Knecht, Olivia S.
(2021)
Exploring the associations between parental beliefs and talk about math with their 4-year-old children.
Undergraduate Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Prior research shows associations between parents’ engagement in math-related activities in the home and children’s achievement in mathematics. Specifically, the quantity and quality of parental number talk, or number-related verbal input that the child is exposed to is related to children’s early math knowledge. There is much individual variation in parents’ number talk and less is known about factors that may influence this variation. The present study examines the relation between parents’ beliefs regarding the home versus the school in fostering children’s mathematics development and the importance of mathematics for their child’s future success on parents’ use of number talk with their four-year-old child during three semi-structured activities. Parent-child dyads (n=150) were video-taped interacting with a picture book, a magnet board, and a set of grocery store toys for 5-10 minutes each. Parents also completed a questionnaire regarding their current beliefs about who is responsible for teaching their child math and how important math is for their child’s success. Parents of differing beliefs were compared on their use of number talk with their child. Parents who reported that they believed the home or both the home and the school have the primary responsibility in fostering children’s mathematics development engaged in significantly more number talk than parents who reported that the school has this primary responsibility. Parents who reported that they believed mathematics to be of higher importance for their child’s success produced more number talk utterances than parents who reported that math is of lower importance, but when controlling for total utterances produced, this correlation became only marginally significant. This study suggests that parents vary in their beliefs regarding math and that these beliefs may have associations with parents’ engagement in math-related activities with their child.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
23 April 2021 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
12 April 2021 |
| Approval Date: |
23 April 2021 |
| Submission Date: |
21 April 2021 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
51 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
David C. Frederick Honors College
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Psychology |
| Degree: |
BPhil - Bachelor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Undergraduate Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Math, Math Talk, Number Talk, High Level Number Talk, Parental Beliefs, Math Importance, Math Responsibility, Parent, Child, Preschool, 4-year-old |
| Date Deposited: |
23 Apr 2021 14:19 |
| Last Modified: |
23 Apr 2021 14:19 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/40724 |
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