Poster #35 - Longitudinal associations between parent-teacher communication and child behavior problems in early elementary school

• In Event: Poster Session 18

Abstract

Parental involvement in their child’s schooling is link with academic success (Fan & Chen, 2001). Communication is the basis needed to build a collaboration between the school and the parent (Bokony et al., 2013). Parent-teacher communication can be particularly challenging for parents of children with behavioral difficulties (Gwernan-Jones et al, 2015). Obstacles such as the maintenance of certain prejudices, misunderstandings with regard to the roles and responsibilities of parents and teachers, as well as infrequent communication, hinder communication (Fan et al., 2018). Most studies on parent-teacher communication failed to simultaneously take into account both the frequency and the quality of communication. Moreover, the direction of the association between these dimensions of parent-teacher communication and children behavior problems is unknown and could only be examined using a longitudinal design.

The present study aims to examine the longitudinal associations between parent-teacher communication (frequency and quality) and behavior problems in Grades 1 and 2 and establish their reciprocal effects. A sample of 1038 (62% boys) children were recruited in 45 elementary schools from a large French Canadian city. Their teachers completed questionnaires in May of Grade 1 and in May of Grade 2. In the school district were the data were collected, students changed teacher between Grade 1 and Grade 2. At each time, frequency and quality of parent-teacher communication were measured using items from the Parent-Teacher Involvement Questionnaire (Kohl & al., 1995) and behavior problems using 35 items from the Social Behavior Questionnaire (e.g, aggression, conduct problems, opposition; ISQ, 2001).

An auto-regressive cross-lag model including frequency, quality and behavior problems in Grades 1 and 2 was tested using M-Plus (see Figure 1). Results revealed reciprocal effects (bidirectional) between frequency and behavior problems. Specifically, frequency in Grade 1 is associated with more behavior problems in Grade 2 and behavior problems in Grade 1 is associated with more frequent communication in Grade 2. Also, an unidirectional effect was observed between quality and behavior problems. Specifically, behavior problems in Grade 1 is negatively associated with the quality of parent-teacher communication in Grade 2. Understanding why the quality of communication does not reduce student behavior at school is thus a crucial step to improve parent-teacher communication. Finally, reciprocal effects were observed between frequency and quality; frequency in Grade 1 is linked with lower quality in Grade 2 and quality in Grade 1 is linked with lower frequency in Grade 2. In the long term, understanding why the communication (frequency and quality) does not reduce student behavior at school is a crucial step to improve parent involvement and child academic success.

Authors

• Julie Poissant, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
  Presenting Author

• Francois Poulin, L'Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

• France Capuano, Université du Québec à Montréal

• Roxane L'Écuyer, Université du Québec à Montréal

• Annie Bérubé, Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO)