Parental Perceptions of Personal Knowledge
and Skills for Involvement Activities
Last updated: May, 2005
This scale, reported in Walker, Wilkins, Dallaire, Sandler & Hoover-Dempsey
(2005) was developed during a three-year study of the parental involvement
process (
Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 2005).
It assesses parents’ beliefs about personal knowledge and skills for involvement
in the child’s education. Three items focus on parents’ knowledge of involvement
events or activities (i.e., knowing about special events, knowing the best
ways to contact the teacher) and six focus on parents’ knowledge or skills
for engaging in specific activities (i.e., helping out at the school, communicating
effectively with the child about the school day).
The Scale employed a six-point Likert-type scale: disagree very strongly
= 1, disagree = 2, disagree just a little = 3, agree just a little = 4, agree
=5, agree very strongly = 6.
Alpha reliability reported by Walker et al. (2005; see also Hoover-Dempsey
& Sandler, 2005) was .83.
Participants were asked to respond to the following prompt:
“Please indicate how much you AGREE or DISAGREE with each of the following
statements. Please think about
the current school year as you consider
each statement.”
1.
|
I know about volunteering
opportunities at my child’s school.
|
2.
|
I know how to communicate
effectively with my child about the school day.
|
3.
|
I know how to explain
things to my child about his or her homework.
|
4.
|
I know about special
events at school.
|
5.
|
I know enough about
the subjects of my child’s homework to help him or her.
|
6.
|
I know how to communicate
effectively with my child’s teacher.
|
7.
|
I know how to supervise
my child’s homework.
|
8.
|
I have the skills
to help out at my child’s school.
|
9.
|
I know effective ways
to contact my child’s teacher.
|
References:
Hoover-Dempsey, K.V., & Sandler, H.M.
(2005).
Final Performance Report for
OERI Grant # R305T010673: The Social Context of Parental Involvement:
A
Path to Enhanced Achievement. Presented to Project Monitor,
Institute of
Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, March 22,
2005.
Walker, J. M. T., Wilkins, A. S., Dallaire, J. P., Sandler,
H. M., &
Hoover-Dempsey, K. V. (2005). Parental involvement:
Model revision through scale development.
Elementary School
Journal, 106(2); 85-104.
