Family Involvement and Survey Evaluation
Tori Gagliardi
Longwood University
Dr. Jo Ellen Pederson
SOCL 345-04
November 29, 2022
Abstract
The issue that leads to a need for the research we have conducted is family involvement in the lives of their children and how many parents/guardians do not have the time to be able to come up with an activity to do as a family that’s quick, easy, and fun and also promotes learning for their child. The purpose of this study was to understand how the family fun time activities promoted parent involvement and how well these activities taught the children how to use the skills included in the activity. This is a mixed methods study conducted using families from The Andy Taylor Center and Head Start to complete the surveys that were sent out. The data that was collected and analyzed contained the survey questions for their designated activity as well as demographic information regarding their household. The themes found in the study suggest that families enjoyed having a simple, put-together activity they could use to spend more time together that also promoted the learning of basic skills for their child. Respondents also stated that they found the activities helpful in increasing family involvement. The practical implications of this study can lead to higher parent involvement with their children.
Introduction
The issue that began our research is family involvement in their children’s lives and how family fun time activities can increase involvement within those families. The family fun time activities included Finger Friends, Cupcake Flower, Emotion Flip Book, Pizza Party, and Obstacle Course. We sent out 99 surveys to families with children at either The Andy Taylor Center and Head Start to be completed. Deficiencies in the studies included the low response rate of 20.2% from the families that received the surveys as well as some families picking and choosing what questions in the survey they wanted to answer. The significance of the study for the children involved was to promote learning new skills and have a fun activity to complete. For parents or guardians, the significance of this study was to increase their involvement with their child/children as well as provide them with a simple, put-together activity for them to do with their child without spending any money in the process. The purpose of this study was to understand how the family fun time activities promoted parent involvement and how well these activities taught the children how to use and/or learn the skills that were included in the activity.
Literature Review
Parent involvement in the family’s fun time activities is beneficial in several ways. First, it has been shown to improve satisfaction with the activities whereby the parents socialize with their children freely. The issue is likely because parents can provide input and feedback to help improve the activities’ quality (Quarmby et.al, 2019). Additionally, parent involvement has been found to improve the overall family fun time experience. The issue is likely because parents can be more involved in the planning and execution of the activities, which can lead to a more cohesive and enjoyable experience for the family (Furusa, et.al, 2019). Finally, parent involvement is one of the most important factors to consider when planning family fun time activities, families should make it a norm to have time for socializing and catching up. The issue is likely because parents play a crucial role in the success of the activities and can provide valuable input and feedback.
The Family Fun Time Survey is an annual survey of parents and children participating in family-friendly activities. In this survey, parents are asked to rate their satisfaction with their child’s participation in the activities, and they are also invited to rate how much they feel like the exercise helps their child to learn essential skills (Lari Al-Emadi, 2021). The main finding of the study by Korcz et al. (2020) was that the parts of family time that could be controlled had a negative relationship with the amount of physical exercise that young children in primary school engaged in. The findings show that time spent with family is similar for boys and girls and that family time is not always spent engaging in physical exercise. According to the Siu & Lo study (2020), parents who participated in rugby activities with their kids helped them exercise better self-control while playing. This theory supports the notion that getting parents involved in enjoyable activities helps kids behave better. According to Li & Guo’s study from the year 2022, spending time having fun as a family with parents and kids enhances their general well-being, emotional development, and mental health. These conclusions came from the CTUS. According to the study, parents should try to strike the optimum work-life balance for their family, exert less control but be more involved in their kids’ development, and provide more effective empathy companionship. According to the article by Thoidis et al. (2022), the purpose of parent participation in enjoyable activities is to provide a welcoming environment that inspires all family members to make the most of their downtime and feel connected to their parents. This concept ensures that each family member feels satisfied and a part of the group. The results of this study are supported by previous research, which also showed that parents are interested in and involved in their children’s free time, thereby fostering a supportive environment for the effective use of their free time (Thoidis et al.,2022). As part of the caring environment they build for their children, parents use communication tactics to promote learning, provide direction, and stimulate free time. It is evident that parents’ participation in family fun activities positively impacts their children. The children feel loved and supported when their parents participate in activities. It also helps to build strong family bonds and communication skills. Furthermore, participating in family fun activities helps to teach children essential life skills such as cooperation, problem-solving, and teamwork. There are ways to encourage family fun time even when both parents are working. One way is to schedule regular family fun nights where everyone participates in an activity together. Another way is to set aside time each day for at least one family member to do something fun with the children. Lastly, it is important to model good behavior by participating in family fun activities yourself.
