Arab Educational Information Network

Numerous studies have shown that parent involvement has a significant influence on student achievement. However, most of these studies have been conducted in western Europe and North America. In the Gulf Cooperation Council region, we find that quantitative research that targeted parents’ behavior is limited. In order to design efficient parent engagement programs and family policies, we need to understand how parents interact with their children’s education in this area. Data from PIRLS is the only open-access data that allows us to study parent involvement by using a large sample that may reveal parents' behavior patterns. This work investigates elements of parent involvement addressed in the parent questionnaire of PIRLS and studies their relationship to student reading achievement. The results showed a positive influence of parents’ practice of educational activities and their educational expectation on their children's achievement; and a negative association between the later and parents’ help with homework. Implications are discussed in the perspective of the social context in the GCC countries. (Published abstract)