Parental Support in Language Skills Development: Scale Development and Validation

Year 2023, Volume: 13 Issue: 5-Special Issue, 843 - 862, 31.12.2023

Keziban Tekşan , Enes Çinpolat

https://doi.org/10.19126/suje.1382301

Abstract

The present study aims to develop a measurement tool that involves parental support for the language skills development process in mother tongue education or language arts classes (Turkish course in Türkiye, L1). Family is an undeniable factor in a child’s academic performance. In this context, there is no measurement tool that examines the support provided by families to their children in the field of language arts (mother tongue education). Considering that such a measurement tool would be useful for researchers and teachers, the study set out to develop it. The scale is not language specific, but in order to apply it to the Turkish parents it was created in Turkish. In order to develop the measurement tool, first, a literature review was conducted. The relationship between family and academic achievement, family social support, and parental academic support were investigated. In addition, interviews were conducted with five parents on a voluntary basis, and the actions that parents can take to support language skills were investigated. Thus, the item pool of the measurement tool was formed as 32 items. These items were prepared within the framework of the relevant literature and interviews with parents in a way to cover the following topics: parents’ guiding and activities that can support language skills, parents’ emotional support to the child, parents’ material support that can enhance language skills, parents’ support to the child in homework assignments in language arts classes (Turkish course in Türkiye). The items were presented to the inspection of two field experts and one measurement and evaluation expert. In addition, the items were presented to a field expert and two parents for the inspection of language and expression, and measures were taken to ensure that there were no incomprehensible items. After these stages, a total of 439 parents formed the participants of the study. While 204 of these participants were used for item analysis and EFA (exploratory factor analysis), 235 of them were used for CFA (confirmatory factor analysis), convergent validity and reliability analysis. Based on the findings obtained, 24-item, 4-factor “Parental Support in Language Skills Development Scale” can be considered as a valid and reliable measurement tool.

Keywords

Language arts, Mother tongue (Turkish) education, parental support, parental academic support, language skills, scale development

