School Socio-Cultural Identity and Perceived Parental Involvement About Mathematics Learning in Greece

Abstract

In this quantitative study we investigated the primary school students’ perceived parental involvement in mathematics with respect to different school socio-cultural identity as identified by the students’ ethnicity. 493 students attending the two last grades of three primary schools participated in the study. The role of the students’ grade and gender, as well as the mother/father contrast were also considered in the analyses. The findings of the study revealed both inter-school and intra-school divergences and convergences, thus suggesting the complex links between school identity and perceived parental involvement. More specifically, according to our results, the ‘multi-cultural’ seems to be linked with a more stable perceived parental involvement across different year groups and calendar years. The pedagogical implication of the findings are discussed.

Investigating Parental Influences on Sixth Graders’ Mathematical Identity in Greece: A Case Study

“…According to our results, the students of group A seem to agree mostly with their fathers and the students of group B with their mothers. This finding is interesting as we have found that the perceived parental involvement qualitatively differs between the mother and the father about mathematics, as the children's perception of their father's role is connected with a wider range of mathematical practices (including checking homework frequently, asking about assessment results, encouragement) (Moutsios-Rentzos et al, 2015). Furthermore, the majority of the students seemed to appreciate the effectiveness of their mothers' and fathers' help.…”

“…Our approach was based on six axes: a) mathematics attainment, b) a dynamic affect system including attitudes, beliefs about the nature of mathematics, values and selfconfidence, and c) child-parent collaboration for homework. We conducted our investigations including the differentiation between father and mother, as supported by the family structure and function in Greece and the related research findings (Moutsios-Rentzos et al, 2015). We posited that these findings would help us to clarify what aspects of parental involvement are crucial for the construction of the children's identity in mathematics in order to discuss ways of supporting them.…”

“…For example, in a study investigating children-parents links with respect to parental involvement, 67% of the parents who participated were mothers (Moutsios-Rentzos & Leontiou, 2016). However, in a previous project conducted with primary school students in Greece (Moutsios-Rentzos et al, 2015) concerning the similarities between mother's and father's involvement at mathematics, it was revealed that although within the family unit existed an internally consistent value system about mathematics, the students' perceived role of the mother about mathematics differed from the respective role of the father. The children's perception of their mother as being good at math was positively linked mainly with her helping with difficult mathematics problems at home, while their perception of the father as being good at math had broader positive links with a wider range of mathematical practices (including checking homework frequently, asking about assessment results, encouragement).…”

“…In specific, they found that the perceived parental involvement decreases as the students' age increases and concentrating within each country of residence, the socio-cultural identity of the students appeared to be linked with the perceived parental involvement. Furthermore, mathematics education research projects suggest that when considering students who are not in the dominant socio-cultural community of a country the parental involvement is a crucial factor for their appropriate social integration (Abreu et al, 2002;Crafter, 2012;Moutsios-Rentzos et al, 2015). Furthermore, Abreu et al (2002) studied the parental support to their children's transitions between school mathematics and mathematics at home revealing that the parents' views about their own involvement or not in their children's learning varied depending on the ethnic origin.…”

“…The learning route of a child in mathematics does not depend only by facts realizing in the school classroom but also it is influenced by facts outside it. Within this perspective, various studies have highlighted the relationship between the parents' involvement and their children's mathematical experience in primary education (Abreu, Cline, & Shamsi, 2002;Anderson, 1997;Bratton, Civil & Quintos, 2005;Cao, Bishop, & Forgasz, 2006;Crafter, 2012;Galindo & Sheldon, 2012;Hepworth-Berger, 2004;Hyde, Else-Quest, Alibali, Knuth, & Romberg, 2006;Knapp, Landers, Liang, & Jefferson, 2017;Lang & Meaney, 2011;Moutsios-Rentzos, Chaviaris, & Kafoussi, 2015;Wang, 2004). More specifically, the students' family crucially affects their interaction with school mathematics, through the students' everyday homework and through the family's broader beliefs, attitudes, emotions and practices about mathematics as experienced in everyday mathematically related (implicitly or explicitly) activities.…”