Technology Into Early Childhood Education

Matters to Consider when introducing Technology into Early Childhood Education Introduction Earlier research was more concerned with weather or not technology; including computers were, in fact, beneficial to children's learning. Current research is concerned with how technology can be used to support children's learning and development (Morrison, 2009). Acronyms like PC, CD, DVD, PDA, DSL, eBay, and . com, are part of our professional vocabulary right alongside ECE†¦ technology has changed the way we teach children (Donohue, 2003). This author takes the position that technology is beneficial to early childhood education.This paper will outline how technology is beneficial to early childhood education through an analysis of contemporary literature. The paper has been set out in sections addressing a different aspect of technology and matters to consider as it effects early childhood education. This paper will begin by defining technology. It will discuss recent trends in technol ogy and the importance of educators and the benefits for children. It will discuss computer technology in the classroom and the use of media in education. It will conclude with a discussion on the effects of television superheros on children's behaviour in an educational setting.This paper will show by presenting different aspects of technology and arguing different perspectives from research; technology is beneficial to early childhood education. Defining Technology in Early Childhood Education Before a discussion on technology in early childhood education can proceed, there needs to be an understanding of what technology is comprised of. Depending on which author one reads or what the purpose of the research is for, the definition of technology varies to include or exclude varying forms of artefacts.Dockett ; Fleer (1999) explain technology to be inclusive of high technology such as television, fax machines and computers as well as replica objects of television characters (p. 150) . Dockett ; Fleer use a very general definition of technology. Looking critically at this example leads this author to feel the information here is too limited in content. In addition, other ‘high technology' items include cell phones, smartphones, PDA's, personal computers, the internet, e-mail, and digital cameras (Donohue, 2003), and electronic teaching materials such as SmartBoards (Flynn et, al. 2010). Donohue (2003) and Flynn et, al. (2010) explain that we routinely use these tools in our classrooms, as well as the home and work. Both Dockett & Fleer (1999), and Donohue (2003) use the term ‘high technology'. The purpose here is that there are other categories which can be viewed as artefacts of technology such as blocks, sandpit toys, play group equipment or infant toys (Dockett & Fleer, 1999). While this author acknowledges the listed ‘low tech' items as developments of technology, this paper will not be discussing such items.Technology as listed above (Dock ett & Fleer 1999; Donohue 2003) lists items which could be considered as hardware. But technology is not limited to hardware alone. Other forms of technology which this paper holds interest include media. Weddell (2001, p. 4) describes media as being†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦all forms of broadcasts, advertising, television, computer games, film, video, interactive online media (email, internet), recorded music, print material (newspapers, magazines, cards, stickers), toys and merchandising associated with media-related products†.This paper will refer to technology as including both technical hardware and digital media. Technological Trends in Early Childhood Education In this section, the author will address matters that need to be considered about trends in early childhood education. While differing views are presented, the favoured position is overwhelmingly for the inclusion of technology into the early childhood curriculum as shown in the research. The question of technology in the ea rly childhood classroom is not if, but how and why we use it (Donohue, 2003).The use of computers and technology in early childhood education has grown each year, and the ways in which technological tools are used to manage and improve programs and enhance children's learning have expanded dramatically (Donohue, 2003). It needs to be acknowledged that technology and media are social icons, and, most importantly, children are active consumers of these products (Weddell, 2001). There is little wonder why technology is being viewed as becoming, if not already, common place in the educational setting.Zevenbergen (2010, p. 1) states, â€Å"This generation has been immersed in technology since their emergence into the world. Their homes have computer technology in all facets of gadgetry-the remote control for the television, the programmable microwave, the mobile phone computers, digital games (such as Xbox, as well as those on the computer)†. Early childhood is a period of growth and rapid development. During this time, many children attend preschool, where they have access to technology as a learning tool (Chen ; Couse, 2010).There is increasing interest and belief in the need to start this education [technology] at an earlier age, possibly as soon as children begin formal schooling or even nursery school or kindergarten (Stables, 1997). In a survey conducted by Flynn et, al. (2010), the results showed more than half of the educators surveyed think that children should be introduced to technology between ages 3 and 4. Perhaps one reason the findings would indicate this is due to the motivational interest technology hold for young children.In support of this, Chen ; Couse (2010) state, â€Å"Encouragement in the learning process is directly linked to motivation, as illustrated in Haugland's study (1999), which found the motivation of kindergarten and primary-aged children increased when academic instruction was paired with the use of technology (p. 77). Tod ay, educators are using technology in many creative ways (Donohue, 2003). In a study conducted by Jarvis and Rennie (1994) (cited in Fleer & Jane, 1999), young children were asked about their views on technology by using a picture quiz to identify their perception of the term ‘technology'.Of the 28 items shown that had something to do with technology, the most frequently listed item was the computer (p. 7). This author notes this research was carried out in 1994. The results of a similar study being carried out today could likely reveal a different result. Unfortunately this author was unable to locate such a study. Either way, in early childhood classrooms, computers have become an increasingly accepted tool for learning and when used in a pedagogically appropriate manner, they provide valuable educational experiences for children (Edwards, 2005).As children naturally explore and learn about their environments through inquiry, computer technology has proven an effective means of cognitive and conceptual development as children develop literacy and numeracy skills and competence (Edwards, 2005). Educators recognize ever developing potential of technologies to enhance the ability of children to learn, problem solve, and convey their ideas (Chen & Couse, 2010). The trend will continue for the foreseeable future; but equity issues of access, affordability, and the need for computer literacy for early childhood teachers and faculty will remain s significant barriers for many early childhood programs and professionals (Donohue, 2003). The trend of introducing technology into the classrooms appears to have gained motivation to the point where it is accepted by students, educators and parents (Dockett & Fleer, 1999; Edwards, 2005), the reason for this occurring is largely due to children being so familiar with technology as a result of this generations lifestyle (Zevenbergen, 2010), we must also consider another aspect for introducing technology into the classr ooms as it has been pointed out by O'Shanesy (2013, MOCR), not all children have computers in their homes.This is one very important reason why educators need to introduce technology and computers to these children as early as possible so that they may also develop the computer literacy skills that their peers may take for granted (p. 3). Early Childhood Educators in an Age of Technology In this section, the author will address matters that need be considered about early childhood educators working in this age of technology.While differing views are presented about the educator's level of training and confidence, it is without question that educators are the key to successful integration of technology into the school curriculum. Digital technologies and computers have become an integral part of many children's daily lives. For this reason, it is important that early childhood educators are not only familiar with the use of computer technologies, but are able to guide children's unde rstanding of, and ability to use them (Morrison, 2009).In agreement with Morrison, Weddell (2001) also insists that teachers need to guide children's learning to better understand and interpret technology (p. 5). Haugland & Wright (1997) suggest, without training it is very difficult for teachers to obtain the necessary expertise to successfully integrate computers into their curriculum. Only when teachers feel comfortable with technology will computers play a significant role in early childhood education (p. 17). It seems that researchers agree that the key to successfully implement technology into the classroom rests with the early childhood educator.According to Filipenko and Rolfsen (1999, as cited in Edwards, 2005), the integration of computers in the early childhood classroom to support children’s learning and development is influenced by the educators’ level of computing knowledge (Edwards, 2005). The question is raised, are teachers provided with the appropriat e level of training to successfully implement technology into the classroom? Stables (1997) suggests, some teachers have warmly welcomed the challenge of introducing technology education to children at an early age.They have found that it has allowed them to develop new dimensions to work already underway (p. 50). This is not the case however with all educators as the research shows. Burnett (2010, p. 1) states, â€Å"Studies have highlighted a lack of confidence and competence amongst early childhood educators in relation to new technologies. † In support of this statement, Stables (1997, p. 50) argues, â€Å"Some [educators] are confused by what technology education would mean for young children†¦ There are also those who believe that technology education is simply inappropriate with a younger age group. The author questions why there are such differing opinions amongst early childhood educators. Perhaps Zevenbergen (2010, p. 1) offers an answer to this issue as he st ates, â€Å"We contend that young children coming into early childhood settings may be different from other generations because of the social and technological conditions within which they are developing. † In support to this statement, Donohue (2003), argues that most early childhood educators, unlike the young children in their classroom, have come to computers as adult learners and can be resistant to using technology (p. 17).If this is the case, then how does one bring these generations closer together? How has it come to be that the early childhood learners, know more about technology, and are more comfortable using it than many of the educators? There are noted benefits of early childhood educators using computers in classrooms as Morrison (2009) mentions, when educators support children to use computer technology in their classrooms; it helps them to develop skills such as the use of a keyboard and basic computer software. It also assists children to build learning con cepts around computer use and digital media over time (p. 6). A point being addressed here by Morrison is not regarding the benefits that computers offer to children but rather what benefits the educators off to children in developing their computer