EFFECTS OF PARENTAL ROLES IN STUDENTS’ MATHEMATICAL LEARNING: HOW DOES THE EDUCATION LEVEL OF PARENTS EFFECT THEIR INVOLVEMENT?

Abstract

The purpose of this is qualitative study was to explain the parents’ (specifically mothers’ in this study) own experiences with mathematics, and how these practices affected beliefs and motivation about mathematics, their roles in involvement of their children’s mathematics learning process. While explaining the phenomenon, the expectancy value and attribution theories were used. There were seven themes related to the obtained codes from the study. These were: Understanding of Mathematics, Importance of Mathematics, Knowing Mathematics, Nature of School practices, Mother Competency, Mother as Resource Provider, and Mother as Motivator. The study tried to explain whether their parental roles can be explained through the context of parental views of the importance of the subject and their involvement, through expectations for successful outcomes as a result of their involvement. Additionally, this study tried to investigate whether the education level of parents’ effect their parental involvement their children’s mathematical learning process.