions survey was used to collect data for this study. The survey was created for this study by the researcher using the program Qualtrics. Likert-type items were asked for each variable tested. All participants that took the survey answered the same set of questions to ensure consistency of the results. The first three single regression tests that were completed broke down parent connectedness into three sections and individually analyzed if each component could be predicted by technology communication. The three regressions that were conducted were: parent-teacher relationships and technology communication, parent involvement and participation and technology communication, and parent-teacher communication and technology communication. The last single regression analyzed was parent connectedness with technology communication. Finally, a single regression analysis was completed between technology communication and parent connectedness. In all regressions technology communication was the predictor variable while parent connectedness, parent-teacher relationships, parent-teacher communication, and parent involvement/participation were the criterion variables.
The analysis for this quantitative study used four simple linear regressions to determine if technology communication was a significant predictor of parent connectedness to their child’s school. Overall, 130 parents participated in completing the full survey for this study. The results of the regression analysis identified technology communication as a significant predictor parent connectedness, parent-teacher relationships, and parent-teacher communication (p<0.001). The regression analysis identified technology communication is not a significant predictor parent participation/involvement (p=0.150). Four different regression analyses were calculated in order to predict the relationship between technology communication and parent connectedness to their child’s school.
The first single regression test was with technology communication and parent connectedness. In order to complete this regression, the scores for parent-teacher relationships, parent-teacher communication, and parent participation/involvement were standardized. This was done to give each section equal weight in the regression analysis. Then, the standardized scores totaled to create the variable parent connectedness. Finally, a single regression analysis was completed between technology communication and parent connectedness.
The other three single regression tests completed broke down parent connectedness into three sections and individually analyzed if each component could be predicted by technology communication. The three regressions that were conducted were: parent-teacher relationships and technology communication, parent involvement and participation and technology communication, and parent-teacher communication and technology communication. In all regressions, technology communication was the predictor variable while parent connectedness, parent-teacher relationships, parent-teacher communication, and parent involvement/participation were the criterion variables. In all regressions, the p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
This research further advances the area of technology communication and parent connectedness. The research offers a summary of the study findings, suggestions for practice, implications of the research and recommendations to principals, school districts, and future researchers. With this research the hope is to assist school districts in connecting their parents with their child’s classroom to ensure students receive the abundant amount of benefits that come from being connected. It was discovered technology education does predict parent connectedness. When breaking down the components of parent connectedness, it was also found that technology communication is a predictor of parent-teacher communication and parent-teacher relationships. ISTE attendees will explore ideas to incorporate technology communication into education on a district & classroom level in order to connect parents.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w5Dvyb84DIU6_3nydsZ1mKYD0CeSO-Htzt8waeSk630/edit?usp=sharing
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