Home Learning Environment Research Articles

Exploring the Trajectory of Home Learning Environment for Preschoolers in Bangladesh

Exploring the Trajectory of Home Learning Environment for Preschoolers in Bangladesh

Examining the Home Learning Environment Practices for Emergent Bilinguals: Insights from Parental Survey

This study aims to investigate the general practices of bilingual students’ home learning environments and to compare the variation in practices as a function of parents’ length of stay in the USA, educational levels, and household income by analyzing the results of a large-scale parental survey in an urban area in the southwestern United States, serving a predominantly Hispanic student population. The data consisted of 959 parents’ responses. The findings show that parents’ practices of engagement in students’ learning, discussions for students’ future, emotional support, students’ media consumption, disciplinary practice, and support for students’ autonomy vary in multifold ways as a function of their backgrounds. For example, while most parents, regardless of their background, were not prone to supporting children’s autonomy when deciding children’s routines at home, those with higher educational and income levels tend to more frequently participate in children’s classrooms or discuss children’s college entrance and career paths. The study discusses the implications of the findings and limitations.

Playful activities mitigate relations between parental mental health difficulties and child verbal outcomes.

This study examined the role of parental involvement in the home learning environment in the association between parental mental health and child cognitive performance. In a sample of 174 three- to five-year-old children (52% female, 97% White, 7% Hispanic, 2019-2022), playful activities moderated the relation between parental general depression and child verbal reasoning and acquired verbal knowledge. However, there was no evidence that parental involvement moderated the association between parental mental health and child spatial reasoning. These results improve our understanding of the pathways by which parental mental health, even in a non-clinical community sample, relate to child outcomes and raise the possibility of leveraging playful activities as one mechanism to alleviate the potential role of parental mental health difficulties.

Synergistic Effect of Learning Environments, and Familial Factors on Generation Z Learners’ Academic Achievement in Science

This descriptive-predictive study examined the interplay among learning environment factors (school, home, and community), familial factors (socioeconomic status and family relations), and academic achievement of 186 randomly selected Generation Z (Gen Z) learners. Factorial analysis demonstrated significant impacts of school and home learning environments on science academic achievement, while the community environment, in isolation, lacked significant effect. Interaction effects emphasized synergies between school and community, as well as school and home environments. However, there was an absence of a three-way interaction, suggesting limited combined impact. Analysis of data further unveiled a significant, large main effect of family relations on academic achievement, while economic and social status showed no significant impact. The interaction between family relations and social status was statistically significant which indicates a more substantial combined influence on science academic achievement than individual factors. Multiple linear regression analysis identified four significant predictors – positive family relations, higher family social status, and robust home, and community support – contributing to a model explaining 49.4% of variance in their science academic achievement. These results emphasize the importance of nurturing home and community environments, alongside fostering strong family relationships, as pivotal factors in Generation Z learners' academic pursuits.

Effect of the Partners in Play Intervention on Parents' Autonomy-Supportive Guiding Behaviour and Children's Self-Regulation.

Compelling evidence supports the foundational importance of early self-regulation (SR). It also supports parents in the home environment as having the foremost influence on early development. Yet, prevailing approaches to support early SR growth have tended to leverage early education and clinical settings. Partners in Play (PiP) was developed as a sustainable approach for parents to learn how and when to support children through experiences of self-regulation challenges in the home learning environment. This study reports the first randomised control trial evaluation of the PiP program, with 21 parent-child dyads (consisting of twelve girl-mother dyads, eight boy-mother dyads, and one boy-father dyad; mean child age = 4.12 years, SD = 0.65). Dyads were randomised to a PiP intervention group (n = 10), which entailed four online parent information sessions and four out-of-home guided practice dyadic play sessions across 8 weeks, or an active control group (n = 11). The primary outcome was parent autonomy support, and the secondary outcome was child SR. Results indicated a significant increase in parents' use of autonomy support and a non-significant but moderate-sized effect on child SR. This innovative proof-of-concept program and evaluation provides a roadmap for effecting change in parental support during children's play, to the prospective benefit of important abilities such as child SR. Analyses show promise for a parent-based model toward parent behaviour change and child SR improvement.