skills. Consistent with this research, it has also been bought to the authors attention by O'Shanesy (2013, MOCR) that educators need to be trained appropriately to scaffold learning and use the correct computer language when working with children (p. 3). Early Childhood Learners and Computer Technology In this section, the author will address matters that need be considered surrounding computers in the classroom.While differing views are presented, the position is overwhelmingly in favour for the instruction and use of computers in the classroom as shown in the research. Computers are all around us. It has become virtually impossible to function on a daily basis without using or benefiting from computer technology (Haugland & Wright, 19 97). It is inevitable in this technological age that children will be exposed to computers and that these computers will be instrumental in their daily lives (Haugland & Wright, 1997).Computers have been shown to be beneficial to children's cognitive development (Dockett ; Fleer, 1999). With the use of a computer, children can develop their skills in areas where they would otherwise be limited. For example (Clements, 1992), a child can further develop their composition abilities using a simple word processing program. It is argued that children will not be limited by their handwriting ability as it is easier to press the keys on the keyboard (Cited in Dockett ; Fleer 1999). Stables (2007, p. 1) states, â€Å"Curiosity as to how things work, leads to a determination to make things work. Consequently, opportunities to develop problem solving skills are provided [through the use of computers]. † Used in developmentally appropriate ways, the computer is a resource which fits chil dren's learning style (Haugland & Wright, 1997). Introducing technology into the curriculum of young children is important because of the propensity of this age group to engage in technological activity with an enthusiasm, curiosity and lack of inhibition that creates an optimum opportunity for development (Stables, 2007).Haugland & Wright (1997) explain learning involves children actively exploring their world and then, through a process of assimilation and accommodation, acquiring and constructing knowledge. Piaget (1971 cited in Haugland & Wright, 1997) states, â€Å"If we desire to form individuals capable of inventive thought and of helping the society of tomorrow to achieve progress, then it is clear that an education which is an active discovery of reality is superior to one that consists merely in providing the young with†¦ready-made truths to know with. † This author acknowledges how relevant is this tatement by Piaget of 1971 is to modern education. While based on the research indicating the many developmental advantages of computers in early childhood educational settings as presented in this paper, there is still some doubts as to the benefits that will come from computers. Haugland & Wright (1997, p. 6) state, â€Å"Opponents believe computers should not be placed in early childhood classrooms. They fear computers will replace other activities, will rob children of their childhood, are too abstract, provide children an unrealistic image of the world, lead to social isolation, reduce feeling awareness and creativity. But based on research findings (Lipinski, et. Al, 1986, NAEYC in Press) this is not the case. It needs to be stated that a computer does not replace traditional resources for teaching in the classroom. Instead usual or traditional activities that take place in the classroom are as important as they always were. As suggested by Haugland & Wright (1997), computers should be used to supplement or accompany the children's norm al learning experiences (p. 7).Classroom activities help children place computer experiences in context and reinforce the competencies and skills children gain from technology (Haugland ; Wright, 1997). Early Childhood Education and Media Technology In this section, the author will address changing opinions towards media technology. While differing views are presented, the argument for introducing media into the classroom is favoured as shown in the research. Television programs, whether positive or negative, do form a large part of children's life experience (Dockett & Fleer, 1999). In support of this research, Flynn et. al. (2010, p. ) states, â€Å"It is hard to find a national study of children's use of media in the past 20 years that does not demonstrate that media, and especially television, are a dominant activity of childhood. † Flynn et. al. (2010) claims that young children have incorporated media technologies into their out-of-school lives in unprecedented ways in recent years. Early media use is now the norm, with baby videos and 24/7 cable television for children used by even infants and toddlers (p. 3). Weddell (2001) presents a position (but does not advocate to) that parents do not want media studies in their children's curriculum.Waddell argues in most cases, parents and teachers report that children are exposed to enough [media] at home and in the community without it becoming part of their education (p. 4). Weddell (2001) comments that children aged three to five are watching up to 17 hours of television a week (p. 4). While the argument that parents do not want media studies in their children's classroom is not further supported by the research this author has located, there is certainly supporting research (Dockett & Fleer, 1999; Flynn et, al. 2010) that children are exposed to a great deal of media in their lives. There is research that indicates that parents are in favour of media being integrated into their children's curriculum. Rideout & Hamel (2006, cited in Flynn et. al. , 2010) state, â€Å"We have a generation of parents who are more accepting of not just television but also computers and other technologies and who view such technologies as more likely to help than hurt their children's development (p. 3). Perhaps this change in opinion could be a result of changing attitudes from 2001 to 2006.Dockett & Fleer (1999) argue there is a range of children's programs in Australia designed by educators to enhance children's cognitive, social and emotional development. There is a great deal of community support for these kinds of programs. As a result, these television programs are part of many children's educational experience. The Effects of Television Superheros on Early Childhood Learners In this section, the author will address matters of the media that affect the behaviour of children. The research presented shows conflicting views.Once again, it is shown the educator is the key to successfully integra ting media technology into the school curriculum. A significant amount of research into superhero play has suggested that teachers should work with the popular children's culture initiated and developed through television and video (Cupit 1989 cited in Dockett & Fleer 1999). This would be interesting and thus motivating for the children. However, research indicates this also has negative effects on children's behaviour due to television superheros usually being associated with violent acts.According to a study by Lisosky (1991; cited in Levin and Carlsson-Paige, 1995); there are over 200 acts of violence per hour in a popular children's show of that time (Dockett & Fleer 1999). In addition, the same television program used footage of real-life actors and settings with special effects and animation. As a result, children see real people engaged in realistic acts of violence (Dockett & Fleer 1999). According to Levin and Carlsson-Paige (1995, p. 0, cited in Dockett & Fleer 1999), teac hers surveyed on the effects of the said television program on children's play believe that the use of real people in the program increased the negative effect on children. It was argued ‘at 4 and 5 years of age, children do not have the cognitive skills to separate the fantasy from the reality of the show' (p. 153). In contradiction to this survey finding, Weddell (2001, p. 4) states, â€Å"Very few children will be influenced by antisocial images or violence they see on the screen, nor will they become obese, unimaginative, poor communicators. Weddell (2001) does not deny that some children may behave violently during play after watching their television superheros in violent acts, however Weddell (2001) claims that some children behave violently because they have a predisposition to violent acts and are in need of supervision. Dockett & Fleer (1999) suggest that children act out their superheros violent actions as they are unable to imagine another storyline to go with the ir superhero character, as a result, children should be protected from violence in media (p. 153).In argument, Weddell (2001, p. 5) states, â€Å"The notion that children are inevitably ‘at risk' from the media and therefore must be ‘protected' from it is a distorted perspective. Encouragement-rather than protection-is needed to guide children's viewing and to teach the art of watching and interpreting the media. † Weddell (2001, p. 4) states, â€Å"Most importantly we need to trust that children can learn to discern the media messages they receive. We seem to forget that children of this century will know more about the media than their parents or teachers. It is unlikely that teachers will be able to influence what children choose to watch at home. As a compromise of the research presented, perhaps while at school, this author suggests teachers should choose media programs that do not involve violence but rather appeal to the children through other means. In su pport of the author, Dockett & Fleer (1999) suggest teachers use quality television programs to stimulate positive children's play. Programs such as ‘Playschool' actively encourage children to construct the same or similar things as those shown on the program.The construction work (e. g. , building a doll's house, making name tags, or making hats) may stimulate further play (p. 158). This suggestion (Dockett & Fleer 1999) is consistent with the research presented from both positions. Children do, to varying degrees, imitate what they see on television. So rather than expose them to violent acts, in an educational setting, children should be exposed to ‘quality' television media that stimulate their desire to learn. Conclusion The future looks bright for technology in early childhood classrooms (Donohue, 2003).The effects of technology in educational settings on the development of young children have been widely documented and strongly positive (Chen & Couse, 2010). Techn ology has changed the way we teach children (Donohue, 2003). This author has taken the position that technology is beneficial to early childhood education and presented this position with supporting research through an analysis of contemporary literature. This paper addressed different aspects of technology and discussed matters to consider as it effected early childhood education.This paper began by defining technology to include technological hardware (Dockett & Fleer, 1999) and digital media (Weddell, 2001). It discussed recent trends in technology arguing technology is present in all areas of children's lives (Zevenbergen, 2010). It argued the importance of educator training and experience as being a key factor to successful implementation of technology into the curriculum (Haugland ; Wright, 1997). It also argued the learning benefits technology offers for children (Dockett ; Fleer, 1999) in early childhood education.It discussed benefits of computer technology in the classroom (Clements, 1992) and the benefits of using media in education (Flynn et. al. , 2010) including a discussion on the benefits of television in education (Dockett ; Fleer 1999). This paper has shown by presenting different aspects of technology and arguing different perspectives from research; technology is beneficial to early childhood education. References Burnett, C. (2010). Technology and literacy in early childhood educational settings. Journal of early childhood literacy, 10(3), 247-270. Retrieved 20 January 2013 from http://shura. hu. ac. uk/1308/1/Final_JECL_(3). pdf Carlsson-Paige, N. ; Levin, D. (1990). Who's calling the shots? How to respond effectively to children's fascination with war and play and war toys. Philadelphia, PA: New Society Publishers. Chen, D. ; Couse, L. (2010). A tablet computer for young children? Exploring its viability in early childhood education. