Parental Involvement in Developing Students’ Perseverance in Solving Mathematical Problem through the Use of Social Media

Abstract

The present study aims to contribute on the understanding of the relationships between parental involvement during the school homework in mathematics with students’ perseverance in problem solving ability in mathematics and their self-regulatory performance in problem solving. The whole framework of the intervention program concentrated on affecting parents’ beliefs about their role on children’s homework in mathematics, by using the contribution of social media in order to affect indirectly their children’s behaviour. The pre and post intervention tests on students’ behaviour were followed by a 3^rd measurement in order to examine the further impact of the possible initial changes. Data were selected by 183 students at the 5^th grade (10 years old) and one of their parents. Dynamic modelling indicated that the three factors (parents’ beliefs, students’ self-regulation and their problem solving persistence) were interrelated at each one of the measurement waves and that the growth in each of the ability was affected by the state of the others. The role of the use of social media, as means of communication with parents is discussed.