Parental Attitudes Towards School and Everyday Mathematics and Their Engagement in Children’s Mathematical Activities

Authors

  • Darja Antolin Drešar University of Maribor, Faculty of Education

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18690/rei.4859

Keywords:

parental attitudes, mathematics education, parental engagement, school mathematics, everyday mathematics.

Abstract

Although parental involvement plays a crucial role in children’s mathematical education, few studies examine how their attitudes towards mathematics influence their participation in specific activities. This study investigates the relationship between parental attitudes towards mathematics in school and in everyday contexts and their engagement in these activities. Results from a survey of 245 Slovenian parents reveal that most parents exhibit a neutral attitude towards school mathematics, while they generally hold a positive attitude towards the practical use of mathematics. Parents with less positive attitudes towards school mathematics tend to assist their children more often, whereas a positive attitude towards everyday mathematics is associated with greater parental involvement in daily mathematical activities at home.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abdullah, T. (2024). Family adjustment in relation to the academic engagement of pupils at primary level. Journal of Elementary Education, 17(3), 325–342.

Antolin Dresar, D., and Lipovec, A. (2017). Mathematical experiences and parental involvement of parents who are and who are not mathematicians. Irish Educational Studies, 10. https://doi.o–rg/10.1080/03323315.2017.1333445

Areepattamannil, S., Khine, M. S., Melkonian, M., Welch, A. G., Al Nuaimi, S. A., and Rashad, F. F. (2015). International note: Are Emirati parents' attitudes toward mathematics linked to their adolescent children's attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics achievement? Journal of Adolescence, 44, 17–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.07.002

Becker, M., Litkowski, E. C., Duncan, R. J., Schmitt, S. A., Elicker, J., and Purpura, D. J. (2022). Parents' math anxiety and mathematics performance of pre-kindergarten children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 214, 105302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105302

Berčnik, S., and Devjak, T. (2018). Active involvement of parents in the educational process in schools in Slovenia. Pedagoška obzorja: časopis za didaktiko in metodiko, 33(2), 64–77.

Blevins-Knabe, B., and Musun-Miller, L. (1996). Number use at home by children and their parents and its relationship to early mathematical performance. Early Development & Parenting, 5(1), 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0917(199603)5:1<35::AID-EDP113>3.0.CO–;2-0

Chyung, S. Y., Roberts, K., Swanson, I., and Hankinson, A. (2017). Evidence-based survey design: The use of a midpoint on the Likert scale. Performance Improvement, 56(10), 15-23. https://doi.org/–10.1002/pfi.21727

Civil, M. (2001). Redefining parental involvement: Parents as learners of mathematics. Paper presented at the NCTM Research Pre-session, April 2001, Orlando, FL.

Cui, Y.R., Zhang, D. H. and Leung, F. K. S. (2021) The Influence of Parental Educational Involvement in Early Childhood on 4th Grade Students’ Mathematics Achievement. Early Education and Development, 3, 113-133. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2019.1677131

DeBellis, V. A., and Goldin, G. A. (2006). Affect and meta-affect in mathematical problem solving: A representational perspective. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 63(2), 131–147. https://doi.–org/10.1007/s10649-006-9026-4

Eagly, A. H., and Chaiken, S. (1993). The Psychology of Attitudes. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers.

Eccles, J. S., and Jacobs, J. E. (1986). Social Forces Shape Math Attitudes and Performance. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 11, 367-380. https://doi.org/10.1086/494229

Fan, X., and Chen, M. (2001). Parental involvement and students' academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 13(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:10090488–17385

Garland, R. (1991). The mid-point on a rating scale: Is it desirable? Marketing Bulletin, 2, 66-70.

Gonida, E. N., and Cortina, K. S. (2014). Parental involvement in homework: Relations with parent and student achievement-related motivational beliefs and achievement. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 84(3), 376–396. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12039

Hill, N. E., and Tyson, D. F. (2009). Parental involvement in middle school: A meta-analytic assessment of the strategies that promote achievement. Developmental Psychology, 45(3), 740–763. https:/–/doi.org/10.1037/a0015362

Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., and Sandler, H. M. (1997). Why Do Parents Become Involved in Their Children’s Education? Review of Educational Research, 67(1), 3-42. https://doi.org/1–0.3102/00346543067001003

Ingram, N., and Meaney, T. (2021). “My parents are pretty pleased with my maths”: students’ navigation of identity stories about mathematics. Research in Mathematics Education, 24(1), 51–68. https:/–/doi.org/10.1080/14794802.2021.1938190

Kastelic, J. (2016). Starševska vpletenost v matematično izobraževanje v Sloveniji [Parental involvement in mathematics education in Slovenia] (Master's thesis). Univerza v Mariboru, Fakulteta za naravoslovje in matematiko, Oddelek za matematiko in računalništvo.