Homing into school to create the ideal classroom: young people want to combine the best of home and school learning environments

ABSTRACT We asked 28 young people (16–18 Years old) from two schools in Lancashire to reflect on their COVID-19 experience and Co-Design the ideal learning environment. In this paper, we present young people’s vision for the ideal classroom that combines the best of the home and school learning environments. Young people would like to have flexible furniture arrangements, with space for group and individual activities, a bespoke learning environment that can be appropriated and adjusted according to individual preferences (e.g. sound, light, temperature, ventilation levels). Furthermore, they aim for comfortable environments with earth colours, natural materials and a direct connection with nature. We argue the importance of taking young people's perspectives presented here to inform future policy, the design of learning spaces and school rebuilding programmes.

Profiles of young children's home environment and association with their development.

This study aimed to identify profiles of young children's early home environment and explore their association with development in motor, inhibitory control, language, and emotional competence skills. The sample included 2,158 children (51.4% male), 35.47 months old on average. Four home environment profiles emerged: high support and high discipline (HS-HD), high support and low discipline (HS-LD), average support and average discipline (AS-AD), and low support and low discipline (LS-LD). Notably, children from higher socioeconomic status (SES) families were more likely to be associated with HS-HD and HS-LD profiles. Girls exhibited a higher likelihood of belonging to the HS-LD profile. Utilizing regression analyses, children showed the highest motor, inhibitory control, language, and emotional competence development when they were in the HS-LD home environment profile. A concerning finding is that high discipline from parents was negatively associated with children's development, despite providing a high-quality physical environment. The text highlights the positive implications of providing a high-quality home learning environment and offers constructive recommendations for improving practice and future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Investigating measurement of the home learning environment in early math intervention studies

Investigating measurement of the home learning environment in early math intervention studies

How and When Does Early Home Learning Environment Improve Children’s Kindergarten Academic Skills? The Roles of Language Ability and Self-Control

ABSTRACT Children’s academic skills, particularly in the early stages of life, are significantly shaped by the support and resources available in their home learning environments. However, the underlying mechanisms by which the home learning environment influences children’s academic skills are not fully understood. To address this gap, the present study used multiple regression analysis to explore how the family environment of U.S. children (N = 805) at 36 months old affected their academic skills at 5 years old. The result showed that children’s language ability may potentially serve as a mediating mechanism that links the home learning environment and children’s early academic skills. Furthermore, the study suggests that children’s self-control provides an important mechanism that moderates the relationship between the home learning environment and children’s language ability. The findings provide compelling new insights into how and when the home learning environment affects children’s early-stage academic skills.

Empowering oral proficiency in a large-scale class: video-recorded oral presentations and mobile-assisted peer assessment in a Chinese Middle school

In an era of rapid technological advancement, this 10-week quasi-experimental study conducted within a Chinese middle school EFL context examined the incorporation of video-recorded oral presentations and mobile-assisted peer assessment, aiming to evaluate how these digital tools influence students’ speaking proficiency and their perceptions towards them. The study was conducted on two classes of 47 students each, wherein the experimental group received training on utilizing the digital tools of video presentations and mobile-assisted peer feedback, while the control group solely followed traditional teacher-led assessment methods. T-tests were utilized to analyze differences in test scores on standardized English proficiency exams between the two groups, supplemented by semi-structured interviews to elicit deeper insights into student perspectives and attitudes. The quantitative results showed the experimental group exhibited substantially higher English speaking proficiency scores compared to the control group in the standardized tests administered. Integrated with the qualitative findings, while students generally had highly positive perceptions towards utilizing the digital tools and recognized substantial learning benefits, some concerns emerged regarding the learning process. In light of this, providing not only cognitive but psychological guidance and support for students is critical for the ongoing success of this digital intervention. Moreover, maintaining open communication with parents is key to gaining their trust and nurturing a supportive home learning environment, which encourages students’ smooth adoption of digital learning tools with parents’ help and supervision. While strategically combining video presentations and peer feedback within the digital educational landscape shows promise for enhancing oral proficiency, further research should examine diverse student populations and backgrounds.

