Development of the School Homework Involvement of Parents (SHIP) scale: preliminary validity data

Abstract

Parental involvement in school activities is a multifactorial construct, with mixed impacts on family relationships and children's learning and academic achievement. This paper aimed on the development of a self-report measure of parental involvement with school homework (School homework Involvement of parents (SHIP)) and presents preliminary data on its validity. A total of 176 parents of children aged 6 to 14 years were recruited through convenience sampling via social networks. In addition to SHIP, parents responded to questionnaires assessing anxiety, stress and depression symptoms, children's behavioral problems, and parenting style. Assessments were performed asynchronously through the internet. A bifactorial structure of SHIP, comprising "Child Behavior" and "Parental Involvement" was identified. Parents of boys reported more Child Behavior problems, while parents of younger children reported more Parental Involvement. Notably, the SHIP factors do not assess internalizing disorders in parents. Instead, the factors gauge correlated but independent dimensions of general behavior problems and positive monitoring. SHIP reliably measures parental involvement in school homework and holds potential utility in educational and clinical settings.