LeFevre, J.-A., Skwarchuk, S.-L., Smith-Chant, B. L., Fast, L., Kamawar, D., and Bisanz, J. (2009). Home numeracy experiences and children’s math performance in the early school years. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement, 41(2), 55–66. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014532

McLeod, D. B. (1992). Research on affect in mathematics education: A reconceptualization. In D. A. Grouws (Ed.), Handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning: A project of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (pp. 575–596). Macmillan Publishing Co, Inc.

Mohr-Schroeder, M. J., Jackson, C., Cavalcanti, M., Jong, C., Schroeder, D. C., and Speler, L. G. (2017). Parents' attitudes toward mathematics and the influence on their students' attitudes toward mathematics: A quantitative study. School Science and Mathematics, 117(5), 214–222. https://d–oi.org/10.1111/ssm.12222

Murphy, S., Danaia, L., Tinkler, J. H., and Collins, F. (2023). Parents’ experiences of mathematics learning at home during the COVID-19 pandemic: A typology of parental engagement in mathematics education. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/–s10649-023-10224-1

Olivares, V., and Ceglie, R. J. (2020). The intergenerational transmission of mathematics attitudes. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology (IJEMST), 8(2), 76-91.

Peixoto, F., Mata, L., Campos, M., Caetano, T., Radišić, J., and Niemivirta, M. (2024). ‘Am I to blame because my child is not motivated to do math?’: Relationships between parents’ attitudes, beliefs, and practices towards mathematics and students’ mathematics motivation and achievement. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 39, 1561–1586. https://doi.org/10.1–007/s10212-023-00774-6

Petersson, J., Sayers, J., Rosenqvist, E., and Andrews, P. (2022). Parent-initiated activities in support of Swedish year-one children’s learning of mathematics: Age-appropriate complements to school? International Journal of Early Years Education, 30(4). https://doi.org/10.1080/096–69760.2022.2029364

Silinskas, G., and Kikas, E. (2017). Parental Involvement in Math Homework: Links to Children’s Performance and Motivation. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 63(1), 17–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2017.1324901

Simmons, F. R., Soto-Calvo, E., Adams, A.-M., Francis, H. N., Patel, H., and Hartley, C. (2024). Longitudinal associations between parental mathematics anxiety and attitudes and young children's mathematics attainment. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 238, 105779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105779

Skwarchuk, S.-L. (2009). How do parents support preschoolers’ numeracy learning experiences at home? Early Childhood Education Journal, 37(3), 189–197. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-009-0340-1

Tekavc J., and Vončina T. (2023). Parental Involvement in the Educational Process as a Potential Factor in Teachers’ Experience of Work Stress. Journal of Elementary Education, 16(3), 339-355. https://doi.org/10.18690/rei.16.3.3089

Vandermaas-Peeler, M., Westerberg, L., Fleishman, H., Sands, K., and Mischka, M. (2018). Parental guidance of young children’s mathematics and scientific inquiry in games, cooking, and nature activities. International Journal of Early Years Education, 26(4), 369–386. https://doi.org–/10.1080/09669760.2018.1481734

Vidić, T., Klasnić, I., and Đuranović, M. (2022). The role of teachers’ support and enthusiasm in predicting mathematics anxiety and confidence among students. Journal of Elementary Education, 15(1), 51–69. https://doi.org/10.18690/rei.15.1.51-69.2022

Visser, D. (1987). The Relationship of Parental Attitudes and Expectations to Children’s Mathematics Achievement Behaviour. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 7(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1–177/0272431687071002

Wang, X., and Wei, Y. (2024). The influence of parental involvement on students’ math performance: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1463359. https://doi.org/10.3389/–fpsyg.2024.1463359

Weijters, B., Cabooter, E., and Schillewaert, N. (2010). The effect of rating scale format on response styles: The number of response categories and response category labels. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 27(3), 236-247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2010.02.004

Wen, R., and Dubé, A. K. (2022). A Systematic Review of Secondary Students’ Attitudes Towards Mathematics and its Relations with Mathematics Achievement. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 8(2), 295-325. https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.7937

Wu, J., Barger, M. M., Oh, D. D., and Pomerantz, E. M. (2022). Parents’ daily involvement in children’s math homework and activities during early elementary school. Child Development, 93(5), 1347-1364. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13774

Zan, R., and Di Martino, P. (2007). Attitude toward Mathematics: Overcoming the Positive/Negative Dichotomy. In B. Sriraman, (ed.), The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast (Monograph 3, pp. 157-168). The Montana Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Zhang, X., Hu, B. Y., Zou, X., and Ren, L. (2020). Parent–child number application activities predict children’s math trajectories from preschool to primary school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(8), 1521–1531. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000457

Zhao, D., and Singh, M. (2011). Why do Chinese-Australian students outperform their Australian peers in mathematics: A comparative case study. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 9(1), 69–87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-010-9214-7

Downloads

Published

15.12.2025

How to Cite

Antolin Drešar, D. (2025). Parental Attitudes Towards School and Everyday Mathematics and Their Engagement in Children’s Mathematical Activities. Journal of Elementary Education, 18(4), 343-360. https://doi.org/10.18690/rei.4859