Supporting parents in facilitating computational thinking for young children through loose parts construction play

AbstractComputational thinking (CT) as an essential problem‐solving and thinking skill for all students has been the focus of much interest from education systems all over the world (Chen et al., 2023). Unplugged activities like constructing and play with loose parts provide a low‐cost solution to naturally weave in learning of CT skills for young children at home and formal learning environments. Such activities provide opportunities particularly for children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to access learning of CT skills so they will not be left behind. This article describes the pilot study of a programme that introduced an open‐ended construction play activity using loose‐parts to parent–child dyads from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, with the aim to support parents in facilitating play interactions in ways to promote CT skills for their children using question cards. The cards contained questions that parents could use to foster CT skills like decomposition and algorithmic thinking in their play interactions. Focus group discussions were held before and after the play sessions and parents in the study reported more confidence in supporting their children in play and learning of 21st century skills of teamwork, collaboration and CT skills. The results demonstrate the potential of unplugged pedagogy for promoting CT skills for young children especially in the home environment through engagement with families, with implications for home–school collaborative learning environments and parent education. Recommendations for practice and research are provided accordingly.

The Relations Between Parents’ Beliefs, Parents’ Home Reading Practices, and Their Children’s Literacy Development in Kindergarten

Abstract Background Research indicates that parents’ involvement in early literacy, particularly through book reading, matters for young children’s language and literacy development. OBJECTIVE: However, little is known about the nature and extent of family book reading across the U.S. nation or about which factors support parents’ involvement in book reading. In particular, parents’ beliefs about promoting literacy may be linked to their book-reading actions, which can foster their children’s learning. Method We investigated several questions using the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten 2011 (ECLS-K) dataset: (1) How are demographic characteristics (ethnicity, SES, and child age) predictive of parents’ literacy beliefs and home reading practices during children’s kindergarten year?; (2) How do parents’ literacy beliefs contribute to parents’ home reading practices during children’s kindergarten year?; and (3) How do parents’ literacy beliefs and home reading practices relate to children’s literacy development during their kindergarten year? We focused on data from Fall 2010 through Spring 2011, spanning the kindergarten year, and utilized descriptive and multivariate regression techniques. Results Regressions reveal that parents’ literacy beliefs are linked to their literacy practices, net of the effects of a variety of covariates. In turn, both beliefs and practices are uniquely linked to increases in children’s reading performance over the kindergarten year, demonstrating incremental validity for both sets of variables and reinforcing the importance of both beliefs and practices as part of the home learning environment. Conclusions The findings of this study underscore the critical role of parents’ beliefs in contributing to their home reading practices, which, in turn, are positively related to kindergarteners’ literacy development, net of the effects of variety of important covariates.

The science-specific home learning environment of elementary school children – how are science experiences and science talk associated with the children’s science achievement?

ABSTRACT Background The home learning environment (HLE) is central to children’s development. Activities in the HLE are assumed to mediate the effects of distal factors such as family socio-economic status (SES) and parental beliefs and attitudes on children’s development. However, little is known about the science-specific HLE and the relationship between different parent-child science activities and elementary school children’s science learning. Purpose This study aims to investigate a) how different science activities in the HLE relate to children’s science achievement and b) how they mediate the associations of family SES and parents’ beliefs and attitudes on children’s science achievement. Sample Data from the German subsample of the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 was analyzed, including 3,437 4th-grade children (Mage = 10.39 years, 50% boys). Design and methods The study has a cross-sectional design. We used structure equation modeling (SEM) to examine associations and test for indirect effects. Results We identified two different patterns of science activities in the HLE: science experiences (e.g. reading science books, experimenting) and science talk. SEM revealed that science talk was associated with children’s science achievement, whereas science experiences were not. Further, science talk mediated associations of family SES and parental beliefs and attitudes on the children’s science achievement. Conclusions Our results might indicate that discursive elements in science activities, such as parent-child science talk, are crucial for children’s science learning, whereas a mere provision of science experiences may not adequately foster the children. We suggest that future research should focus on analyzing the quality of parent-child interactions in different science activities to understand possible learning processes in these activities better. Overall, although effect sizes were small, our results emphasize the crucial role of the HLE for elementary school children’s science learning.

