1. Effect of Parental
Guided Questioning
on
Student Test Scores
Bryony Blahnik Evans
ELEM 6000
Dr. B. Housand
November 12, 2012
2. Research Question
Will third grade students at Elkin Elementary School
whose homework includes guided questions for parents to
ask based on the week's lessons receive higher scores on
unit science tests than students who do not receive
guided questioning?
Motivation for Research
•Parental involvement is down is schools
•Both parents working
•Parents feel unwanted/needed in the school system
•Give parents a way to participate and see if there are
positive benefits
3. Definition of Key Term
Parental Involvement
“The participation of parents in regular, two-way, and
meaningful communication involving student academic
learning and other school activities including: assisting their
child’s learning, being actively involved in their child’s
education at school, and serving as full partners in their
child’s education and being included, as appropriate, in
decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the
education of their child.”
(The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 2004)
6. Study Design and Intervention
•Experimental Action Research
•Experimental and Control Groups
•Both groups—Pre-Test
•Experimental group—Homework with guided questioning for
parents
•Control group—Homework without guided questioning
•Post-Test
•Questionnaires for parents and cooperating teacher
8. Procedures
•Permission forms
•Pre-Test analysis
•Guided questioning intervention for experimental group
•Post-Test analysis
•Are there any marked changes in the experimental groups’ test
performance?
•Repeat
•Repeat the process with two additional science units
•Questionnaires for teacher and parents
•What did they notice about attitudes/involvement
9. Data Sources and Analysis
•Pre-Test
•A test given by the cooperating teacher on a recently studied science unit
•Post-Test
•A similar test given by the cooperating teacher on the science unit that was
accompanied by homework with guided questioning
•Parental Questionnaire
•How did parents feel about the experience (3 words)
•Did they notice a change in their child?
•Teacher Questionnaire
•Did teachers see a change (in students and/or parents)
10. Limitations
•Bias
•Researcher
•Teacher
•Parent
•Student
•Tests
•Pre-Test
•Post-Test
•One class study
•No guarantee that parents will ask the questions
•Participants may not be open and honest in questionnaires
11. Role of the Researcher
•Create and distribute permission forms
•Analyze Pre-Test scores
•Create questions that align with homework assignments
•Analyze Post-Test scores
•Create questionnaires for teachers and parents
•Analyze questionnaire responses
•Report findings
Experimental Group: Group that will be given homework with guided questionsControl Group: Same homework, no questionsPre-test: a science test given after a recently completed science unit/chapterPost-test: a similar science test given after a unit/chapter where the homework with guided questioning has been usedThis is to be completed across 2 to 3 unitsQuestionnairesParents: a questionnaire asking them to describe their experience in 3 wordsTeacher: where students more involved? Did you notice a difference in behavior/involvement/attitude?
BiasResearcher—am I only seeing what I want to see?Teacher—may be resentful of someone in their classroom or sure that this will/will not workParents—decide before it startsStudents—may be unreliable sources for views on the process due to age/maturity/parental relationshipTests—the tests will be made by the cooperating teacher and may not be good tests—pre and post tests may be vastly differentSmall number of participants