| Hui Zhao
University of Missouri, Columbia
Parental involvement in 34 nations: A comparative study from the TIMSS 1999 data
FINAL REPORT
Parental involvement has been an important part of school reform in many nations. Using Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 1999 data, this study examined school attitudes to and effort in promoting parental involvement in the middle school level in 30 nations. The relationship between national levels of school expectation and initiatives for parental involvement was examined. Furthermore, this study assessed the school characteristics that had impact on school leaders' expectation for parental involvement in U.S. and five high-performance nations (Canada, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Czech Republic). Through the use of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) techniques, the relationship among school expectation and initiatives for parental involvement and student outcomes (achievement in mathematics, attendance rate, and motivation) were examined in the six selected nations.
The study found that in most countries, schools were more likely to expect parental involvement at home (e.g., prepare child lunchbox) and less likely to get parents involved in school governance. Comparison of six nations found different school structural characteristics were associated with high level of expectation and initiatives for parental involvement in different nations. However, positive cultural factors were related to higher level of school expectation and initiatives in most nations. Findings of HLM analysis revealed that 8th graders' outcomes were related to school's expectations for parental involvement in the Unites States and other high-performance societies. However, the directions might be quite different across nations.
Compared to most other nations, the U.S. schools are doing better in including parents in school governance and having them involved in school activities. However, the U.S. schools are paying much lower expectation for parents' direct involvement than most other nations. Considering the significantly positive relationship between school expectation for direct involvement and student achievement in the U.S. schools, educators and policy makers may emphasize the importance of this type of involvement. U.S. schools leaders who want to increase their parental involvement practices may need to also foster collaboration among teachers and build a more orderly environment inside their schools.
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