Under what conditions does missing school matter most? Examining associations between absenteeism and child outcomes in Head Start

Although prior research has shown that preschoolers’ absenteeism is negatively associated with their learning and developmental outcomes, few studies have examined the conditions under which absenteeism matters more versus less. This study reproduces research exploring differences in these associations across different levels of preschool classroom quality and extends this literature by considering the role of children’s home learning environments. Using data from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey, 2009 Cohort, results showed that associations between children’s absenteeism rates and children’s language, literacy, and approaches to learning skills varied by levels of classroom quality experienced. These joint associations differed by development outcome. Moreover, high levels of household stimulation were found to buffer the negative associations between absenteeism and children’s literacy skills. Finally, results showed little evidence for meaningful differences in the associations between children’s absenteeism, classroom quality, and developmental outcomes based on levels of household stimulation. Findings highlight the importance of considering how the classroom environments they are missing and the home environments they may be experiencing when absent from school matter for young children’s development.

Building community online during the COVID-19 pandemic: facilitating networks of support in the early primary years from the perspectives of key stakeholders in Canada

ABSTRACT This research examines the ways early primary educators, parents and children made efforts to build community during the COVID-19 school closures in Canada. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews with 25 educators and 11 parent participants. Data were analysed in NVivo using a combination of inductive and deductive approaches. The analysis resulted in four themes: the importance of clear communication, maintaining consistency, support from administration and teacher colleagues, and the home learning environment. Building on the voices of the key stakeholders captured in this study, we provide recommendations for facilitating and building community in remote learning environments in the early primary years.

Home Learning Environment and Screen Time Differentially Mediate the Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Preschoolers' Learning and Behavioural Profiles.

Environmental variables related to the home context, including home literacy and numeracy, screen exposure and Socioeconomic Status (SES) are potential risks or protective factors for children's academic achievements and behaviour. The present multi-informant study aims to contribute to this issue by investigating SES's direct and indirect relationships in early learning (i.e., literacy, numeracy, and cognitive) and behavioural skills within a large sample of young children. One parent and one teacher for each of 1660 preschoolers filled out a questionnaire investigating SES, tablet and TV use, home learning activities, behavioural problems/strengths (parents' questionnaire), and children's learning skills and behaviour (teachers' questionnaire). Results of path analysis showed that tablet time and home learning environment mediate the effect of SES on early learning as assessed by teachers; as for the home learning environment, it was also a mediator of the relationship between SES and behavioural problems. Implications of these results for research in the field and educational policies are discussed.

Children’s Social-Emotional Development During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protective Effects of the Quality of Children’s Home and Preschool Learning Environments

ABSTRACT Research Findings: The study examined the development of children’s social-emotional problems between 2019 (T1) and winter 2021/22 (T2) during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the role of children’s home and preschool learning environments. The sample included 228 German children ages 3–7 years at T1 (M Age = 5.13, SD = 0.79, 46% female). Results showed an increase in emotional problems between T1 and T2, which was more pronounced among already disadvantaged groups of children from families with lower income and lower educational background. Peer problems increased only among children from families with lower educational backgrounds. The emotional climate of the family and the quality of children’s preschool learning environment were identified as protective influences for the development of children’s peer problems, but not for children’s emotional problems. Practice or Policy: The policy restrictions implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus had longer-lasting consequences for (some) children’s emotional functioning. Efforts should be undertaken to mitigate such detrimental effects by supporting disadvantaged groups of children. In addition, based on the findings regarding the importance of high-quality interactions to prevent the development of social problems among children, policy should establish the conditions for preschool staff to provide high-quality interactions in childcare.

