Parent-Teacher Relationships in Cyber Charter Schools: Investigating the Quality of the Parent-Teacher Relationship and Its Impact on Student Achievement

• Main Author: Henderson, Theresa
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest LLC 2018
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Charter Schools; Electronic Learning; Elementary Secondary Education; Parent Attitudes; Parent Participation; Parent Teacher Cooperation; Predictor Variables; Virtual Classrooms
• ISBN: 0438792572; 9780438792579

K-12 online and blended learning initiatives have experienced unprecedented growth in the past decade and are fast becoming a mainstream option for today's generation of learners. In 2016, over five million students were enrolled in K-12 full-time state virtual schools and all 50 states and the District of Columbia offered some form of online learning for K-12 students with even greater growth projections by 2020. While K-12 online learning has grown in popularity and demand, research-based investigations into successful teaching, learning and student support developments are limited. There is reason to believe that the quality of the parent-teacher relationship in cyber charter schools could be as important, if not more important than its role in traditional schooling. Currently, contemporary studies on the parent-teacher relationship only address face-to-face student populations. Therefore, the study of the quality of the parent-teacher relationship and its impact in on student achievement in cyber charter schools could assist the development of new strategies in cyber charter schools, teacher preparation programs, accrediting institutions, and policy makers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the quality of the parent-teacher relationship and it impact on student's achievement in K-12 cyber charter schools. To address this question, this study employed an online survey adapted from Timothy Majerus' (2011) instrument, which was constructed on research by Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler, sampling parents from a cyber charter school in the Northeastern U.S. Quantitative statistical procedures were utilized to analyze the resulting data. Outcomes indicate that the quality of the parent-teacher relationship do have predictive effect related to student achievement. Parental perception of the parent-teacher relationship, opportunity for parent involvement, parent efficacy, and time for parental involvement were assessed. Implications related to these findings can be used to increase the quality and effectiveness of the parent-teacher relationship in cyber charter schools by developing comprehensive plans for policy makers and accrediting institutions, developing and delivering curricula materials and trainings for pre-service and in-service teachers, and developing and delivering instructional materials for parents that promote an efficacious relationship with teachers that will significantly impact their child's academic achievement and success in cyber charter schools. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]