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Change in Family Involvement Across the Preschool and Kindergarten Years: Impact on Children’s Academic and Social-Emotional Development

Myrtil, Maureen Joyce
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555659411228353

Abstract Details

2019, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Educational Studies.
The present study aimed to examine the extent to which a family involvement measure evidences longitudinal measurement invariance, whether the frequency of family involvement changes across children’s preschool and kindergarten years, and whether contextual factors remain or emerge as influential to this process. An additional aim of the present study was to determine if engagement in the various dimensions of family involvement predict children’s academic and social-emotional outcomes across the preschool and kindergarten years. A total of 299 caregivers completed a questionnaire regarding their family involvement practices and demographic information of individuals in the household during the spring of their child’s preschool and kindergarten year. Children were administered an academic measure during the fall and spring of their preschool and kindergarten year by trained research assistants, and their teachers rated their social-emotional skills during the same timeframe. Descriptive analyses provided information regarding the nature and frequency of family involvement, while confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to examine measurement invariance and change in family involvement practices. Finally, a path analysis was used for the disaggregation of the direct and indirect effects of the various dimensions of family involvement on children’s academic and social-emotional outcomes using a structural equation model. Results indicated that the family involvement measure demonstrated longitudinal measurement invariance across the preschool and kindergarten years. Further, results suggest that engagement in only specific dimensions changed significantly across time. More specifically, caregivers’ engagement in home-school conferencing and school-based involvement declined from preschool to kindergarten while their level of engagement in home-based involvement did not change. Additionally, results of the present study suggest that caregiver- and child-level characteristics were not systematically related to family involvement across the preschool and kindergarten years. Finally, path analysis models revealed that school-based involvement and home-based involvement predicted children’s vocabulary, mathematical, and assertiveness skills. None of the family involvement dimensions predicted children's literacy or peer social skills. Overall, the results of this study suggest that a brief family involvement measure aimed at improving practicality among respondents can be used across time to measure the change in these practices across this critical developmental period. Further, results suggest that the level of family involvement within and across the school setting declines over time and that children experience a relatively similar level of home-based involvement across their preschool and kindergarten years. Therefore, results relevant to the development of programs that seek to improve family involvement over time should primarily target whether and how caregivers communicate with school personnel and are involved in activities at the school. Additionally, the results suggest that specific caregiver- and child-level characteristics may either support or hinder engagement in the various dimensions of family involvement. These findings are particularly beneficial for identifying children most at-risk for later academic and social-emotional difficulties. Finally, the results suggest that school-based involvement and home-based involvement are associated with children’s academic and social-emotional skills throughout the preschool and kindergarten years.
Antoinette Miranda (Advisor)
Laura Justice (Committee Member)
Ann O'Connell (Committee Member)
124 p.
Early Childhood Education; Education; Psychology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Myrtil, M. J. (2019). Change in Family Involvement Across the Preschool and Kindergarten Years: Impact on Children’s Academic and Social-Emotional Development [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555659411228353

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Myrtil, Maureen. Change in Family Involvement Across the Preschool and Kindergarten Years: Impact on Children’s Academic and Social-Emotional Development . 2019. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555659411228353.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Myrtil, Maureen. "Change in Family Involvement Across the Preschool and Kindergarten Years: Impact on Children’s Academic and Social-Emotional Development ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555659411228353

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.