Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Mary Hallums

Abstract

A low-income, urban school district has consistently failed to achieve the state’s target science performance index for several years at the middle school level. Studies have suggested that parental involvement affects student achievement. Middle school administrators and science teachers lack an understanding of home-based parental involvement behaviors regarding students’ science outcomes. There is a need for increased home-based parental involvement to enhance science outcomes among middle school students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to fill the gap in practice by exploring administrators’ and science teachers’ perceptions of home-based parental involvement behaviors regarding middle school students’ science outcomes. The conceptual framework for this study was based on the Level 2 learning mechanisms of home-based parental involvement behaviors as developed by Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler. Research questions focused on administrators’ and science teachers’ perceptions of home-based parental involvement behaviors regarding middle school students’ science outcomes. Qualitative data were collected through one-to-one semistructured interviews of 8 administrators and 8 science teachers from the middle schools. Data were analyzed through in vivo coding, open coding, and axial coding, from which themes emerged. The findings revealed that participants recognized and identified a need for improved home and school collaboration, programs to enhance home-based parental involvement in science education, and quality interactions between parent and student. Themes suggested how administrators and teachers can support parents in influencing students’ overall academic outcomes, thereby providing information to address the social problem of low science performance in urban low-income, middle schools.

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