Data and Methodology
Instrument
A survey questionnaire was created by the 50 members of the Social Research and Program Evaluation team at Longwood University. The survey asked both open and close-ended questions. Items on the survey were designed to evaluate SMART objectives of five activities that were completed the previous week by Head Start and Andy Taylor Center families. Items were included that also addressed demographic information, enjoyment of the activities, family involvement, and completion of the activities. Hard copies of the questionnaire were delivered to Head Start and the Andy Taylor Center.
Sample
The non-probability sample for this study was based on 100 children (ages three to five years old). Seventy-nine children attended Head Start in three counties. Head Start is a federally subsidized preschool for families with economic need. Twenty-one children attended the Andy Taylor Center which is located on a college campus, and families apply and pay for their children to attend. Attached to the questionnaire was a children’s book to incentivize families to return the survey. Guardians of the children were asked to complete the survey and return it to the preschool the next day. Teachers sent a reminder home with children to return outstanding questionnaires. This resulted in 20 questionnaires being returned. Overall, there was a 20.2% response rate.
Quantitative Analysis
Quantitative analysis of the returned surveys was based on the close-ended questions. For this study the dependent variable is family involvement. The item from the questionnaire that was used to operationalize this was “How much did you and your child enjoy your family fun time activity?” The answer choices for this item was a “scale of 0-10”, zero being not at all and 10 being a great amount. For this study the independent variable is parent/guardian participation. The item from the questionnaire that was used to operationalize this was “How much did you and your child enjoy your family fun time activity?” The answer choices for this item was a “scale of 0-10”, zero being not at all and 10 being a great amount. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze these variables.
Qualitative Analysis
Qualitative analysis of the returned surveys was based on open-ended questions. The open- ended questions on the survey were, “What did your family enjoy most about these activities? Why?” , “What did your child learn from these activities?”, “What recommendations would you suggest to make these activities better?” To answer the research question, “Will high parent interaction with the family fun time surveys equal high satisfaction with the activities?”, inductive open coding was used to determine reoccurring themes in the respondents’ responses.
Quantitative Findings
The question that the dependent variable is asking is, “How involved was your family throughout this activity?” This question had answer choices on a scale from zero to ten. Family involvement was coded on a zero to ten scale. The mean is 8.47. The standard deviation is 2.07. The independent variable question is, “What is your annual household income?” Respondents could answer based on the following choices, “Less than $10,000”, “$10,000-$30,999”, “$31,000-$50,999”, “$51,000-$70,999”, “$71,000-$90,999”, “$91,000 or more”, respondents could also choose to “Prefer not to answer.”
There were four of the respondents that were in the less than $10,000 income range. There were two of the respondents that were in the $10,000 – $30,999 income range. None of the respondents were in the $31,000 – $50,999 income range. There was only one respondent for both the $71,000-$90,999 and the $91,000 or more income ranges. Four of the respondents preferred not to answer what their annual household income was.
The four respondents that answered less than $10,000 had an average involvement level of 8.67. The two respondents that answered $10,000 – $30,999 had an average involvement of 10. The average involvement for the two respondents that answered $31,000 – $50,999 was also 10. There were no respondents for the $51,000 – $70,999 annual income range. The average involvement of the $71,000 – $90,999 income range was also 10. The one respondent for the income range of $91,000 or more was seven. Lastly, the average involvement of those that preferred not to answer the annual household income question was 6.25. It’s important to state that due to the low number of respondents, the data could be skewed.