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 43(1), 77-100. Clements, D. (1992) Computer technology an d early childhood education. In Roopnarine, J. , ; Johnson, J. (eds). Approaches to early childhood education, 2nd ed. , pp. 97-316. Columbus, OH: Meril Publishing Co. Cupid, C. (1989). Socialising the superheroes. Australian Early Childhood Resource Booklets, no. 5, Canberra, ACT: AECA. Dockett, S. , ; Fleer, M. (1999). Play and pedagogy in early childhood. Bending the rules (pp. 149-168). Marrickville, NSW: Harcourt Brace ; Co. Donohue, C. (2003). Technology in Early Childhood Education: An Exchange Trend Report (pp. 17-20). Child Care Information Exchange, November/December 2003: Redmond, W. A. Retrieved on 23 January 2013 from http://www. secure. worldforumfoundation. org/library/5015417. pdfEdwards, S. (2005). Identifying the factors that influence computer use in the early childhood classroom. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. 21(2), 192- 210. Fleer, M. , ; Jane, B. (1999). Our experiences and understandings of technology and technology teaching. In Technology fo r children: Developing your own approach (pp. 3-21). Sydney: Prentice Hall. Fatouros, C. , Downes, T. and Blackwell, S. (1994). In control: young children learning with computers. NSW: Social Science Press. Filipenko, M. ; Rolfsen, G. (1999). What will it take to get omputers into an early childhood classroom? Canadian Children, 24(2), 35-38. Flynn, R. , Lauricella, A. , Robb, M. , Schomburg, R. , ; Wartella, E. (2010). Technology in the Lives of Teachers and Classrooms: Survey of Classroom Teachers and Family Child Care Providers. Latrobe, PA: The Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media. Retrieved on 23 January 2013 from www. fredrogerscenter. org/media/resources/TechInTheLivesofTeachers. pdf Haugland, S. (1999). What role should technology play in young children's learning? Young Children, 54(6), 26-31. Haugland, S. & Wright, J. (1997). Young children and technology. A world of discovery (pp. 1-20). Needham Heights, Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon. Jarvis, T . and Rennie, L. (1994). Children's Perceptions about technology: an international comparison. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching Anaheim, March 1994. Levin, D. and Carlsson-Paige, N. (1995). The mighty morphin Power Rangers: teachers voice concern. Young children, vol. 50, no. 6, September, pp. 67 – 72 Lipikinski, J. , Nida, R. , Shade, D. , ; Watson, J (1986).The effect of microcomputers on young children: An evaluation of free play choices, sex differences, and social interactions. Journal of Computing Research, 2, 147-168. Lisosky, J. (1995). Battling standards worldwide â€Å"Mighty Morphin Power Rangers†fight for their lives. Paper presented at the World Summit for Children and Television, March 12-16, Melbourne, Australia. Morrison, T. (2009). Putting Children First: Digital technology and computers in child care. National Childcare Accreditation Council 29 March 2009 (Pages 16-17). Retrieved on 15 January 2013 from http://ncac. acecqa. gov. u/educator-resources/pcf-articles/Digital_computers_and_technology_Mar09. pdf Piaget, J. (1971). The science of education and the psychology of child. New York: Viking. Stables, K. (1997). Critical Issues to Consider When Introducing Technology Education into the Curriculum of Young Learners. Journal of Technology Education. Spring, 8(2), 50-65 Waddell, C. (2001). Media-savvy young children. Understanding their view. Every Child, Summer, 7(1), 4-5. Zevenbergen, R. (2008). Computer use by preschool: Rethinking practice as digital natives come to preschool. Australian Journal of Early Childhood. 33(1)

Picasso Art

Washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. † – Picasso I believe this statement to be completely true, and those who do not clearly misinterpret the true definition of art. Every individual has something that brings them comfort, whether that be painting, exercising, writing, or performing. These can all be considered acts of art, and by partaking in such activities you are truly purging yourself from the dust of everyday life. I don't paint, draw, write, or involve myself in anything that could be considered traditional art.There are however many seemingly insignificant things I do throughout the day that help maintain a positive state of mind. Actions that I do for myself to benefit only myself, personal art in a sense. I believe it is truly important to set time personal time aside in order to express yourself to yourself, thus maintaining the positive state of mind that is crucial to a productive lifestyle. If Macbeth had a burning passion for knitting inst ead of murder, our grade 1 g's would likely be studying a much more uplifting novel. Although everyone has a unique perception of art, true art plays a crucial role of each of our everyday lives.In fact many of us complete numerous works of art in a single day. Things that we may not perceive as traditional art but instead things that we feel an intense passion for and as a result partaking in these acts clear your mind, calm your emotions, and make you feel at ease. Take a look at our school community; we have athletes, artists, writers, musicians, and more all doing what they love, passions that wash away the dust of our everyday lives and give them the strength to persevere through the dullness of secondary school education. That is art in its truest form.

Changing Parental Participation in a Primary School

RESEARCH PROPOSAL . 2010 AN ACTION RESEARCH PROPOSAL In Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Masters in Teaching University of Fiji LECTURER: ASS. PROF. MR. KENNETH NOBIN HEAD OF DEPARTMENT EDUCATION THE UNIVERSITY OF FIJI SAWENI, LAUTOKA. ‘You never come in an isolated way; you always come with pieces of the world attached to you’. (Malaguzzi, 1994) NAVEEN KUMAR (ID: S100150) EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 AB S T R AC T Participatory action research will be conducted to determine whether or not teacherinitiated, regular communication with parents makes an impact on parents’ participation in school activities, helping children show effectiveness towards teaching and learning outcomes. The goal of me as a teacher researcher is to communicate in native language about school activities and diminish the ‘barrier’ that limits the teacher parent interaction. The feeling of much poor participation towards Gandhi Bhawan Primary School has been the poor communication. The purpose is to better the line of communication between home and school. This study will focus on Class 8 students and their parents employing instrumental qualitative research tools that are home visits (interviews), class meetings (focus group) and case study. The challenge is to provide an atmosphere that is user friendly and if parents were struggling with how to best support in school activities they could feel free to contact me. It is my belief that positive and consistent communication between home and school is important for student transitioning into adulthood. However, the challenges and possibilities faced in the core of the research will be discussed further after its implementation. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 2 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 T AB L E O F CO N TE N TS 1. 0 Abstract Background of the Problem 1. 1 Personal Motivation 1. 2 Need for Study 1. Description of Community 1. 4 Description of Work Setting 1. 5 Researcher’s Role Purpose of Study 2. 1 Purpose 2. 2 Aim 2. 3 Research Question Theoretical Framework 3. 1 Defining Parental Involvement 3. 2 Why Parental Involvement 3. 3 Frequency of Parent-Teacher Interaction 3. 4 Type of Parent Involvement 3. 4. 1 Parent in Involvement Process 3. 4. 1. 1 Parent as Audience 3. 4. 1. 2 Parent as Volunteer 3. 4. 1. 3 Parent as Paraprofessional 3. 4. 1. 4 Parent as a teacher of own child 3. 4. 1. 5 Teacher as Decision Maker 3. Significance of Parental Participation 3. 6 Barriers to Parental Involvement 3. 6. 1 Socio economic background 3. 6. 2 Language 3. 6. 3 Parent Literacy 3. 6. 4 Literacy 3. 6. 5 Family Structure 3. 6. 6 Working Parents 3. 6. 7 Teacher Attitude 3. 6. 8 Parents The Possibilities 3. 7 Research Design 4. 1 Rationale 4. 2 Study Design 4. 3 Data Collection 4. 4 Data Analysis 4. 5 Delimitation 4. 6 Participants Research Timeframe Proposed Thesis Structure Significance / Expected Outcome of Study Reference Appendices Page No. 4 4 4 5 6 7 8 8 8 9 10 10 11 13 14 17 17 17 18 18 18 20 23 23 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 29 30 30 31 32 33 34 34 35 36 38 39 41 2. 0 3. 0 4. 0 5. 0 6. 0 7. 0 8. 0 9. 0 _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 1. 0 B AC K G R O UND O F P RO B LE M 1 . 1 Personal Motivation The social and educational cont ext of this research proposal is directed towards increasing parent-teacher-child interactions and changing parental participation towards educational requirements of the child. Very few of the parents of the students in my class participated in the school-related activities which I experienced at the first year of transfer to this school. The parental participation was very limited to report signing. As a new ‘recruit’ to this organisation, I anticipated for parental participation as compared to the previous school. The parental ‘touch’ which I felt at previous school was somehow missing in the current location. As such, the need for this study will ‘open the door’ to the community interaction. The action process will journey through the challenges and possibilities. While no single meeting is especially memorable, I have noted several recurring problems: (1) parents do not attend scheduled meetings; (2) parents appear to be unaware of the purpose of Community Parent Support (CAPS) working; (3) parents only ask questions; (4) parents ask others to make decisions on their behalf; (5) parents rarely refute statements made by educators; and (6) parents seldom ask for services. 1 . 2 Need for Study Rather to give perception on parental participation, the study is much needed in providing naturalistic approach to understand ‘real world setting’ where the phenomenon of interest unfolds naturally. Though the research does not compare between two different settings preferably rural and urban community however through personal experience as a teacher in both settings primarily differences can be identified. In addition, communication is a key to any relationship and so is the case with parents and teachers. The parent and the _____________________________________________________________________________________ 4 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 teacher relationship are dynamic. Therefore, what one does affects the other, but in any educational community the most impacted is the child. As Class 8 is a transition point from primary school to high school, parental participation is a must to enable them better understand the reforms in education from 2011. Most parents are quite unfamiliar on its implementation of internal assessment and school zoning and requirements and through this research intervention; parents can be made more aware of their roles and responsibilities. However, internal assessment and school zoning can be taken account into another research finding. Parents need to be facilitated and challenged to ‘shift’ their thinking from ‘exams results’ to child-centred learning. Moreover, the absence of Parent Teacher Association was largely felt this year as ‘bulk’ of burden lies on our shoulders rather than having a shared responsibility. In a much more holistic term, parents are to be made aware to taking ‘ownership’ of the school in their community. 1. 