Improving parental engagement in early mathematics learning.

摘要本研究旨在探讨幼儿在校外的数学学习互动，探讨幼儿基础阶段成功的数学学习。它将解决有关幼儿教师如何鼓励家庭和学校之间积极互动和协调数学学习的问题。希望本研究将有助于了解父母参与早期数学学习，并导致更有效的干预措施，以提高父母参与这一领域。人们普遍认为，父母和家庭是儿童的主要教育者，有责任为他们的学习和发展奠定社会和智力基础（West et al., 1998）。父母的支持有利于孩子学习的各个方面，包括他们的算术发展（Melhuish et al., 2008）。研究了各种不同的贡献；例如，Fan和Williams（2010）表明，父母参与包括体育赛事和假期在内的课外活动的频率与儿童的自我效能感和数学成绩呈正相关，Chiu和Xihua（2008）表明，在家里提供学习资源和活动，例如书籍，音乐和讨论日常事实，同样与儿童数学成绩的提高有关。尽管研究普遍认为父母对儿童的数学学习有重要影响，但也有证据表明，提高父母参与程度的干预措施很少成功（Gorard & Huat See, 2013）。Gorard和Huat See对父母参与干预的荟萃分析发现，支持积极影响的证据有限，支持消极影响的证据也不少。Patall et al.,（2008）发现父母参与家庭作业与儿童阅读成绩呈正相关，但父母参与对儿童数学成绩的影响为负相关。这可能与本荟萃分析的另一个发现有关，即不同形式的父母参与家庭作业的差异影响。当家长直接参与家庭作业的内容时，对孩子的成绩有积极的影响。然而，当参与仅仅包括监督家庭作业完成情况时，就会产生负面影响。来自其他文献的研究（例如，Peters, Seeds, Goldstein, & Coleman, 2008）表明，父母可能会发现在孩子的数学作业上提供支持和帮助比在其他学科领域（如阅读和写作）更困难，因为他们自己对数学的态度和成就水平。研究问题：幼儿教师如何鼓励家长参与孩子的数学学习？什么是有希望的环境主导的干预措施，以提高父母参与儿童早期数学学习？是否可以设计一种有效的干预措施来提高父母对学龄前和幼儿园儿童数学学习的参与度？方法：在以往研究的基础上，本项目将采用参与式设计方法，与教师和家长合作举办讲习班，以提高家长的参与度。它将包括半结构化的个人或小组访谈的初始阶段，以探索幼儿教师和家长对该年龄组数学学习的需求和看法。这一阶段将为项目的设计和评估阶段提供信息。抽样将确保学生人数和教师经验的多样性。设计和评价阶段将采用参与式设计研究方法，采用与包括教师和家长在内的用户群体一起设计、测试和改进资源和活动的反复循环。

AbstractThis project aims to explore children's mathematics learning interaction out-of-school and investigate successful mathematics learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will address questions regarding how Early Years teachers can encourage positive interactions and coordination of mathematics learning between home and school. It is hoped that this research will contribute to knowledge of parental-engagement in early mathematics learning and lead to more effective interventions to improve parental engagement in this area.BackgroundIt is widely recognised that parents and families are the primary educators of children and are responsible for laying down the social and intellectual foundations for their learning and development (West et al., 1998). Parental support benefits all aspects of children's learning, including their numeracy development (Melhuish et al., 2008). A variety of different contributions have been studied; for example, Fan and Williams (2010) showed that the frequency with which parents engage with extracurricular activities including sports events and holidays, is positively related with children's self-efficacy and achievement in mathematics, and Chiu and Xihua (2008) showed that provision of learning resources and activity at home, for example, books, music, and discussion of everyday facts, is likewise associated with improvement in children's mathematics achievement.Although research studies generally agree that parents have an important influence on children's mathematics learning, evidence also suggests that interventions to raise attainment of parental involvement are rarely successful (Gorard & Huat See, 2013). Gorard and Huat See's meta-analysis of parental involvement interventions found limited evidence for any positive effect and some evidence of a negative effect. Patall et al., (2008) found a positive correlation between parental involvement in homework and children's achievement in reading but the effect of parental involvement on children's achievement in mathematics was negative. This may relate to another finding of this meta-analysis concerning differential effects of different forms of parental involvement in homework. When parents were directly involved in the content of homework, then there was a positive effect on children's achievement. However, when involvement consisted of simply monitoring homework completion, there was a negative effect. Research from elsewhere in the literature (e.g., Peters, Seeds, Goldstein, & Coleman, 2008) suggests that parents may find it more difficult to provide support and help with children's mathematics homework than in other subject areas, such as reading and writing, because of their own attitudes toward, and levels of achievement in, mathematics.Research questions:How do Early Years teachers encourage parental engagement in children's mathematics learning?What are promising setting-led interventions for improving parental engagement in children's early mathematics learning?Can an effective intervention be designed to improve parental engagement in children's mathematics learning in pre-school and Reception classes? MethodologyBuilding on previous research, this project will employ participatory design methods, working with teachers and parents to develop workshops to improve parental engagement. It will include an initial phase of semi-structured individual or small-group interviews, to explore the needs and perceptions of early years teachers and parents about mathematics learning for this age group. This phase would inform the design and evaluation phases of the project. Sampling will ensure diversity in pupil populations and teacher experience. The design and evaluation phases will draw on participatory design research methods, employing an iterative cycle of designing, testing and refining resources and activities with user groups, including both teachers and parents.