Administrators Using Technology to Increase Family Engagement

<p>The purpose of this study was to investigate and evaluate what happens when Title 1 administrators implement emerging technologies to facilitate school-home communications. This study explored the affordances and constraints to using technology tools to promote family engagement, determined which characteristics of the tools allowed parents to feel the most informed, measured how many parents attended school events, and evaluated parents’ perceptions of invitations to involvement when administration used technology tools to communicate. Epstein’s Parental Involvement Framework (2002), Epstein’s Overlapping Spheres of Influence (1995), and the Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler Model (1997) served as the theoretical framework. This mixed methods study was conducted at a small, urban, Title 1 elementary school in a Southeastern state. A sequential explanatory design was used. During the quantitative phase a Parent Communication Survey was collected from 51 participants. During the qualitative phase artifacts were collected and focus group interviews were conducted with nine participants. This study revealed affordances and constraints for each of the emerging technology tools. Communication tools that were available on parents’ cell phones were the most effective at informing families about school programs and student success. Systematically scheduled communications aided parents in better planning which enabled them to become more engaged. Administration was able to have an impact on parents’ perceptions of invitations to involvement through the use of technology tools. This study includes recommendations for future research and implications for practice.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education in Instructional Technology

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Instructional Technology

Year

2015

Author dc:creator

• Beasley, Ashley P

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Julia Fuller
• Dr. Woong Lim

• Family Engagement
• Parental Involvement
• Administration
• Technology
• School App
• Title 1
• Education

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/instruceddoc_etd/3

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu:instruceddoc_etd-1004