3 Description of the Community The setting where the study will take place is urban community about 4 kilometres from Lautoka City and it largely consists of Indo-Fijian and Fijian ethnic groups. It is densely populated housing area adjacent to the Tavakubu Industrial Area. The residents range from low-income earners to moderate income earners. Public services (transport, health care) are easily accessible along with shops, religious centres, Public Park, and police post. In each household, at least a member is self employed, part time employee or full time employee. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 5 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 1. 4 Description of the Work Setting The Vision Statement of the school is; To provide wholesome holistic education in partnership with the community. The Mission Statement of the school is; To educate the students holistically to become directed, lifelong learners who can create a positive future for themselves, . the community and the nation. School Annual Plan (2010) The primary school where this research will be conducted is classified as follows: CLASS KINDERGARTEN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 NUMBER OF STREAMS 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 The school in which research will be conducted is Gandhi Bhawan Primary School in Lautoka with 384 students enrolled as of 2010. Due to increasing number, plans for building extension are in the pipeline. See Appendix for School Location as in Home Zone Classification School Ethnic Classification. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 6 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 1. 5 Researcher’s Role I, as the teacher researcher graduated from Lautoka Teachers College in November, 2001. This is my ninth year as a teacher. Currently, teaching Class 8 and got posted to the school in Week 8, Term I 2010. First year, I taught in a remotely located rural school (Bulabula Indian School), seven years in another rural school (Teidamu Primary School) and a year in urban school (Arya Samaj Primary School). During this year, I have held responsibilities, as Athletics Coordinator, Quiz Coordinator, Scouts Leader and Coordinating School Based Programmes as delegated by the Head Teacher. Because of these activities, I was able to interact with few parents and the in many cases poor responds has ignited the quest to pursue with this study. ____________________________________________________________________________________ 7 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 2. 0 P UR POSE AN D AI M O F S T U D Y 2 . 1 Purpose The intended purpose of this study is examine how parental participation changes to school-related activities (such as reviving of Parent Teacher Association, attending to family support programs, volunteering and involving in general obligations at home includi ng school supplies, general support and supervision at home) through home visits, class meetings and family support programs. The strategies defining ways to change parental participation in this study to some extent runs parallel to the developed framework of defining six different types of parental involvement by Epstein (1995, p. 703). It also intends to help parents understand that the school desires their participation. Finally, by having parents involved in school-related activities, it is hoped that there will be lot of challenges. 2 . 2 Aim The present study aims; ? ? To see how parental participation to school activities change through processes of increased parent-teacher interactions. To identify the challenges and possibilities towards achieving increased parental participation. To achieve this twofold aim, the study will consider the extent to which parental involvement is maximized in relation to school related activities. The study will involve qualitative case study of naturally occurring events during parentteacher and parent-teacher-child interactions at a primary school environment in Fiji. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 8 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 2 . 3 Research Question The compelling issue guiding this case study mirrors in some respects to Greenwood Hickman’s (1991, p. 279) idea of six types of parental involvement: (1) Parent as a volunteer What do parents contribute towards the success of school events? (2) Parent as an audience How well do parents meet the basic obligations at home? (3) Parent as decision maker How does PTA participate in decision making about schools program and activities? (4) Parent as a learner How do the parents value the family support programs? ____________________________________________________________________________________ 9 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 3. 0 T HE RE OTI C AL F R AME WO R K 3. 1 Defining Parental Involvement â€Å"Parent involvement† and â€Å"parent participation† are nebulous terms because there is an array of parent behaviors that these could include. As Carol Ascher (1986, p. 109) has stated, â€Å"Of all education issues, parent involvement is one of the vaguest and most shifting in its meanings. Parent involvement may easily mean quite different things to different people†. To define parent involvement more operationally, Hoover-Dempsey, Bassler, and Brissie (1987) theorized a two-way breakdown into home-based activities (e. g. , parent home tutoring) and school based parent involvement activities (e. g. , parent volunteering, attendance at parent-teacher conferences). Adding to this distinction, Ascher (1988) finds that â€Å"the meaning of parent involvement in this new era [the 1980’s] has shifted from the affairs of the school to the home site. † (p. 120). In his journal, Smith (n. d, p. 44) discusses parental involvement relating to Lareau (1987) as an integration of home and school. He continues to define it as a practice that encourages parents to participate in the life of the school, as well as attend to the learning of their children at home with respect to the work of Epstein, Sanders, Simon, Salinas, Jansorn, Van Voorhis, 2002. He elaborated that many educators believe that creating a community of families, students, teachers, and school administrators provides additional support for children’s learning. Furthermore, evidence suggests that academic success may be predicted by the quality of these connections (Booth Dunn, 1996. The work of Comer and Haynes (1991), Epstein (1995), and other researchers’ points out that family, school, and community are three major interrelated spheres of influence on a child’s life. They are parts of a larger whole that can either work toward academic success or, conversely, can impede progress. Because they are part of a larger whole, these spheres are themselves influenced by societal factors, such a s cultural values and economic conditions. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 10 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 The following figure shows how the three components interrelate. It is based on the concepts of Urie Bronfenbrenner (1979) and their subsequent adaptation by James Garbarino (1992). As discussed by Onikarna, Harnmond Koki. the inner most core is the individual child. The child has face-to-face interactions with those most influential in his or her life, including parents, other family members, teachers and church members. There are also important interactions between home and school, school and community, and community and home. These are strongly influential in the life of a child, depending on the frequency and quality of the interconnections. Negative or conflicting relationships may place a child at risk in all three settings. 3. 2 Why Parental Involvement In an article titled, â€Å"Listening to Parents’ Voices: Participatory Action Research in the school† by Christine Ditrano, the author stated, â€Å"Family-school collaboration is an approach that virtually everyone supports but few know to implement successfully. † School and parents will need to assess the best avenues to take in maintaining a positive, consistent interaction between the two entities. Gandhi Bhawan Primary School took some steps to improve parent interaction in Term 2 when Community Parent Support Workshop (CAPS) was held. Teachers were located their classrooms to discuss with parents on the pertaining issues. As suggested by Ditrano (n. d, p. 7) an open parent-teacher conference night can be held where parents can move freely from one teacher-to-teacher. As responded by parents in this situation that this was first time they had seen their child’s teacher in four years (Ditrano n. d, p. 8), a totally opposite _____________________________________________________________________________________ 1 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 had been responded by teachers at Gandhi Bhawan Primary School, some parents hardly turn up to school activities. Besides, the ideas presented in the article supports it is vital for schools and parents to develop a community of learners to best serve their students. Ideas for teachers to support parent al involvement include keeping parents informed and call home immediately when academic problems appears; send home a newsletter telling parents of class activities and deadlines; and give parents valuable study ips (McDonald, 2007. ) Though McDonalds above perspective is quite influential in parental participation, however, the study will look into home visits as to get face-to-face contact with the parent so that first hand information is sought. In their article, Avvisati, Besbas Guyon (2010, p. 3) states, â€Å"we review about levels, determinants and effects of parental involvement in school, and what we could learn from the current wave of reforms. † They tend to elaborate further on parental involvement being instrumental to student achievement. It is quite remarkable how they discussed on the influences that make parents get involved. These influences include parents’ understanding of their roles in the child’s life, parents’ sense of efficacy for helping their child succeed in school and general invitations, demands and opportunities for parental involvement by both the child and the child’s school. These arguments were also milestone to developing the current research questions. â€Å"Parental involvement practices also vary with the child characteristics† Avvisati et al. (2010, p. 3) explains on study by Muller (1998) in his data from the US National Educational Longitudinal Study showed that parents are involved slightly differently in their sons’ and daughter’s school life, in ways which are consistent with the general literature on gendered education. That is, parents are more nurturing and restrictive towards their daughters but may discipline their sons more. During h ome visits, class meeting, this trend be argued further as agreeable or disagreeable from personal observation, reflection and interactions. However, to Ostby (2010) at the launch of the Millennium Development Goals Second Report 1990-2009 for Fiji Islands revealed that Fiji has succeeded in achieving gender equality in primary and secondary school _____________________________________________________________________________________ 12 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 enrolments but is lagging behind in empowering women in decision making and professional jobs. Besides these impact of gender of parental participation can be taken as separate piece of study with detailed findings. One of studies that have assessed the relationship between parental involvement and school performance longitudinally was by (Izzo, Weissberg, Kasprow and Fendrich 1999, p. 387). This research is greatest contribution to current study as it provided additional evidence that parental involvement is worth pursuing and may actually yield measurable improvements in children’s school functioning. They later recommended on experimental and quasi-experimental studies in order to move from basic research about school-family collaboration to assessing their impact directly on children’s school performance. . 