Early Sources of Children’s Math Achievement in Chile: The Role of Parental Beliefs and Feelings about Math

Next directions in measurement of the home mathematics environment: An international and interdisciplinary perspective

“…Some caregiver characteristics that could affect caregiver-child engagement in the HME and the relation between the HME and children's mathematics outcomes include caregivers' mathematics abilities, self-concept, attitudes, stereotypes, anxieties, and values regarding mathematics, as well as beliefs about the importance of mathematics for their child's development and learning (Blevins-Knabe et al, 2000;Borriello et al, 2020;Missall et al, 2015;Pan, Yang, Li, Liu, & Liu, 2018;Sari & Hunt, 2020;Sonnenschein et al, 2012;. Potential child characteristics that may also need to be accounted for include child abilities, interests, beliefs, attitudes, and anxieties surrounding mathematics (e.g., Cheung, Dulay, & McBride, 2020;Cheung, Yang, Dulay, & McBride, 2018;del Río et al, 2019del Río et al, , 2020Gunderson, Ramirez, Levine, & Beilock, 2012;Kleemans et al, 2012;LeFevre et al, 2009;Skwarchuk et al, 2014). Core questions that span a range of cognitive and affective characteristics of both caregivers and children are described, followed by key considerations for research on the HME in regard to these characteristics.…”

“…Individual caregiver and child characteristics including abilities, attitudes, beliefs, expectations, and anxieties are impor tant for understanding links between the HME and children's mathematics outcomes (Berkowitz et al, 2015;Cheung et al, 2020;Davis-Kean & Sexton, 2009;del Río et al, 2019del Río et al, , 2020Elliott & Bachman, 2018;Elliott et al, 2020;Niklas, Cohrssen, & Tayler, 2016;Niklas & Schneider, 2014;Serpell, Baker, & Sonnenschein, 2005;Silver, Elliott, & Libertus, 2020;Sonnenschein, Metzger, & Thompson, 2016). Within the area of the HME, most work has focused on activities in which children and caregivers engage (e.g., Hart et al, 2016;Skwarchuk et al, 2014).…”

Associations Between Children’s Numeracy Competencies, Mothers’ and Fathers’ Mathematical Beliefs, and Numeracy Activities at Home

“…However, additional relevant factors such as parental beliefs and expectations toward mathematics, have rarely been considered in recent research ( del Río et al, 2017 ). Further, there are currently only a few studies ( Tomasetto et al, 2015 ; del Río et al, 2019 , 2020 ) that investigated potential differences between mothers and fathers, which may offer interesting insights as fathers have only recently become more involved in their children’s lives in many countries ( Cabrera et al, 2000 ; Baker, 2014 ). The present study investigated children’s numeracy competencies and took the following factors into account; (1) three types of parental beliefs toward mathematics: gender stereotypes, self-efficacy and beliefs on the importance of mathematical activities at home, (2) differences in mothers’ and fathers’ beliefs toward mathematics and home numeracy activities, and (3) children’s sex.…”

“…This theory assumes that parental beliefs influence children’s achievement motivation, their educational aspirations, and their abilities and provide them with experiences at home and in everyday life which are directed by the beliefs of the parents ( Eccles et al, 1983 ; Jacobs et al, 2005 ). Recent studies also suggest a direct link between parental beliefs, children’s self-concept and their mathematical performance ( del Río et al, 2019 , 2020 ), indicating that parents’ personal beliefs and thoughts may have a tremendous impact on children’s perception of their own abilities and thus also on children’s academic outcomes in mathematics.…”

“…Parental beliefs toward mathematics can simply be defined as parents’ interest in mathematics and their feeling of confidence while performing mathematics ( Benz, 2012 ). Further constructs such as gender stereotypes, self-efficacy and the importance of mathematical activities at home are often subsumed under the umbrella-term beliefs (e.g., Sonnenschein et al, 2012 , 2016 ; del Río et al, 2017 , 2020 ). Research shows that parents who tend to have positive beliefs regarding mathematics also engage more frequently in formal numeracy practices such as counting pieces of a pie and teaching how to count ( Skwarchuk et al, 2014 ; Missall et al, 2015 ; del Río et al, 2017 ).…”