Synthesising models of primary school mathematicians by putting influencing factors of mathematics performance to the test

The gender-sensitive analysis of influencing factors on mathematical performance of primary school pupils can yield valuable insights into facilitating this vital phase of pupils’ educational trajectory. We view gender-sensitive mathematical performance in primary school based on works of Niklas (Psychologie in Erziehung und Unterricht, 62, 106, 2015) and Luttenberger et al. (Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 11, 311–322, 2018). All elements of their models can be assigned to structural traits of origin, home learning environment, interacting variables, and mathematics performance. These are presented and described in terms of gender. In our four-year long longitudinal study (n = 239) with four measurement points in primary school, the interplay and predictive power of these elements were analysed with structural equation model. Among the structural traits of origin, socio-economic status and migration background are relevant concerning precursor skills. The home learning environment is not relevant for precursor skills or later mathematics performance. The precursor skills and self-concept appear to be significant for mathematics performance whereas enjoyment of the subject does not matter. Gender affected only two measuring points of mathematics performance, so that the results support the gender similarity hypothesis according to Hyde (The American psychologist, 60, 581–592, 2005.) According to our study, school entry is not shaped by gender differences in social background, affective characteristics, or precursor skills. The results emphasize gender equality at the start of school, so that it is of interest for future studies to determine when and on the basis of which criteria performance differences develop in mathematics.

Evaluating the “right@home” randomised trial of nurse home visiting using linked administrative data at school transition

IntroductionNurse home visiting (NHV) is designed to redress child and maternal health inequities, but long-term evaluation is hampered by sample attrition. Evaluation using administrative data has the potential to overcome attrition through provision of a more complete outcome profile. Australia's “right@home” trial is the only long-running evaluation of NHV designed for a population with universal healthcare. ObjectivesTo investigate the effects of the NHV program on children's health and development outcomes and service use, compared with usual care (comparator), using linked administrative data at school transition. MethodsA screening survey identified pregnant women experiencing adversity from antenatal clinics across two states (Victoria, Tasmania). 722 were randomized: 363 to the right@home program (25 visits promoting parenting and home learning environment) and 359 to usual care. At children's first birthdays, 198/237 (83.5) Tasmanian and 420/485 (86.6) Victorian parents consented to data linkage with the Tasmanian Kindergarten Development Check (KDC, 4 years) and Victorian School Entrant Health Questionnaire (SEHQ, 5-6 years), respectively. Jurisdictional differences meant measures could not be harmonized, and variables varied in their interpretability. Following best-practice methods for managing missing data, outcomes were compared between groups (intention-to-treat) using regression models adjusted for stratification factors, baseline variables, and nurse/site cluster. ResultsLinked data were obtained for n = 134/237 (56.5) Tasmanian and n = 252/485 (52.0) Victorian children. These children had substantially higher prevalence of negative life events and poorer health and development outcomes, and used similar or more services than children state-wide. Compared with usual care, the NHV program increased KDC achievement and SEHQ health service use. There was less evidence for program impacts on SEHQ outcomes. ConclusionsBenefits of NHV were evident at school transition for child development outcomes and service use. This adds further evidence for NHV being an important component of universal health services that deliver support responsive to families' needs. RegistrationISRCTN89962120

Improving tertiary education via remote learning: Insights from students and educators

Relevance. The growing adoption of distance learning in higher education necessitates an understanding of the pedagogical conditions that facilitate its effective implementation. Purpose. This study aimed to identify the pedagogical conditions that support successful integration of distance learning technologies in higher education. Methodology. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 206 first- to fourth-year pedagogy students, complemented by interviews with 28 teachers. The survey and interviews focused on experiences, advantages, and disadvantages of distance learning from both students� and teachers� perspectives. Results. The findings revealed that 89% of students favoured distance learning, highlighting benefits such as time and budget savings, comfortable home learning environments, easy access to necessary information, and flexible learning schedules. However, 11% of students reported dissatisfaction due to issues like internet outages, perceived lower quality of education, and lack of communication with peers and instructors. Teachers identified several challenges, including students� information assimilation, their own adaptation to teaching in distance formats, and administrative hurdles. Conclusions. Distance learning technologies, distinct from traditional methods, emphasize independent student activities and the use of information technology for knowledge exchange. Addressing the identified challenges and leveraging the benefits can significantly enhance the distance learning experience. Keywords: student adaptation; self-education; network technologies; digitalisation in education; pedagogical conditions