3 Frequency of Parent-Teacher Interactions A significant study that examined the ways in which parental involvement in children’s education changes over time and how it relates to children’s social and academic functioning in school was carried out by Charles V. Izzo, Roger P. Weissberg, Wesley J. Kasprow and Michael Fendrich in Chicago. For the purpose of this study teachers provided information on parental involvement and school performance for 1,205 urban, kindergarten through third grade children for 3 consecutive years. As predicted and results suggested the frequency of parent-teacher contacts, quality of parent-teacher interactions, and parent participation at school declined from Years 1 to 3. While discussing their research, Izzo et al (1999, p. 833) explained that the study explored three important issues regarding school-family partnerships: current practices of parental involvement in children’s education, changes in parental involvement over time, and the relationship between parental involvement and children’s later school performance. They also found partial support for their hypothesis that parental involvement declines over time. There were small, but significant declines in the number of parent-teacher contacts and parents’ participation in school activities. Declines were also found for quality of parent-teacher interactions. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 13 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 As related to current study parental participation needs to be increased in relation to school activities. The frequency of parent-teacher interaction at the school concerned will also be outcome to reflect upon. Though the research will look into a particular class involving 26 parents, the frequency at which this interaction changes will be a matter of concern. 3. 4 Type of Parental Involvement Some researchers’ views on types of Parental Involvement include; ? Although most parents do not know how to help their children with their education, with guidance and support, they may become increasingly involved in home learning activities and find themselves with opportunities to teach, to be models for and to guide their children. (Roberts, 1992) ? When schools encourage children to practice reading at home with parents, the children make significant gains in reading achievement compared to those who only practice at school. (Tizard, Schofield Hewison, 1982) ? Parents, who read to their children, have books available, take trips, guide TV watching, and provide stimulating experiences contribute to student achievement. (Sattes, n. d) According to Henderson (1983), families whose children are doing well in school exhibits the following characteristics. ? Establish a daily family routine. Provide time and a quiet place to study, assigning responsibility for household chores, being firm about bedtime and having dinner together. ? Monitor out-of-school activities. Setting limits on TV watching, checking up on children when parents are not home, arranging for after-school activities and supervised care. ? Model the value of learning, self-discipline, and hard work. Communicating through questioning and conversation, demonstrating that achievement comes from working hard. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 14 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 ? Express high but realistic expectations for achievement. Setting goals and standards that are appropriate for children’s age and maturity, recognizing and encouraging special talents, informing friends and families about successes. ? Encourage children’s development/progress in school. Maintaining a warm and supportive home, showing interest in children’s progress at school, helping with homework, discussing the value of good education and possible career options, staying in touch with teachers and school staff. Encourage reading, writing, and discussion among family members. Reading, listening to children read and talking about what is being read. Existing programmes to better teacher-parent-child interaction can be classified along a variety of dimensions and differ in many ways from each other. An influential classification distinguishes programmes according to the type of involvement that schools try to foster. Avvisati, Besbas and Guyon (2010, p. 14) refers to Joyce. L. Epstein’s (1991) as a frequently cited scholar in this area distinguished six types of involvement from parents. Epstein’s Six Types of Parent Involvement Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University has developed a framework for defining six different types of parent involvement. This framework assists educators in developing school and family partnership programs. â€Å"There are many reasons for developing school, family, and community partnerships,† she writes. â€Å"The main reason to create such partnerships is to help all youngsters succeed in school and in later life. † Epstein’s framework defines the six types of involvement and lists sample practices or activities to describe the involvement more fully. Her work also describes the challenges inherent in fostering each type of parent involvement as well as the expected results of implementing them for students, parents, and teachers. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 15 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 Epstein’s Framework of Six Types of Involvement Type I Parenting Help all families establish home environments to support children as students. E. g. Family support programs to assist families with health, nutrition, and other services. Type II Design effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school Communicating communications about school programs and children’s progress. Such as conferences with every parent at least once year. Language translators to assist families as needed. Type III Volunteering Recruit and organize parent help and support. Such as school and classroom volunteer program to help teachers, administrators, students, and other parents. Parent room or family center for volunteer work, meetings, and resources for families. Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities, decisions, and planning. Such include Information on homework policies and how to monitor and discuss schoolwork at home. Involvement in school decision-making, governance and advocacy. Includes active PTA/PTO or other parent organizations, advisory councils, or committees for parent leadership and participation. Identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development. Such as Information for students and families on community health, cultural, recreational, social support, and other programs/services. Type IV Learning at Home Type V Decision Making Type VI Collaborating with community Izzo et al. (1999, p. 817) also rated the following four dimensions of parental involvement: frequency of parent-teacher contact, quality of the parent-teacher interaction, participation in educational activities at home, and participation in school activities. In addition, these distinguished participation mirrors in some respects to teacher’s role, particularly in the primary school, interacting with 6 types of parental involvement: (1) parent as audience, (2) parent as volunteer, (3) parent as paraprofessional, (4) parent as teacher of own child, (5) parent as learner and (6) parent as decision maker. Greenwood, G and Hickman, K (1991, p. 279). By developing awareness of the levels _____________________________________________________________________________________ 16 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 of family involvement, schools can let family members know that there are many different ways in which they can participate in the education of their children. 3. 4. 1 Parent in ‘Involvement’ Process The subtitles later follow integrated educationists view on different types of parental involvement as discussed earlier in detail. 3. 4. 1. 1 Parent as audience As Chavkin (1993, p. 76) defines, â€Å"parent as audience supports child by going to school performances, open houses and so on. † The parent as supporter of child’s activities gets involved. Active parents may be more likely to have active children because they encourage that behavior through the use of support systems and opportunities for physical activity, but there is no statistical evidence that a child is active simply because they see that their parents exercise,† said Trost. (2010). Activities that may see parent as audience annual functions, school athletics and sports and other school based competitive or participatory events. 3. 4. 1. 2 Parent as volunteer School-program supporter can be involved by parents coming to school to ssist in events. Volunteering in school enables to contribute towards progress and development of the school and its pupils and this brings happiness and satisfaction. Brinton, B. (1991) in an article ‘Parents’ Source’ shared reflected on her experience as parent volunteer. Her duties varied according to the needs and styles of the teacher. Assistance were in forms of supervising art projects, signing out homework books, running off copies, and working one on one with students who might need a little extra help with a certain subject. As for qualifications for parent volunteers, the NEA recommended that parents enjoy working with children, have an interest in education and the community, feel committed to the goals of parent involvement, have the desire to help, and are dependable and in good health. Based on her observations, she also recommend that a parent volunteer be flexible, and expect the unexpected. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 17 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 Parents can volunteer in our local schools through organizing and arrangements for religious festivals, fund raising drives, school development projects, school outings and assist in meeting educational meets of extremely needy students in class. 3. 4. 1. 3 Parent as paraprofessional Paraprofessionals have many different roles, duties and responsibilities, and expectations that often vary among individuals who work as the same school. Paraprofessionals provide aides and support to teachers in classrooms and colleges. Even without being lead teachers, paraprofessionals work responsibly assisting head of departments and senior teachers. In the recent years, owing to stress and pressure on teachers in schools and colleges, paraprofessionals have been recruited to provide assistance in variety of educational set ups. As discussed by Hankerson (1983, p. 75), this development incorporated many concepts: (1) new careers, (2) growth of educational technology, (3) cultural assimilation and diversity, (4) team teaching, (5) personal improvement of teacher aides, (6) parents as partners, and (7) home and school focus on achievement. The research findings on teacher aides and parent involvement in early childhood and elementary school programs showed that with this additional support, children make significant cognitive gains. In his ‘The Urban Review’ he summed up relating to the work action theorists (Mead, 1934; Brookover, 1959; Smith, 1978; Smith and Brache, 1963) have postulated that, â€Å"the child’s motivation and achievement performances are influenced by his/her primary interactions with parents and ‘significant others’. Smith defines â€Å"significant other† as persons (such as teachers, teacher aides, community members) other than natural parents who are important to the individual. Thus, with parents serving as teachers aides, both motivating factors are met. 3. 4. 1. 4 Parent as a Teacher of Own Child Homework can be an effective way for students to improve their learning and for parents to communicate their appreciation of schooling. In the article, No Child Left _____________________________________________________________________________________ 18 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 Behind Report 2003 states that, â€Å"research shows that if a child is having difficulty with homework, parents should become involved by paying close attention. † Furthermore, it argues that parents’ interference in learning can confuse child such as completing tasks that the child is capable of completing along. Peterson (1989) states, â€Å"children spend much more time at home than at school. Their parents know them intimately, interact with them one-to-one, and do not expect to be paid to help their children succeed. The home environment, more familiar and less structured than the classroom, offers what Dorothy Rich (1985) calls â€Å"‘teachable moments’ that teachers can only dream about. † 3. 4. 1. 5 Parent as Decision Maker This fifth type of parental involvement as explained by Epstein (n. d) stated that parents’ voices must be heard when it comes to decision making at the school. This enables families to participate in decisions about the school’s programs and activities that will impact their own and other children’s educational experiences. All parents must be given opportunities to offer ideas and suggestions on ways to improve their schools. Having families as true stakeholders in the school creates feelings of ownership of the school’s programs and activities. Sample Activities Examples of activities schools could conduct to promote decision making include, but are not limited to:




