PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND THEIR IMPACT ON (READING

ENGLISH)/ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS AMONG THE RURAL SCHOOL IN

MALAYSIA
(CAN I CHANGE IT?)
Definition Of Parental Involvement.
The definition of parental involvement, according to the Department of Education
in the United States (2004) is the participation of parents in regular, two-way and
meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school
activities, including ensuring that parents play an integral role in assisting their
childs learning; that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their
childs education at school; that parents are full partners in their childs
education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory
committees to assist in the education of their child.

Problem Statement
Socioeconomic indicators such as education level, income, and social class have
been found to be linked to parent involvement. National-level studies have
consistently found strong links between socioeconomic status and parents
involvement. For instance, two national studies reveal that parents with higher
levels of education are more accessible to and engaged with their school-age
children. Parents who are able to provide economically for their children are more
likely to stay invested in their marriages or partner relationships, and are more
likely to be engaged with and nurturing of their children. Conversely, parents
who are unemployed or underemployed are more likely to limit their involvement
with their children. This may be due in part to the high societal value placed on
parents as economic providers
Socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural variations among parents and differences in
family structure may affect parents roles and their level of involvement with their
children. In the United States, education is commonly perceived as a viable
weapon against poverty and social inequality (Allen & Hood, 2000). However, the
problem of inequality exists within the educational system itself (Lareau, 2001).
Researchers have reported an achievement gap among school children that is
associated with socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity. Poverty (Brooks-Gunn &

Duncan, 1997; De Civita, Pagani, Vitaro, & Tremblay, 2004), low levels of parental
educational attainment (Hakkinen, Kirjavainen, & Uusitalo, 2003), and African
American and Hispanic/Latino race/ethnicity (Bali & Alvarez, 2004), for example,
are associated with lower academic achievement.
Because parent involvement has been shown to be positively related to
childrens educational performance (Barnard, 2004; Fan & Chen, 2001;
Feuerstein, 2000; Jeynes, 2003; McWayne, Hampton, Fantuzzo, Cohen, & Sekino,
2004) and may mediate the effects of poverty, parents educational attainment,
and race/ethnicity on achievement (De Civita et al., 2004; Eamon, 2002;
Schreiber, 2002), increasing parent involvement has been identified as a possible
strategy for reducing the achievement gap. Parent educational involvement at
home may include providing help with homework, discussing the childs
schoolwork and experiences at school, and structuring home activities.
Unfortunately, the effectiveness of efforts designed to eliminate the achievement
gap through increasing parent involvement may be attenuated by two factors.
First, some parents of children with low achievement may encounter barriers to
their involvement (Heymann & Earle, 200; Hill & Taylor, 2004; Pena, 2000), and,
second, the positive influence of parent involvement on childrens educational
performance may be weaker in some families (Desimone, 1999; McNeal, 1999).
Therefore, a major tool identified to reduce inequalities in achievement may
have limited ability to do so because of inequalities in the opportunities for and
benefits of parent involvement across demographic groups.
Findings about the relationship between parent involvement and achievement
also vary according to the populations examined (e.g., Barnard, 2004; McWayne
et al., 2004). Although the impact of parent involvement on academic
achievement overall is significant among children from all racial/ethnic and
income groups (Jeynes, 2003), some studies suggest that effects are moderated
by demographic characteristics. Desimone (1999) reported statistically
significant differences in the relationships between types of parent involvement
and student achievement in mathematics and reading among students from
different racial/ethnic and economic groups.

