Curriculum Specialist Cecil Foley examines the effect parents have on student success.
I have always been fascinated with the research conducted by John Hattie* since he first published “Visible Learning” in 2009 . If you are not familiar with Hattie’s research, he has completed a synthesis of over 800 meta-analysis of various studies relating to student achievement. Hattie has created ‘barometers” of sorts that measure the impact of what we do in education and at home and at how our practices influence student achievement.
Hattie analyzed more than 716 studies on how parental involvement impacts learning. He found that parent aspirations have the most important influence on their student’s achievement, while parental supervision in the forms of monitoring students’ homework, time watching TV and time going out with friends appeared to have a negative effect on the educational aspirations of adolescent students. Similar studies have concluded that the relationships between student achievement and parental participation and supportive parenting have a much higher impact on a student’s academic achievement.
In conclusion, “the higher the hopes and expectations of parents with respect to the educational attainment of their child, the higher the student’s own educational expectations and, ultimately, the greater the student’s academic achievement.” Please take time to encourage your child to do their best at school, become involved in the activities of your child’s school and have high academic expectations for them - you influence is an important part of their academic success!
By Cecil Foley
Curriculum Specialist
*Hattie, J. (2010). Visible learning: a synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement ; London: Routledge.
Posted Tuesday, February 6, 2018