Encouraging parents to attend school improvement team meetings. Assigning staff members to help parents address concerns or complaints. Inviting staff and parent groups to meet collaboratively, providing space and time to do so. Helping families advocate for each other. Involving parents in: o planning orientation programs for new families, o developing parenting skills programs, and o hiring staff members. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 19 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 This current research on ‘Changing parental participation in a primary school in Fiji’ will give critical insight into ‘Parent as volunteer’, ‘Parent as an audience’, Parent as a decision maker’, and ‘Parent as a learner. Epstein’s (1995) and Greenwood Hickman’s (1991) distinguished parental involvement will be well challenged in the sense the settings and time factor being a variable. As related to current education system in Fiji what impact it has and doors of possibilities can be looked into. Engaging as a reflective practitioner will be very vital tool to analyse and discuss the researc h findings. 3. 5 Significance of the Parental Participation Constructive interactions as recommended earlier in Izzo et al findings is well supported by the article, ‘Parents and Learning’ by Dr. Sam Redding who is the president of Academic Development Institute. Dr. Redding’s article (n. d. p. 7-27) under each chapter is summarized as following; ? ? ? Identifiable patterns of family life contribute to a child’s ability to learn in school. Children benefit from parent / child relationship that is verbally rich and emotionally supportive. Children do the best in school when parents provide predictable boundaries for their lives, encourage productive use of time, and provide learning experiences as a regular part of family life. ? ? Parents set standards for their children, and these standards determine what children view as important. Students learn best when homework is assigned regularly, graded, returned promptly and used primarily to rehearse material first presented by the teacher at school. ? ? Children benefit from communication between their parents and their teachers that flows in both directions. Parental involvement includes parents’ involvement with their own children, involvement with parents of other children, and involvement with their children’s school. ____________________________________________________________________________________ 20 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 ? Programmes to teach parents to enhance the home environment in ways that benefit their children’s learning take a variety of forms and may produce substantial outcomes. ? ? Because families vary in their relationship to schools, schools must use different strategies to engage all families in the learning lives of their children. When the families of children in a school associate with one another, social capita is increased, children are watched over by a large number of caring adults, and parents share standards, norms and the experiences of child-rearing. On the same context, Dr. Redding’s integrates and states a commonly accepted typology into categories as it was discussed by Joyce. L Epstein’s (1991) distinguished types. As mentioned earlier, this current research will focus on these types. Dr. Redding (n. d. p. 18-19) provides a selection of communication examples between school and homes. These include parent-teacher-student conferences, report cards, school newsletter, happy-grams (complementing students for specific achievement and behaviour), open day parent / teacher conferences, parent bulletin board, home links from classroom and assignment notebooks. Dr. Redding’s principles as discussed herein needs to be assessed with reference to local conditions and adapted accordingly. Leaping into local context, parental participation in school management in most countries, including Fiji, generally lies between consultation/pseudo-participation and involvement / partial participation levels. This is mainly because the statutory power in most schools lies largely with school heads and they determine the types of parental participation in their schools as viewed by Dr. Sharma (n. d. p. 60). Furthermore, Sharma (n. d. p. 61) noted, The Fiji school curriculum is based on the centre-periphery model, and it is designed largely to secure the passing of external examinations. It is inevitable that in such a system of education, preparation of examination becomes the preoccupation of pupils, teachers and parents. As a result, there is little concern for parental participation in school management and curriculum development because of the fear of not completing the syllabuses. ______________________________________________________________________________ _______ 21 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 However, the shift from exam oriented curriculum to internal assessment as of 2011 which also marks the new era in Education System in Fiji by introducing 12 year basic education (as circulated through EDU Gazette, Term 1, 2010) calls for great challenges and possibilities on teachers and parents role. This current study on parental participation at Class Level will integrate the shift to assessment procedures and implications. The research shall address on this issue also. In addition to this, Sharma (n. d. p. 70) concluded that the parental participation is central to democracy, strengths parents-autonomy and welfare of child. He also emphasized that parent involvement in management helps improve pupils’ learning environment and prepares them for a democratic society. In addition another challenging issue raised by Koki Lee (1998) argued on perceived value of parental involvement in the Pacific. According to their perspective as Education Program Specialists discussed a fundamental barrier to increasing family involvement in the Pacific education is that it is not closely aligned with Pacific cultures. They pointed out that attending school functions is of considerably less social value than holding titles and receiving public recognition and that participation in school activities does not carry as much credence as attendance at a village feast, where participation is expected. It also compares private and public schools in view point that parents who pay tuition for private education assume greater responsibility for their children’s education and play more active role. Because public schooling is not an inherent part of the traditional culture, many parents now see themselves as outsiders, rather than as significant stakeholders in the school. The challenging question posed at Pacific Resources for Education and Learning centre was, â€Å"Is there a Pacific way of involving parents in their children’s education? † This question was investigated the uestion by surveying Pacific educators in order to develop parental involvement profile and identify promising practices. Three successful practices identified were Hawaii Parent-Community Networking Centre (PCNC) Program, Belau Family School Community Association (BFSCA) and Chuuk Teacher, Child, Parent and Community (TCPC) Project. _________________________________________________________ ____________________________ 22 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 Applicable observable facts though with different names were discussed based on the three successful practices. PCNCDeveloped a sense of community in and among the home, classroom, school. and neighbourhood, so that supportive networks of personal development and student academic achievement and performance are created and nurtured. The program followed a four-phase sequence. BFSCARepresented a partnership among individuals and organisations – school, families, community, and students – in order to improve education and the quality of life for future generations of Palauns. The association worked to assertive parenting skills, and make parents comfortable in reinforcing school policies at home. TCPC The project demonstrated a strategy often overlooked by Pacific schools in parental involvement – first involve traditional leaders, and get their support. Then parental involvement in schools will become a reality. Koki Lee (1998) recommended the intent of their paper was not be exhaustive, but rather to feature promising practices and a successful mean in bringing parents and schools together. They advised on adapting it to other areas of Pacific in order to increase parent’s involvement in education. 3. 6 Barriers to Parental Involvement in Schools 3. 6. 1 Socioeconomic status Socioeconomic status has been recognized as an nfluential factor concerning parental involvement. â€Å"The Coleman (1966) report, which stated that the best predictor of student achievement is the socioeconomic status of the parents, led to a flurry of investigations on student achievement† (Bulach, et al. , 1995) Muller(1991), in Schneider and Coleman, (1993) stated that several researchers have found that parent qualities typically associated with socioeconomic status are positively related to parental involvement. For example, Lareau (1987) found that upper middle class parents were _____________________________________________________________________________________ 23 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 typically engaged in school activities and influential in school decision, while working class parents took on a more supportive role with respect to their involvement with their children’s school. As a result of his personal experiences, reading, and research, Motsinger (1990) asserted that â€Å"the developers of Teacher Expectation Student Achievement (TESA) workshops found that teachers do tend to give high achieving students more attention than those who lag behind† (p. 5). Underachieving children feel disliked by the instructor. Parents then feel, â€Å"it is because we are poor (p. ). † and resentment grows. According to Brantliner and Guskin (1987), some low income parents feel schools discourage their involvement and view them as the problem, and they believe that stereotypes of poor parents as inadequate care givers and uninterested in their children’s education persist among educators . Although low income families may feel unneeded or unable to be involved with their children’s school, Henderson (1988) states that children of low income families benefit the most when parents are involved in the schools and parents do not have to be well educated to make a difference. . 6. 