Abstract
Background
Home mathematics environment (HME) research has focused on parent–child interactions surrounding numerical activities as measured by the frequency of engaging in such activities. However, HME survey questions have been developed from limited perspectives (e.g., Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27, 2012, 231; Journal of Social Issues, 64, 2008, 95; Early childhood mathematics education research: Learning trajectories for young children, Routledge, New York, 2009), by researchers from a small subset of countries (15; Psychological Bulletin, 147, 2020, 565), which may skew our interpretations.
Aims and Sample
This study broadened international representation by leveraging secondary data from the 2019 TIMSS to examine the variation of the frequency and reliability of the HME scale and its relation to children's mathematical achievement. Across 54 countries, 231,138 parents and children (Mage = 10.22 years; 51% male) participated in the larger study.
Methods
Parents completed a retrospective home environment survey and children were assessed on mathematics skills. Basic frequency descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients, and Pearson's r correlation coefficients were used to assess variability across countries.
Results
Findings suggested that families in certain countries engaged in home mathematics activities more frequently than families in other countries; however, the HME scale demonstrated acceptable internal consistency across families in all countries (M α = .79; range = [.73, .89]). Further, the average relation between HME and mathematical achievement was r = .15 with a range between r = .02 to r = .41.
Conclusion
Our results indicate substantial variation across countries in the HME‐mathematical achievement association. These findings underscore the importance of international representation in advancing research on the diversity of a child's home environment.
Home mathematics environment (HME) research has focused on parent–child interactions surrounding numerical activities as measured by the frequency of engaging in such activities. However, HME survey questions have been developed from limited perspectives (e.g., Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27, 2012, 231; Journal of Social Issues, 64, 2008, 95; Early childhood mathematics education research: Learning trajectories for young children, Routledge, New York, 2009), by researchers from a small subset of countries (15; Psychological Bulletin, 147, 2020, 565), which may skew our interpretations.
Aims and Sample
This study broadened international representation by leveraging secondary data from the 2019 TIMSS to examine the variation of the frequency and reliability of the HME scale and its relation to children's mathematical achievement. Across 54 countries, 231,138 parents and children (Mage = 10.22 years; 51% male) participated in the larger study.
Methods
Parents completed a retrospective home environment survey and children were assessed on mathematics skills. Basic frequency descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients, and Pearson's r correlation coefficients were used to assess variability across countries.
Results
Findings suggested that families in certain countries engaged in home mathematics activities more frequently than families in other countries; however, the HME scale demonstrated acceptable internal consistency across families in all countries (M α = .79; range = [.73, .89]). Further, the average relation between HME and mathematical achievement was r = .15 with a range between r = .02 to r = .41.
Conclusion
Our results indicate substantial variation across countries in the HME‐mathematical achievement association. These findings underscore the importance of international representation in advancing research on the diversity of a child's home environment.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e12625 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-17 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | British Journal of Educational Psychology |
| Volume | 93 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 15 Jul 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published online - 15 Jul 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Data was used from IEA's Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study—TIMSS 2019 Copyright © 2021 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). Publisher: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College. The research reported here was supported by the National Science Foundation Award #1749294 to Purdue University, as well as ANID – MILENIO – NCS2021_014. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the funding sources.
Funding Information:
Data was used from IEA's Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study—TIMSS 2019 Copyright © 2021 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). Publisher: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College. The research reported here was supported by the National Science Foundation Award #1749294 to Purdue University, as well as ANID – MILENIO – NCS2021_014. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the funding sources.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. British Journal of Educational Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.
Keywords
- home mathematics environment
- international perspective
- TIMSS
