Parental Involvement and Social Background in Canada and Germany - Limitations and Possibilities of a Comparative Analysis of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2011

Book Cover

Imprint

Table of Contents

Abstract

Abstract (in German)

Introduction

1. Canada and Germany: Educational Systems

1.1 Canada

1.1.1 A Brief History of the Canadian Education System

1.1.2 Country Specifics

1.1.2.1 Canadian Federalism

1.1.2.2 Quebec

1.1.2.3 Aboriginal People (First Nations, Inuit und Métis)

1.1.2.4 Immigration

1.1.2.5 Multiculturalism

1.1.3 Canada's Education System

1.1.3.1 The Structure of the Canadian Education System

1.1.3.2 Specifics of the Canadian Education System

1.1.3.2.1 Multicultural Education

1.1.3.2.2 School Boards and Councils

1.1.3.2.3 Home-Schooling

1.1.3.3 Curriculum and School Life

1.2 Germany

1.2.1 A Brief History of Germany's Education System

1.2.2 Country Specifics

1.2.2.1 German Federalism

1.2.2.2 Immigration

1.2.3 Germany's Educational System

1.2.3.1 Structure of the Educational System

1.2.3.2 Specifics of the Educational System

1.2.3.2.1 School Tracking

1.2.3.2.2 Stundents with Special Needs

1.2.3.2.3 Parents' Councils

1.2.3.2.4 Half-day and Full-time Schooling

1.2.3.3 Curriculum and School Life

1.3 Similarities and Differences between Canada and Germany

2. The Relevance of the Home in a Student's School Life

2.1 Parental Involvement and Related Theories

2.1.1 Parent Involvement

2.1.2 Theories Beyond Parental Involvement

2.1.2.1 Self-Determination Theory and other Theories

2.1.2.2 Authoritative Parental Control

2.1.2.3 Social Capital

2.1.3 Cultural Capital, Process, Structural Factors, Direct and Indirect Effects

2.1.3.1 Bourdieu's Theories of Cultural Capital and Habitus

2.1.3.2 Indirect and Direct Effects

2.1.3.3 Process and Structural Factors

2.1.4 Putting Parental Involvement into Context

2.2 The Theoretical Model of this Study

3. The Current State of Empirical Research

3.1 Parental Factors

3.2 International Studies

3.3 Studies on the German Education System

3.4 Studies on the Canadian Education System

3.5 Parental Involvement: High and Low Achievers

3.6 Summary of Parental Involvement

4. Research Questions and Hypotheses

4.1 Description of the Theoretical-Empirical Model

4.2 Comparison between Canada and GermanyAn overview of all the research questions and hypotheses can be found in Appendix B.

4.3 Comparison between High and Low Achievers

4.5 Comparison between Quebec and Ontario

4.6 Understanding the Cultural Context

5. Method

5.1 Data

5.1.1 Description of the Data

5.1.2 Limitations of the Measurements

5.1.3 Challenges Concerning Categorical Variables

5.1.4 Estimators for Imputed Data

5.1.5 Missing Data, Missing Imputation and Plausible Values

5.1.6 Matrix-Sampling Booklet Design and Plausible Values

5.2 Methodological Approach

5.2.1 Structural Equation Modeling

5.2.2 Fit Indices

5.2.3 Measurement Invariance

6. Results

6.1 Description of the Manifest and Latent Variables

6.2 Results of Measurement Invariance Testing and Structural Equation Modeling

6.2.1 Comparison of the Canadian Provinces and Germany

6.2.1.1 Model: Canadian Provinces

6.2.1.2 Model: Germany

6.2.1.3 Comparison of the Two Models

6.2.1.4 Conclusion

6.2.2 Differentiating between High and Low Achievers

6.2.2.1 Comparison of High and Low Achievers in the Canadian Provinces

6.2.2.1.1 Canadian Provinces: High Achievers

6.2.2.1.2 Canadian Provinces: Low Achievers

6.2.2.1.3 Comparison of the Canadian Provinces: High and Low Achievers

6.2.2.2 Comparison of High and Low Achievers in Germany

6.2.2.2.1 Germany: High Achievers

6.2.2.2.2 Germany: Low Achievers

6.2.2.2.3 Comparison between High and Low Achievers in Germany

6.2.2.3 Conclusion

6.2.3 Comparison between Quebec and Ontario

6.3.1 Ontario

6.3.2 Quebec

6.3.3 Results of the Comparison between Quebec and Ontario

6.3.4 Conclusion

6.3 Overall Conclusion

6.4 Explanations Based on Country Context

7. Discussion

7.1 General Discussion of the Empirical Results

7.2 Advantages and Limitations

7.2.1 Advantages

7.2.2 Limitations

8. Outlook

8.1 Recommendations for Future Research

8.2 Future Challenges for School and Home

References

Appendix A Journal ComparisonThis research was conducted by Lena Reininghaus (student assistant).

Appendix B Questions and Hypotheses

Appendix C Tables

List of Figures

List of Tables