2 Cultural background The cultural background affects the relationship between home and school. As cited in Rudnitski (1992), Litwak and Meyer (1974) found that â€Å"parents from racial, ethnic and cultural minorities, especially those of low socioeconomic status, tend to feel less affinity for the school than those in the mainstream middle class† (p. 15). This shows that schools in the United States have different values than those of the family as well as inability to communicate with culturally diverse families effectively. Also in Rudnitski (1992), Liontos (1991) writes that: Low income, culturally different parents have traditionally been marginalized through an inability to communicate with schools and through the inflexibility of the school as an institution. This tradition has fostered the feelings of inadequacy, failure, and poor self-worth which are cited as reasons for low participation of parents from marginalized groups (p. 15). _____________________________________________________________________________________ 4 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 It is proven in this research that these traditions of ineffective communication and cultural differences are the factors that prevent parents from becoming involved in their children’s education. 3. 6. 3 Language A language barrier happens when a lack of English proficiency prevents communication between immigrant families and the school system. Ascher’s (1988) work discussed the language barrier that affec ts Asian/Pacific American parents. Since English is not the native language of this group, parents think their language skills are so poor that they cannot be useful as participants in assisting their child in school. â€Å"Involving parents from any background is no easy task and in light of cultural and language differences, linguistic minority parents present a special challenge† (Constantino, et al. , 1995, p. 19). In a study by Zelazo (1995) it was found that more English than Spanish speaking parents are involved at the school site as volunteers and in attending school meetings. Parents whose English proficiency is limited may find it difficult or intimidating to communicate with school staff or to help in school activities without bilingual support in the school or community† (Violand-Sanchez, 1993, p. 20). Lack of language skills became an intimidating factor when parents and schools could not communicate effectively. 3. 6. 4 Parent literacy Students cannot expect parental support in their home sc hooling when their parents are not literate. As stated by Liu (1996), â€Å"Students’ academic performance at school is closely related to the family literacy environment and their parents’ educational levels† (p. 20). Children need families that can provide literacy rich environments that often foster readers in the school (Edwards, 1995). Unfortunately, not all students can have literacy rich environment at home because many parents did not receive an adequate education and therefore are unable to provide academic support for their children. This issue is severe with many parents whose English proficiency and education level is low (Liu, 1996). Parents who dropped out of school needed to support the family or care for _____________________________________________________________________________________ 25 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 siblings. Limited schooling impaired parental help on homework beyond the primary level. A compound problem exists when the dominant language in the home conflicts with assignments in English (Finders and Lewis, 1994). If parents are not literate, they cannot assist their children with school work at home. 3. 6. Family structure These days, the changing structure of the family affects parental involvement and student achievement. According to Lee (1991) the structure of the American family has undergone significant changes over the past thirty years, and as a result of this, it is clear that many children experience multiple family compositions resulting from the transitory nature of the modern family. Students who have complete families may have problems that e ffect parental involvement, but according to Motsinger (1990), â€Å"having two parents will give a student a 200% better chance at success in school. This does not mean that students who do not have two parents cannot succeed, but they have a more difficult time or have to struggle harder to succeed. 3. 6. 6 Working parents I found that working parents can still participate in parental involvement programs, but it is harder than those who do not have a job. Unfortunately, many parents hold down two or three jobs in order to cope with economic realities, and quite frequently work schedules prevent these parents from attending meetings and other events at the school (Onikama, 1998). According to King(1990), â€Å"in the United States, more than half of the women with children under six years of age are in the labor force† (Onikama, 1998, p. 21). How can educators effectively involve working parents in children’s education, especially in families where both parents are working, is a major issue today. As stated by Onikama (1998), working class parents want their children to do well, but tend to give educational responsibility to the teacher. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 26 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 3. 6. 7 Teacher attitudes Teacher attitudes can be one of the barriers in parental involvement. According to the State of Iowa Department of Education (1996), â€Å"School staff interest may vary in terms of commitment to family involvement, and may generate mixed messages to parents† (Onikama, 1998, p. 2). Many schools believe that classroom learning is best left to the professors. They also argue that involving parents is a time consuming â€Å"luxury† that places yet another burden on already overworked teachers and principals (Henderson, 1988). These worries make parents feel that the teachers don’t want them around, which drops off the level of parental involvement. 3. 6. 8 Parents When discussing parental involvement, the most commonly appearing-word will be â€Å"parents†. Before introducing parental participation strategies, it is necessary to define the meaning of â€Å"parents†. As Lockette (1999) mentions, â€Å"When we use the term Lunts (2003) includes parents, ‘parents’ involvement, we need to remember that ‘parent’ can also mean other adults who play an important role in a child’s life† (p. 1). uardians, stepparents, siblings, members of extended family, and any other adults who might carry the primary responsibilities for a child’s health, development and education into the meaning of â€Å"parents†. In the article by Bal and Goc (1999), they indicate that: Numerous methods to increase parent involvement have been suggested. Such strategi es include increasing communication between teacher and parents, involving parents with limited English proficiency, providing information regarding how parents can enhance learning at home, and encouraging parental academic engagement at home (p. 7). In spite of this fact, many teachers still show their concerns about the lack of parental involvement at schools and its negative effects on students’ academic performances on grades. Parents are also dissatisfied that they are not well informed about their students’ behaviors or test grades conducted in the classroom and admit that they are not actively involved in these school activities and it affects on their own students’ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 7 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 performance. Knowing about the most state-of-the-art strategies of parental involvement and taking them into practical actions are essential no t only for parents and their students but also for everybody who is involved in education such as teachers, educators, practitioners, and community. Onikarna et al in a promising article based on ‘A synthesis of Research for Pacific Educators,’ stated specific barriers to effective family involvement dentified by case studies and these included; ? Lack of time — Many parents hold down two or three jobs in order to cope with economic realities. Work schedules prevent these parents from attending meetings and other events at the school. ? Language barrier — Lack of English proficiency often hampers communication between immigrant families. Cultural differences — Differences in cultural values affect family involvement. In some cultures, family involvement at school is valued; in others, its priority is lower. ? ? English as a second language — In immigrant families as well as among the local population, lack of English proficiency often makes it difficult for parents to read with their children at home. ? Student attitude — Students, especially at the secondary level, may not welcome their parents’ presence at the school and may discourage their parents’ participation in school activities. Other researchers that identified some barriers to family involvement in education across all cultures and groups are cited as below; ? Families may lack the means to help their children learn and become socialized. They may not know how to approach schools in order to become involved (Mannan Blackwell, 1992). ? Schools may not know how to effectively encourage families to participate (Ortner, 1994). _____________________________________________________________________________________ 28 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER ? THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 School staff interest may vary in terms of commitment to family involvement, and may generate mixed messages to parents (State of Iowa Department of Education, 1996). Outreach procedures that are not sensitive to community values can hinder participation (Ortner, 1994). Changing school system policies may create instability in the area of soliciting family involvement (Mannan Blackwell, 1992). ? Events outside the home, school, and community are also important in a child’s life as emphasized by Onikarna et al. Examples include parents’ work obligations, s chool board priorities, recreational pursuits, and religious activities. A decision made by a school board might directly affect the school curriculum. If it conflicts with family values and beliefs, then the support a family gives to education might be decreased. As Pacific educators look at barriers to family involvement, they must acknowledge the complexities of home, school, and community interactions and realize that events at all levels can and do affect the lives of children, directly or indirectly. This article is quite remarkably summed up with the statement, ‘as barriers are overcome, school, home, and community can once again find common ground. They can be woven together, like pandanus mats, into a foundation that supports and fosters student learning. † 3. 7 The Possibilities There are many parents who want to become involved but do not know how to translate that desire into effective involvement. (Baker, 2000b; Eccles Harold,1993; Epstein Connors, 1992). They may feel they lack the skills to participate in such activities as school advisory councils or classroom volunteering (Greenwood Hickman). This is an unfortunate state of affairs given that it has been suggested that parent involvement programs will meet with limited success unless they address parental efficacy for helping their children succeed in school (Hoover-Dempsey Sandler, 1997). Teachers need to be informed of the importance of parental efficacy for involvement, and they need to have some understanding of communication and parent involvement strategies that will increase such efficacy. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 29 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 Finally, yet more than thirty years before Ramirez’ research in 1999, the Plowden Report in1967stated: â€Å"What matters most are the attitudes of teachers to parents and parents to teachers whether there is genuine mutual respect, whether parents understand what the schools are doing for their individual children and teachers realize how dependent they are on parental support. † 4. 0 RESE AR C H DES IG N 4. 