Bridging the Home-to-School Gap: A Mixed-Method Approach Examining Home-School Dissonance Among Black Adolescents

• In Event: Creating Good Human Beings: New Perspectives on Cultivating Ethical Character in EL Education Middle Schools

Abstract

Home-school dissonance (HSD) refers to cultural mismatch in which students perceive differences between existing norms, values and socialization activities in their home and school environments (e.g., school dress codes prohibiting certain hair styles; Arunkumar et al., 1999). Research suggests students of color who experience HSD are at greater risk of negative emotional and behavioral outcomes (Tyler et al., 2018). To date, literature on HSD is sparse, in part due to limited availability of measurement tools.

Employing an explanatory mixed methods design, the current study adds onto an existing quasi-experimental study of EL Education examining ethical character and school culture. The purpose of this study was threefold: (a) to psychometrically test the Home School Dissonance scale (HSD; Midgley et al., 2000); (b) to describe the most frequent and salient experiences that signal to Black adolescents a cultural mismatch; and (c) to examine differences in EL Education and comparison schools given EL Education’s focus on ensuring students feel known authentically to promote learning.

First, psychometric properties of the HSD scale were examined using a diverse sample of 271 middle school students aged 9–11 (M = 11.3). Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling with full-information maximum likelihood estimation to verify the theoretical single-factor structure of the HSD scale. Results supported a single-factor structure (CFI = .93; RMSEA = .08), with factor loadings ranging from .37 to .61 (p < .05). Subsample analyses successfully replicated the results of the factor structure for both gender and race. Internal consistency was satisfactory (α = .60) and HSD showed significant low to moderate correlations in the expected directions with theoretically relevant measures (e.g., belonging), thus establishing concurrent validity (Table 1).

Second, interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 15 Black adolescents (for brevity, results from students identifying as “Black” are included; the presentation will incorporate findings from multicultural participants identifying with multiple racial groups, including Black). Content analysis led to richer conceptualization of HSD highlighting central components of students’ HSD experience: altered communication style; guarded self-disclosure suppressed emotional expression; disproportionate discipline, and lack of feeling known or included (Table 2).

Survey measures often take an imposed etic approach (assume content is relevant across samples). However, if construct relevance differs across cultural groups, nonequivalence may result. Although quantitative findings offer evidence of factorial validity, qualitative findings suggest the potential omission of relevant indicators on the HSD scale that may reflect additional cultural beliefs and socialization practices that are incongruent with Eurocentric norms.

Finally, student reports of HSD at EL Education schools highlighted student-led conferences as a promising practice in strengthening home-school relationships, while also noting the unintentional ways it may exacerbate HSD.

The dual pandemics have raised the stakes on the issue of HSD- Black families are largely opting to continue learning from home despite efforts to reopen schools. Well-timed and aptly aligned with the deepening divides in educational opportunity, this paper explores HSD as a potential lever in recognizing how race is enacted and instantiated through a variety of social practices in school settings.

Authors

• Shereen El Mallah, University of Virginia

• Rachel Siefring, University of Virginia

• Kelsey Newcomb, University of Virginia