Prediction of students' strategies for doing science homework by parental support and students' goal orientation

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine how parents’ support for their children’s science homework and the goal orientation of students in science homework predict their deep learning and management strategies that students use when doing homework. For this purpose, among quantitative research approaches, correlational method was used in the study. The sample of the study consisted of 328 middle school students enrolling in public schools in Erzurum. As data gathering tools, the Parental Homework Support Scale, Homework Goal Orientation Scale and Homework Strategy use Scale were used. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the content- and autonomy-oriented support of the parents were positive predictors of deep learning and management strategies. The mastery and performance goal orientation predicted the management strategy positively, whereas the work-avoidance negatively predicted it. Among the goal orientations, it was seen that only the mastery goal orientation predicted the deep learning strategy and the relationship was in positive direction. The parental homework support and student’s goal orientation in homework explained 61.00% of the variance in the homework management strategy and 53.00% of the variance in the deep learning strategy.

Scaffolding homework for mastery: engaging parents

“…Parental controlling actions (dictating schedules, giving unasked for advice) are negatively related to children's outcomes (Núñez et al 2015); however, this may be due to children who are struggling in school needing more parental direction and help (Cooper, Lindsay, and Nye 2000), rather than being a simple byproduct of parental actions. Other reviews of the literature show definite positive effects of parental engagement in homework, including students' views of their abilities in relation to learning (Rogers et al 2014;Kurt and Taş 2019). Taken as a whole, research suggests strongly that when parents are appropriately, helpfully involved in children's homework, children do more of that homework and benefit more from the learning involved, in terms of achievement, confidence, life skills (time management, self-regulation) and academic selfconcept (Núñez et al 2015).…”

“…This paper suggests moving children away from an orientation on external validation for their learning processes (which would be evident, for example, in asking parents to check and monitor homework), to an orientation on(Kurt and Taş 2019) internal validation, through increased confidence in their abilities to learn, and the acquisition of and confidence in the skills needed to do so. Children with a 'mastery orientation' toward learning will value learning for its own sake; they are also likely to structure their work effectively (Kurt and Taş 2019). This is not to deny the importance or validity of external measures of learning, such as marks, grades and exam results.…”

“…Intrinsic motivation seems to be best supported through role construction and self-belief, rather than external rewards (Deci, Koestner, and Ryan 2001); students who are intrinsically motivated seem to be more engaged in school work, are more likely to persist in the face of difficulties and have higher achievement than students who rely on extrinsic motivation (e.g. rewards) (Kurt and Taş 2019). Young people are more likely to ask for help with their work when their teachers emphasise mastery orientations, such as the value of learning for its own sake (Du, Xu, and Fan 2016).…”

“…This will have all the more impact when supported by parental actions which support mastery orientations, (rather than being controlling) and when parents help their children to believe in their own abilities to achieve. (Kurt and Taş 2019) Parents' views of and toward homework are an obvious influence on their children, and, for our purposes, on children's role constructions in relation to learning and homework.…”

Determining the Levels of How Families Shape Children's Engagement with Science: A Scale Development Study

“…Several studies (e.g., Bell & St. Clair, 2015;Eisenberg et al, 2010;Kurt & Taş, 2019;Quiley et al, 2011) have found that providing an interest in science in early childhood strengthens children's learning of science content. For example, Fragkiadaki and Ravanis (2021) pointed out that a child's emotions in participating in, contributing to, or being in scientific activities or environments have a crucial role in examining and understanding children's early learning and development related to science.…”