References

• Akay, E. Ç., & Oskonbaeva, Z. (2019, June). Eğitim kalitesini etkileyen faktörlerin Pisa tabanlı test puanları kullanılarak değerlendirilmesi: Asya ülkeleri örneği [Assessing factors affecting the quality of education using Pisa-based test scores: The case of Asian countries]. In International conference on eurasian economies, KKTC.
• Ateş, S., Çetinkaya, Ç., & Yıldırım, K. (2012). Öğretmen, ebeveyn ve öğrencilerin görüşlerine göre ilköğretim öğrencilerinin okuma çevreleri [Reading environments of primary school students according to the views of teachers, parents and students]. International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 4(2), 377-394. Retrieved from: https://www.acarindex.com/dosyalar/makale/acarindex-1423904315.pdf
• Avcı, S., & Çakır, M. (2021). Lise öğrencilerinde akademik dayanıklılık ve başarının belirleyicileri olarak ebeveynlerin duygusal desteği, öznel iyi oluş, ustalık hedef yönelimleri ve okula aidiyet duygusu [Parents' emotional support, subjective well-being, mastery goal orientations, and sense of school belonging as determinants of academic resilience and achievement in high school students.]. Türkiye Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 25(1), 235-252. Retrieved from: https://openaccess.marmara.edu.tr/server/api/core/bitstreams/053e0d44-2b80-46bf-8dc1-33b95fc9031d/content
• Bal, Ö. (2011). Seviye belirleme sınavı (SBS) başarısında etkili olduğu düşünülen faktörlerin sıralama yargıları kanunuyla ölçeklenmesi [Scaling the factors thought to be effective in placement test (SBS) success with the law of ranking judgments]. Journal of Measurement and Evaluation in Education and Psychology, 2(2), 200-209. Retrieved from: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/epod/issue/5804/77230
• Can, A., Deniz, E., & Çeçen, M. A. (2016). Ortaokul öğrencilerinin okuma tutumları [Secondary school students' reading attitudes]. Turkish Studies (Elektronik), 11(3), 645-660. http://dx.doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.9311
• Caplan, G. (1974). Support systems and community mental health: Lectures on concept development. Behavioral Publications.
• Chen, J. J. L. (2005). Relation of academic support from parents, teachers, and peers to Hong Kong adolescents’ academic achievement: The mediating role of academic engagement. Genetic, social, and general psychology monographs, 131(2), 77-127. https://doi.org/10.3200/MONO.131.2.77-127
• Cheung, G., & Chang, W. (2017). Current approaches for assessing convergent and discriminant validity with SEM: Issues and solutions. Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings [Electronic Version]. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2017.12706abstract
• Child, D. (2006). The essentials of factor analysis (3rd ed.). Continuum.
• Choe, D. (2020). Parents’ and adolescents’ perceptions of parental support as predictors of adolescents’ academic achievement and self-regulated learning. Children and Youth Services Review, 116, 105172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105172
• Christenson, S. L., Rounds, T., & Gorney, D. (1992). Family factors and student achievement: An avenue to increase students’ success. School Psychology Quarterly, 7(3), 178–206. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0088259
• Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support and the buffering hypothesis. PsychologicaI Bunetin, 92, 257-310. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0033-2909.98.2.310
• Comrey, A. L., & Lee, H. B. (1992). A first course in factor analysis (2nd ed.). Erlbaum.
• Coşkun, K., Çıkrıkçı, O., Liebovich, B., & Kara, C. (2023). Parent-child interaction in academic experiences: Scale development and validation. Current Psychology, 42(3), 2268-2278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03862-w
• Crossley, M. (2005). Comparative perspectives on the quality of education. Comparative Education, 41(4), 385–387. Retrieved from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/30044551
• Cutrona, C. E., Cole, V., Colangelo, N., Assouline, S. G., & Russell, D. W. (1994). Perceived parental social support and academic achievement: an attachment theory perspective. Journal of personality and social psychology, 66(2), 369-378. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0022-3514.66.2.369
• de la Iglesia, G., Stover, J. B., & Fernández Liporace, M. (2014). Perceived social support and academic achievement in Argentinean college students. Europe’s journal of psychology, 10(4), 637-649. https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1110
• Epstein, J. L., & Connors, L. J. (1995). School and family partnerships in the middle grades. Creating school/family partnerships, 1, 137-166. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED401361.pdf#page=137
• Field, A. (2017). Discovering statistics using SPSS. Sage Publications.
• Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18, 39–50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312
• Garson, G. D. (2022). Factor analysis and dimension reduction in R: A social scientist's toolkit. Taylor & Francis.
• Hair, J., Black, W., Babin, B., & Anderson, R. (2013). Multivariate data analysis (9th ed.). Pearson.
• Henderson, A. T., & Berla, N. (1994). A new generation of evidence: The family is critical to student achievement. National Committee for Citizens in Education, Washington, DC.
• İyiöz, D., & İflazoğlu-Saban, A. (2020, September). Öğrencilerin ödev amaçları ile algılanan başarı ve tutumları arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi [Examining the relationship between students' homework goals and their perceived achievement and attitudes.]. Proceedings of The Thirteenth International Congress of Educational Research, 03 - 06 Septebmer, 2020 Hatay Mustafa Kemal University.
• Jang, Y., & Suh, Y. (2021). Longitudinal effects of parental academic support on academic achievement in Korea: Will you be a companion or a manager in your children’s academic support?. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(20), 10823. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010823
