The Validation of One Parental Involvement Measurement in Virtual Schooling
Feng Liu
James Algina
Cathy Cavanaugh
Kara Dawson
University of Florida College of Education
Erik Black
University of Florida College of Education and University of Florida College of Medicine
Abstract
Parental involvement has been recognized as an important factor for student achievement in traditional school settings. The lack of research regarding the effect of parental involvement on student achievement in virtual schooling is, in part, due to the absence of a valid and reliable instrument to measure this construct. This paper provides an overview of parental involvement in traditional education, discusses its role in K-12 virtual schooling, and describes a study that validates a parental involvement assessment with a virtual school population. The results of this study show the instrument is overall a valid and reliable measurement for parental involvement in the virtual school environment. Implications for research in virtual schooling are addressed, and suggestions were given to modify this instrument for use in future studies.
About the Author(s)...
Feng Liu is a Ph.D. fellow and candidate in Educational Technology program at the University of Florida’s College of Education. His research interests include the investigation of online success factors, e-game/simulation in knowledge gain and attitude change, and the use of advanced research design and methodology in educational field. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Erik W. Black is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Florida. He also maintains a teaching appointment in the University of Florida College Of Education’s educational technology program. His research focuses on asynchronous online learning at both the k-12 and adult level and the development of online identity. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
James Algina is Professor of Research and Evaluation Methodology at the University of Florida, with research and teaching interests in applied statistics and psychometrics. He teaches graduate courses in applied statistics. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Cathy Cavanaugh is an Associate Professor of educational technology in the School of Teaching and Learning. She has published widely on effective practices in virtual schools and online course design. She was the recipient of the Outstanding Research Award in 2009 from the International Association for K-12 Online Learning. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Kara Dawson is an Associate Professor of Educational Technology in the School of Teaching and Learning at the University of Florida. She studies the ways in which educational technologies impact teaching and learning in K-12 and post secondary environments. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
