A New Approach to Parental Involvement: The Role of Virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences
Abstract A NEW APPROACH TO PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: THE ROLE OF THE VIRTUAL PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE by Daphne M. Winkler Kennesaw State University, 2016 The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of virtual parent-teacher conferences in facilitating parental involvement in the middle school setting. The research was used as a tool to establish whether or not parent involvement could be facilitated by removing barriers to participation, specifically those related to the traditional face-to-face conferences. Ninety-four parents from two middle schools in one county agreed to participate in the study. Of the 94 parents, 54 participated in the face-to-face setting and 40 participated in the virtual setting. Quantitative analysis was used to determine if there were any statically significant perceptional differences evident among conferencing in the traditional face-to-face model versus the virtual model. The findings of this study indicated that time could be saved by using virtual conferencing with parents as a tool for facilitating parental involvement. Satisfaction in the virtual conferences was noted in the surveys completed by parents and teachers. On the other hand, most teachers responded that using virtual conferencing did not save them time. Compared to teachers from the virtual group, teachers from the face-to-face conference showed significantly higher satisfaction toward the parent-teacher conferences. Overall, the findings of this study can support a tool to help bridge the communication gap between parents and teachers by allowing opportunities for parents and teachers to develop strategies that improve communication between home and school.
parental involvement, conferences, relationships, virtual, Educational Leadership
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