Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Parenting 21st Century Learners: How Parental Expectations, Support and Concerns Affect Children’s Acquisition of New Skills in the Digital Age
Christi TrucksThe University of AlabamaMSERA [email protected]
IntroductionTechnology is part of our daily lives. Parents
today must ask themselves, “How will I respond to technology and the role it will play in my children's life?”
Parental expectations, support and concerns are areas which affect children’s encounters with technology.
Research Questions
1. What are parents’ expectations for their children’s knowledge and application of various forms of technology?
a. Where do parents believe their children acquire
their technological knowledge and skills?
b. How do parents believe their children acquire
their technological knowledge and skills?
c. What do parents expect schools to do to prepare
their child for a technologically advanced world?
2. How do parents support their children’s technologically driven life?
a. How do parents monitor technology and Internet
usage at home?
b. What tangible means of support do parents and family
members offer their children?
c. What intangible means of support do parents and
other family members offer their children?
d. Are parents supportive of emerging technologies and
trends such as bring your own device (BYOD) and
educational gaming that they may not know as much
about as their children?
3. What concerns do parents have regarding technology usage and their child?
a. How do these concerns affect their children’s acquisition of new technological skills?
Framework Epstein’s six types of parental involvement will
provide the conceptual framework for this study. The framework was developed to benefit the parent – school relationship. It is implied that both want the best for children and by using this framework as a guide children will benefit.
The six types of parental involvement include:
Parenting
Communicating
Volunteering
Learning at home
Decision Making
Collaborating with Community (Epstein, 1997)
Review of the LiteratureParental Expectations
Davies’ nationwide mixed method study “emphasizes the
importance of providing their children with the opportunity to
gain experiences and skills seen as essential for participation in
a future information society” (Davies, 2011).
Livingstone’s 2007 study entitled “Young People, New Media”
showed that 95% of mainly middle class parents are positive
about computers and technology. They feel that the Internet is
a necessary component of life and expect their children to learn
how to use it for both educational and personal needs.
Parents essentially want their children to be able to utilize
technology to function in society (Livingstone, 2008).
Parental Support
Parents have always been considered important stakeholders in their children’s education (Kong, 2009).
Research indicates that the “home learning environment is an incredibly fertile ground for making change” (Demski, 2011).
“Parental involvement is considered a critical variable influencing learning performance” (Bourgonjon, 2011).
Parental support can be evident in both tangible and intangible means (Cranmer, 2006).
Tangible Support Tangible support is given to children through the purchase
of computers, iPads, iPods, smart phones, Internet
connectivity and other forms of hardware needed to
perform a technological task.
Parents want to ensure lifelong learning”(Kong, 2009).
They feel that by purchasing technology they are doing
this. Parents of a 9 year old stated:
“it wouldn’t be fair on him for his future to deny him to get
the exposure of a computer […] the more skill he has, the
more he understands how people use them you know, it just
gives him a better chance in life with jobs and you know his
work future and studies)” (Davies, 2011).
Intangible Support
Valke’s 2010 empirical study of Internet parenting styles describes “parental warmth” as a factor in children’s understanding and use of technology. The research includes Baumrind’s definition of parental warmth as:
“the extent to which parents intentionally foster individuality, self-regulation, and self-assertion by being attuned, supportive, and acquiescent to children’s special needs and demands” (Baumrind, 1991).
Children who feel trusted and respected when engaged in technology practices are more likely to attain more skills and try new things than those who feel constantly questioned (Clark, 2009).
Support of Emerging Technologies
The 2012 Horizon Report for K-12 Classrooms predicts
mobile devices and apps are a technology that will be
adopted into the mainstream within the next year.
According to an initiative entitled Speak Up, the amount of
students in grades 6-12 who own a cellular device has
risen 42% in the last year (Project Tomorrow, 2011).
Digital game-based learning is another emerging area.
According to the 2012 Horizon Report for K-12 classrooms,
“Game based learning refers to the integration of games
or gaming mechanics into educational experiences”. It is
identified as a technology two to three years from
becoming mainstreamed. This will likely be the next area
where parents are forced to make decisions regarding
their children’s technology usage.
Parental Concerns
Many parents expressed concern over their teens knowing more about the Internet and technology usage than they do. They are unsure how to “maintain authority” over their children (Clark, 2009).
The most frequently expressed concerns include interactions with strangers, online abuse of children, online bullying and cheating online (plagiarism) (Sharples, 2009).
Methodology
A mixed method approach will be used to collect data.
A parent survey will be administered to collect data concerning their children’s technology usage. The survey will be distributed to approximately 100 high school parents in a low to middle class school.
Following the survey a focus group will be formed to discuss the aspects of the study. Follow-up questions for the focus group will be determined by the responses to the initial survey.
Summary
Digital media has caused parents to form new expectations for their children’s learning. No longer are the “three r’s” sufficient. Parents must determine what is important and realistic for their children to eventually master.
Smedts states, “We have arrived at an age in which technologization is the way in which we understand education and what it means to be a parent” (Smedts, 2008). We must therefore learn how to use it to benefit our children both now and for the future.
References
Anastasiades, P. V. (2008). Collaborative learning activities at a distance via interactive videoconferencing in elementary schools: parents' attitudes. Computers and Education , 50, 1527-1539.
Bourgonjon, J. (2011). Parental acceptance of digital game-based learning. Computers and Education , 57, 1424-1444.
Cankaya, S. &. (2009). Parental controls on children's computer and Internet use. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences , 1, 1105-1109.
Davies, C. (2011). Digitally strategic: how young people respond to parental views about the use of technology fr learning in the home. Journal of computer assisted learning , 27, 324-335.
Heidegger, M. (1993). The question concerning technology. London: Routledge.
Kong, S. &. (2009). Collaboration between school and parents to foster information literacy: Learning in the information society. Computers and Education , 52, 275-282.
Livingstone, S. &. (2008). Parental mediation of Internet use. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media , 52, 581-599.
Sharples, M. G. (2009). E-safety and web2.0 for children aged 11-16. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning , 25, 70-84.
Smedts, G. (2008). Parenting in a technological age. Ethics and Education , 3 (2), 121-134.
Valke, M. B. (2010). Internet parenting styles and the impact on Internet use of primary school children. Computers & Education , 55, 454-464.