Parental involvement and reading

Research findings have demonstrated that there is an overwhelming connection

between literary resources in the homes and childrens reading skills (Sheldon,
2009; Sanders and Sheldon, 2009; Glasgow and Whitney, 2009). Children who
come from reading oriented homes, where books are readily available to them
and their parents are avid readers, have a tendency to score higher on reading
achievement tests than children from less reading oriented homes. It also affects
their literacy skills to have their parents read to them. Thus, parents can have
positive effects on their childrens reading skills and boost their reading
comprehension by reading to them and making sure there are always books
available.
Most of the research on the effects of parental involvement on students literacy
skills and reading has been done with families of preschool children and children
in the first grades of primary school (Sheldon, 2009; Sanders and Sheldon,
2009). However, studies have been conducted with families of older students
and it is evident that, although teachers and schools have significant influences
on childrens learning to read in the first grades, parents still remain very
influential (Sheldon, 2009).
Furthermore, studies have reported that parental involvement does not cease to
affect reading achievements of students in the early years of schooling. Instead,
it appears to continue to positively affect the reading achievement and academic
development of students well into primary school, secondary school and even
high school (Sanders and Sheldon, 26 2009). Research among secondary school
students shows that those students whose parents have high educational
expectations for their children, discuss with their children their school and future
plans and monitor their homework, have a tendency to earn a higher grade in
English and to score higher in reading achievement tests (Sanders and Sheldon,
2009). According to Sheldon (2009), findings, such as these, confirm that
parents support and interest for reading continues to be an important factor in
young peoples academic development through high school.
These findings emphasise the importance for both parents and schools to
establish and maintain a good strong relationship throughout our childrens
school years. Especially in secondary schools where we, as parents, often lack
confidence in our ability to assist our children with their school work. To read for
our children in the early years and to continue to be involved with their
schoolwork are all things that each of us as parents can do, in spite of our socio-

economic status or level of education. Furthermore, it is worth considering that

good reading skills and reading comprehension affects student achievements in
other subjects as well, since reading is fundamental in almost all subjects.
Literature Review
The effect of parental involvement (in terms of providing a home learning
environment) on achievement and cognitive development has been explored in
recent studies of English pre schoolers (Sylva, et al, 1999; Melhuish et al, 2001).
Sylva et al (1999) ran a longitudinal study (The Effective Provision of Pre School
Education Project, EPPE) to assess the attainment and development of children
between the ages 3 to 7 years. More than three thousand children were recruited
to the sample which investigated provision in more than 100 centres. A wide
range of methods were used to explore the effects of provision on childrens
attainment and adjustment. Of particular interest here is the impact of parental
involvement in interaction with professional provision. The idea of a home
learning environment (HLE) was devised to describe a range of learning related
provision in the home as reported by parents. HLE included reading, library visits,
playing with letters and numbers, painting and drawing, teaching (through play)
the letters of the alphabet, playing with numbers and shapes, teaching nursery
rhymes and singing. Melhuish et al (2001) concluded that, higher home learning
environment was associated with increased levels of cooperation and conformity,
peer sociability and confidence, lower anti-social and worried or upset behaviour
and higher cognitive development scores after age it was the variable with the
strongest effect on cognitive development. And, Its (HLE) effect is stronger than
that of either socio-economic status or mothers qualifications. Whilst HLE scores
were generally higher in homes in the upper social classes, there are parents
high on SES and qualifications who provide a home environment low on the HLE
index there are parents low on SES and qualifications who provide a home
environment high on the HLE index.
Similar to previous researchers (e.g., Hill et al., 2004; McNeal, 1999), found a
relationship between family demographic characteristics and achievement
outcomes. Race/ethnicity and school lunch participation were significantly
associated with achievement over and above the effects of parent involvement .
The positive effects of parent educational level on achievement , however,
appeared to be mediated by parent involvement . This finding is consistent with
Colemans (1988) social capital theory, in that parents human capital parental

educational attainment is transmitted to their children in their own development

of human capital childrens academic achievement only if parents direct social
capital ,parent involvement toward their children.
Research has regularly shown that with increasing parental participation in their
childrens education student success rate increases. According to the
Department of Education (2004) in the United States,studies have shown that
students with involved parents are more likely to earn higher grades, pass their
class and be promoted, they are more likely to attend school regularly and
graduate and go on to postsecondary education, irrespective of their socioeconomic status. Jerry Trusty (in Henderson and Mapp, 2002) concurs with this,
and claims that the level of parental involvement in high school influences the
students expectations to finish college. In addition, Obeidat and Al-Hassan
(2009) maintain that not only do children with involved parents gain
academically, but they are also more likely to show improved behaviour and to
have better social skills.