Qualitative Findings
In the family fun time activity cupcake flower, the objective of the activity was to cut out leaves and glue them to a piece of paper. The child learned to cut with scissors and use glue in our activity cupcake flowers and participant one said that her child “practiced cutting with scissors”. As well as participant two stated that her child learned, “how to cut and glue.” Participant six also stated that her child “loved cutting and gluing.” These examples demonstrate that the participants of the activity were able to learn and use the skills of cutting and gluing.
Many of the parents/guardians stated that they enjoyed our activities and that they were easy to follow as participant three stated that, “our family really enjoyed how simple the activities were”, as well as participant 16 stated that their family, “enjoyed the different learning outcomes that came along with the activities, also how easy the directions were.”
Many families also discussed that they enjoyed the activities because it helped them spend time together like participant five stated that, “it’s fun when you want to do something fun and enjoyable with kids and family”, as well as participant nine said that they, “enjoyed doing them together.” Participant 10 said that their child enjoyed doing the activity together with the family and her child “loves doing things with mom and dad.” Participant 15 said that “spending time together doing something educational is always fun, “Family Time.” These examples demonstrate that the participants on the survey showed that the activities promoted family time and enjoyment through the participation in the activities.
Many participants also enjoyed the convenience and accessibility of the activities. One participant stated that they enjoyed the activity because it was a “free and enjoyable activity to do as an activity, pre-packaged, and the instructions were easy to follow.” Participant three also talked about how they “enjoyed how simple the activities were.” Participant 16 also stated that the “directions were easy to follow.”
This is important to parent involvement because spending time with the child is beneficial in the child’s life.
Conclusion
The main point of this research project was to survey parent/family involvement when a family fun time activity was given to them to complete. The survey aimed to see how well the parent/guardian and the child responded to their designated activity/ies and how involved the parent/guardian was in that process, as well as how much they enjoyed the activity itself. The findings suggest that most children were able to comprehend and complete the activities using the skills necessary for that activity. Families enjoyed the activities they were given because it was an easy way for them to come together as a family and do something enjoyable that also promoted learning for their child. Family involvement matters because it can aid in the development of a child. If a parent or guardian can increase their involvement and has access to the right tools, such as family fun time activities, to be able to be present in the key stages of a developing child, it will be able to set them up better for their future. Through the family fun activities we created, the activities teach the children skills while the parent/guardian is present. The data may be limited due to the 20.2% response rate.
References
Furusa, M. G., Knight, C. J., & Hill, D. M. (2021). Parental involvement and children’s enjoyment in sport. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 13(6), 936-954.
Korcz, A., Krzysztoszek, J., Łopatka, M., Ludwiczak, M., Górska, P., & Bronikowski, M. (2020). The Role of Family Time Together in Meeting the Recommendation for Physical Activity among Primary School Children. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(11), 3970. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17113970
Lari, N., & Al-Emadi, N. (2021). Measuring Parental Involvement in Dual-Earner Qatari Families. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 1-12.
The effect of the time parents spend with children on children’s well-being (no date). Available at: https://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-1561259/v1_covered.pdf?c=1650561978 (Accessed: November 30, 2022).
Quarmby, T., Sandford, R., & Pickering, K. (2019). Care-experienced youth and positive development: An exploratory study into the value and use of leisure-time activities. Leisure Studies, 38(1), 28-42.
Siu, A. F., & Lo, J. W. (2020). Promising effect of a family rugby programme for children with ADHD: Promoting parent-child relationship and perceptual change on child’s behaviors. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 39, 101135.
Thoidis, I., Chaniotakis, N., & Vrantsi, M. (2022). FAMILY AND LEISURE: PARENTS VIEWS ON THEIR CHILDREN’S LEISURE TIME AND THEIR ROLE IN IT. European Journal of Education Studies, 9(9).Wenzel, K., Townsend, J., Hawkins, B. L., & Russell, B. (2020). Changes in family leisure functioning following a family camp for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 54(1), 17-31.