Home-based Learning During COVID-19: Motivations for Parental Involvement and Parental Burnout

• In Event: Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Topic - Solicited Content: COVID-19 Related

Abstract

Parental involvement in children’s learning is linked to children’s positive academic and social-emotional outcomes (Cooper, Lindsay & Nye, 2000; Hill & Tyson, 2009). With COVID-19 ‘shelter-in-place’ restrictions, school closures required many parents to home-school their children. While many parents needed to home-school their children, the quality of parental involvement in their children’s learning may differ across parents. Studies have shown that one determinant of involvement is parents’ motivation orientation (Walker, Wilkins, Dallaire, Sandler & Hoover-Dempsey, 2005). Based on the Self-Determination Theory, parents can be motivated to be involved for autonomous or controlled reasons (Ryan & Deci, 2000). This study examined two primary questions: 1) are parents getting involved in home-based learning predominantly because of autonomous or controlled reasons? 2) what factors are associated with different motivation styles and quality parental involvement?

Parents with 5-8-year-olds were recruited from states in the US with the longest shelter-in-place restrictions (CA, NY) through parenting organizations and social media. Despite targeted recruitment, the sample (N=218) consisted of parents from 38 states in the USA (majority CA) with 114 fathers and 83 mothers (21 ‘preferred not to say’). Majority parents were between 26-35 years (n=150). Majority were Caucasian (70%), with significantly fewer ethnic minorities (11% African American, 0.08% Native American/Alaskan Native/Hawaiian, and 0.02% Asian). Parents’ autonomous and controlled reasons for involvement was measured using the Parent Autonomous Motivation scale (Katz, Kaplan & Buzukashvily, 2011). Parents’ quality of involvement in their children’s home-learning was assessed using the Parent Need Supportive Behaviors scale (Katz et al., 2011). Parents’ burnout level was assessed using the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA; Roskam, Brianda & Mikolajczak, 2018). Questions from the NIH ECHO-COVID 19 questionnaire- Child Parent-Report determined levels of school support. Lastly, parents rated, on a scale of 0-100, how concerned they were about their child lagging in their academics due to the COVID-19 disruption. All measures were reliable (αs ranged from .96 to .77).

Results showed that parents were more likely to get involved in their children’s learning because of autonomous reasons (M=3.62, SD=.60) rather than out of obligation (M=3.46, SD=.51), and this difference was significant (t(217)=4.982, p<.001). Results for correlations are presented in Table 1. Findings showed that low parental burnout was related to high autonomous motivation and high quality involvement. On the contrary, increased concerns about their child lagging was linked to increased motivation to be involved (for both autonomous and controlled reasons), increased need supportive behavior, and decreased burnout. In terms of school supports, online learning support was positively correlated with autonomous and controlled motivation and need supportive behaviors. Providing digital devices was positively related to parents’ autonomous involvement and need supportive behaviors. Lastly, children’s age was not associated with reasons or quality of involvement.

Understanding why parents get involved and factors that are associated with quality involvement is particularly crucial during COVID-19. Despite having a predominantly Caucasian sample, findings show that addressing burnout and parental concerns while providing support might encourage adaptive parental involvement. Discussion about implications of results will be elaborated on in the poster presentation.

Authors

• Juliet Mariam Nyanamba, Texas A&M University - College Station
  Presenting Author

• Jeffrey Liew, Texas A&M University - College Station
  Non-Presenting Author