• JASP Team (2023). JASP (Version 0.17.3) [Computer software].
• Kaner, S. (2003). Aile destek ölçeği: Faktör yapısı, güvenirlik ve geçerlik çalışmaları [Family support scale: Factor structure, reliability and validity studies]. Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi Özel Eğitim Dergisi, 4(01), 57-72. Retrieved from: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/159223
• Kaner, S. (2004). Engelli çocukları olan ana-babaların algıladıkları stres, sosyal destek ve yaşam doyumlarının incelenmesi [Investigation of perceived stress, social support and life satisfaction of parents with disabled children]. Unpublished Research Report. Ankara University, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Ankara.
• Kapıkıran, Ş. (2020). Ergenlerde ebeveyn akademik başarı baskısı ve desteği ile sınav kaygısı arasındaki ilişkide akademik dayanıklılığın aracılık rolü [The mediating role of academic resilience in the relationship between parental academic achievement pressure and support and test anxiety in adolescents]. Pamukkale Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 48, 409-430. https://doi.org/10.9779/pauefd.521230
• Kapikiran, Ş., & Özgüngör, S. (2009). Ergenlerin sosyal destek düzeylerinin akademik başarı ve güdülenme düzeyi ile ilişkileri. Çocuk ve Gençlik Ruh Sağlığı Dergisi, 16(1), 21-30. Retrieved from: https://cms.cogepderg.com/Uploads/Article_30238/cogepderg-16-21.pdf
• Kathleen V. Hoover-Dempsey, Angela C. Battiato, Joan M. T. Walker, Richard P. Reed, Jennifer M. DeJong, & Kathleen P. Jones (2001). Parental Involvement in Homework. Educational Psychologist, 36(3), 195-209, https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326985EP3603_5
• Kline, R. B. (2023). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (5th Edition). Guilford Publications. Marchant, G. J., Paulson, S. E., & Rothlisberg, B. A. (2001). Relations of middle school students’ perceptions of family and school contexts with academic achievement. Psychology in the Schools, 38(6), 505-519. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.1039
• Marsh, H. W., Balla, J. R., & McDonald, R. P. (1988). Goodness-of-fit indexes in confirmatory factor analysis: The effect of sample size. Psychological Bulletin, 103(3), 391–410. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.103.3.391
• Mazer, J. P., & Thompson, B. (2016). Parental academic support: A validity report. Communication Education, 65(2), 213-221. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2015.1081957
• Meydan, C. H., & Şeşen, H. (2011). Yapısal eşitlik modellemesi AMOS uygulamaları [Structural equation modeling AMOS applications]. Detay Yayıncılık.
• Núñez, J.C., Suárez, N., Rosário, P., Vallejo, G., Valle, A., & Epstein, J. L. (2015). Relationships between perceived parental involvement in homework, student homework behaviors, and academic achievement: differences among elementary, junior high, and high school students. Metacognition Learning, 10, 375–406. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11409-015-9135-5
• Raykov, T. (1997). Estimation of composite reliability for congeneric measures. Applied Psychological Measurement, 21(2), 173–184. https://doi.org/10.1177/01466216970212006
• Reparaz, C., & Sotés-Elizalde, M.A. (2019). Parental involvement in schools in Spain and Germany: Evidence from PISA 2015. International Journal of Educational Research, 93(1), 33-52.
• Sağlam, Ö., & Doğan, Y. (2013). 7. Sınıf öğrencilerinin hazırlıksız konuşma becerileri [Grade 7 students' impromptu speaking skills]. Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 10(24), 43-56. Retrieved from: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/mkusbed/issue/19560/208268
• Sanders, M. G. (1998). The effects of school, family, and community support on the academic achievement of African American adolescents. Urban education, 33(3), 385-409. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085998033003005
• Thoits, P. A. (2010). Stress and Health: Major Findings and Policy Implications. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 51(1_suppl), 41-53. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146510383499
• Thompson, B. (2004). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis: Understanding concepts and applications. American Psychological Association.
• Thompson, B., & Mazer, J. P. (2012). Development of the parental academic support scale: Frequency, importance, and modes of communication. Communication Education, 61(2), 131-160. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2012.657207
• Uçgun, D. (2016). Ortaokul öğrencilerinin okuma ve dinleme kaygıları arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi [Examining the relationship between middle school students' reading and listening anxiety.]. International Journal of Turkish Literature, Culture, Education, 5(4), 1958-1970. Retrieved from: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/teke/issue/26927/283114
• Walker, J. M., Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., Whetsel, D. R., & Green, C. L. (2004). Parental involvement in homework. A review of current research and its implications for teachers, after school program staff, and parent leaders. Harvard Family Research Project.
• Yıldırım, K. (2012). PISA 2006 verilerine göre Türkiye’de eğitimin kalitesini belirleyen temel faktörler [According to PISA 2006 data, the main factors determining the quality of education in Turkey are]. Türk Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 10(2), 229-255. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/tebd/issue/26137/275279
• Yıldırım, İ. (2006). Akademik başarının yordayıcısı olarak gündelik sıkıntılar ve sosyal destek [Daily troubles and social support as predictors of academic achievement]. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 30(30), 258-267. Retrieved from: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/87680