1 Rationale The approach of this research study is on changing parental participation to school activities. ‘School activities’ in this approach is defined as ocial, educational, physical and spiritual development through teaching and learning in collaboration with its stakeholders particularly the parents. The participation of parents, teachers and students makes it more of participatory in nature. As such, Participatory Action Research (PAR) or Action Research, as it is sometimes known, will be implemented for the action pu rpose. Lewin (1946), as a social psychologist, felt ‘that the best way to move people forward was to engage them in their own enquiries into their own lives’. The other difficult issue for PAR is the research end date. Unlike most other research methods, which tend to be timed undertakings with clear start and stop periods, the iterations of PAR continue until the problem is resolved. In addition, contextual findings will emerge after close observation, careful documentation, and thoughtful analysis of the research topic. This inquiry process will be more of qualitative research approach. Denzin and Lincoln (1994) defined qualitative research: Qualitative research is multi-method in focus, involving an interpretive, naturalistic approach to its subject matter. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of or interpret phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them. Qualitative research involves the studied use and collection of a variety of empirical materials case study, personal experience, introspective, life story interview, observational, historical, interactional, and visual textsthat describe routine and problematic moments and meaning in individuals’ lives. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 0 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 4. 2 Study Design The methods and strategies used in this research process need triangulation to maintain validity and reliability of research and findings. Mathison (1988, p. 13) elaborates this by saying: â€Å"Triangulation has risen an important methodological issue in naturalistic and qualitative approaches to evaluation [in order to] control bias a nd establishing valid propositions because traditional scientific techniques are incompatible with this alternate epistemology. The proposed methodology for this study is illustrated as follows: Action Research Methods Putting PAR into Place Home Visits Meetings Family Support Programs Strategies to Promote School/Home Interaction The iterative cycle of participatory action research Observation Observation Observation Cycle continues until issue is resolved or agreed by all parties Action Action Action ISSUE Initial Planning Reflection Informed Planning Reflection Informed Planning (Adapted from Wadsworth, 1998) _____________________________________________________________________________________ 1 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 4. 3 Data Collection In order to maximize validity of findings, the data collection process will involve:  · Data triangulation (Collecting accounts from different participants involved in the chosen setting, from different s tages in the activity of the setting and †¦ from different sites of the setting’, Tindall, 1994, p. 146) Participants in each case will be ? Children ? Teachers ? Parents  · Method triangulation (The use of different methods to collect information’, Tindall, 1994, p. 47) This will include; Naturalistic Observation – will entail the collection of field notes and will include a focus on the interactions occurring parent – teacher – children towards school activities. Digital photographs – will similarly focus on the interactions occurring between parents, teachers and children around notes and audio-recordings. Naturally occurring conversations with adults and children – These conversations are intended as those spontaneously occurring (unplanned and unstructured) between myself and adults and children. Selected conversations will focus on the experience and interpretation of documentation, and will be taped and transcribed in full. Interviews with children, other staff and parents – This semi-structured format is the most appropriate to ensure that significant questions posed by the study are addressed, while allowing for participants’ views and perspectives to be revealed through an open-ended documentation. facilitation of discussion. Interviews with both adults and children will occur in small groups, and will focus on uses and interpretations of the processes of collecting, observing, and interpreting documentation. Photos will be collected to supplement and extend field _____________________________________________________________________________________ 32 EDU 410: THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010 Researcher’s reflective journal – The reflexive journal will focus on recording my feelings, perspectives and experiences within the context, in order to assess how these may have influenced data collection and analysis. Case Study – a qualitative descriptive research approach that will look at parent participants using interviews, conversations and direct observations. Theoretical triangulation (The embracement of multi-theories, Tindall, 1994) The study is not locked in one theoretical tradition, but instead it develops and relates insights from: educational theory, research, and practice and developmental theory. In addition, the study interprets and integrates scholarly and practitioner theory, research and practice from the diverse sources. 4. 4 Data Anal ysis It is predicted that data will be divided into five subgroups according to its nature: 1. Sub-group 1 will include data from: observations and digital photographs. The data collected through these methods is considered to be closely related, due to its naturalistic essence and to the focus on processes of documentation (audiorecordings and photographs supplement field notes). 2. Sub-group 2 will include data from: naturally occurring conversations and interviews. The data collected through these methods is considered to be closely related, due to my own involvement in questioning and in facilitating discussion. 3. Sub-group 3 will include data from reflective journal. The data collected through this method is considered to be closely related, due to its narrative and ‘documentative’ nature. . Sub-group 4 will include data analyzed from questionnaires. The data will be derived from other staff members at the school. 5. Sub-group 5 Analyzing the case through the following steps; 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Defini

Should Abortions Be Legal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Should Abortions Be Legal - Research Paper Example According to the American Heritage Dictionary (2011), abortion is defined as the induced termination of a pregnancy, achieved via the destruction of embryo or fetus. Abortion, therefore, refers to ceasing the process of childbirth before the child is born. Opting for an abortion is not an easy decision, but there are many unfortunate circumstances where women find themselves with no other choice. Several reasons for opting for an abortion may include rape pregnancies, accidental pregnancies, divorce, illness of the mother or the mother being underage etc. Abortion has for long been viewed unfavorably by most societies. In America, abortion was legalized only in five states in 1970 and in all states in 1973 (Levitt & Donohue, 2001). Women who do opt for abortion to avoid giving birth to unwanted babies face many difficulties in areas where abortion has not been legalized. If a woman is too young or unhealthy to bear a child, or if the baby is unwanted, she should have the right to terminate her pregnancy before bringing the child to life. This will not only save an unwanted or abandoned baby from being born but will also give the woman a chance to live a healthy life and make a career after attaining whatever education she may seek chances of which would be rare if she gave birth to a baby while being in her teens. Unprepared couples or those not wanting another baby do not prove to be good parents and it is not fair for any child to be born in a home where he or she is not welcome and where his or her parents cannot support the baby. In worse cases where abortion is not an opportunity and the baby is not given for adoption either, the baby is either abandoned, or is brought up very poorly by the parents or parent.     

Modern Growth of Gangs in Rural and Suburban America Research Paper

Modern Growth of Gangs in Rural and Suburban America - Research Paper Example (Maxson, 1993) Street gangs are therefore, no exception. This paper examines the growth of street gangs in rural America with the emphasis on California. The US Criminal Code describes a street gang as a group containing at least five persons whose main purpose is to commit at least one criminal offense. (US Criminal Code) The Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada offers perhaps, the best definition of street gangs, describing this term of reference as: â€Å"a term that law enforcement traditionally used to categorize crime groups that consisted predominantly of young males from similar ethnic backgrounds that were usually engaged in a low level of criminality, often based within a specific geographical area.† (Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, 2004, 29) The US Department of Justice, however, notes that since the 1990s, street gangs have ceased to be gender specific and have generously spread its reach beyond urban areas and into rural areas. (McGloin, 2003, 1) Moreover, street gang crime has become more prevalent as of the 1990s and is attracting persons of all ethnic groups and ages.(Fleisher and Decker, 2001, 65-77) Criminologists typically agree that street gangs have a largely negative impact on their community and the residents. (McGloin, 2003, 1)This is because street gangs contribute to firearms activity, violence, drug supply and demand, home invasions, auto theft, murder â€Å"and/or general decline in the quality of life,† and other serious crimes. (McGloin, 2003, 2) Since the 1990s the make-up and demographics of street gangs have changed with its growth. (Esbensen and Winfree, 1998, 505-526) As gangs and gang membership increases across America, they are branching out into rural areas and attracting diverse ethnic and gender groups. (Esbensen and Winfree, 1998, 505-526) While street gangs do not demand the

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2. The Semantics of 'I' - Essay Example fore I am) which implies that one’s consciousness, set of thoughts or thinking or ability to doubt would give proof of his own existence because of the ‘I’ or ego that conceives it (The Meditations). The argument is a representational development in response to Meditation I and indicates that one’s own existence is certain only within a first-person context, exclusive of any other existences beyond this point. It does not also state the necessity for existence, except the principle that if someone thinks, then he exists necessarily. â€Å"I am, I exist†Ã¢â‚¬â€proposition follows as the third in support of the main argument (Cogito). It would, however, only hold true in effect as it is preferred to be entertained by being deceived and having thoughts whether to accept deception in mind or not. From here, a stronger basis for truths is then established with absolute certainty. Descartes had sought to conclude that ‘I’ is a thinking thing or something that doubts, understands, affirms, denies, and makes use of sensory perceptions which goes well beyond defining within explicit limitations (Meditations). The evidence shown herewith through his wax example may then draw his recognition in which ‘I’, though could possibly exist without a body, cannot be separate or wholly distinct, as a thinking entity, from the body. In the case of bundle theory of the self on the other hand, David Hume had rather asserted, in the absence of identity, that objects are a bundle of their properties, which in relation to the mind applies the common logic in the sense that an individual is a product of his thoughts and experiences (Droar). He was, nevertheless, unable to come up with his version of an entity or the ‘I’ that any normal rationale considers as fundamental in collecting or holding the bundles. While Hume, after a period of contemplation, admitted to have employed â€Å"looking within† only to find out a series of perceptions, the medium or the idea necessary to