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Parent engagement in higher education and its effect on first generation degree attainment: an innovation study
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Parent engagement in higher education and its effect on first generation degree attainment: an innovation study
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Content
Running head: PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION 1
Parent Engagement in Higher Education and its Effect on First Generation Degree Attainment:
An Innovation Study
by
Kristina Wright
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
December 2019
Copyright 2019 Kristina Wright
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
2
Abstract
The purpose of this innovation study is to examine the relationship between parent
engagement in higher education and first-generation student degree attainment. The researcher
conducted interviews to collect data and uncover relationships between the knowledge and
motivation of stakeholders. The intent was to make recommendations at the conclusion of the
analysis.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
3
Dedication
For my boys, Zaire and Zamir; my husband, Shahad; my mother, Brenda; and my step-father,
Clarence, who gained his wings shortly after witnessing me walk the stage.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
4
Acknowledgements
To my husband who always rooted me on when I wanted to quit, helped gather my
thoughts on those long nights of writer’s block, I would not have even started this journey if it
wasn’t for you, thank you! As for my boys, hopefully they will read this one day and understand
why mom did this, why she was at the computer all those days and why people call her doctor.
To my mom who has always supported me and through each milestone beamed a little
brighter. Your hard work, sacrifice and never-ending gestures of love and kindness toward
others were always noticed and will never be forgotten. My step-dad, Slim, he was there for my
preschool graduation, my doctoral graduation and every graduation in between. He helped raise
me and loved me like a dad should love a daughter and for that I am truly grateful.
To my city, Richmond, California, we get a bad rap but there are so many gems and
treasures throughout the city, this was for you. For every student unsure of themselves, for every
parent doing their best and for every educator doing all they can to ensure that our youth have as
many opportunities afforded to them as they deserve.
My support system is so amazing and there are way too many people to name so I will
instead use an analogy to explain the magnitude. If I were the Golden State Warriors, I’d say I
had supporters at every level of the arena, the floor seats, the lower level, the nosebleeds,
standing room only, and watching from afar cheering even when I couldn’t see them. I heard
you, I felt you and I love you!
OCL Cohort 7 and my BF Group especially, this process would not have been as
worthwhile without each of you. I laughed, I cried, and I cringed at rough conversations, but I
learned so much about myself through the process and I honestly wouldn’t change a thing.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
5
Thank you Dr. Freking for all your support along with Dr. Muraszewski and Dr. Krop, my
dissertation committee was phenomenal.
Last, I want to acknowledge myself. This process was hard, it was draining and at times I
truly felt like giving up, but that is not me. I persevered and I can say that I accomplished one of
my lifelong dreams.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
6
Table of Contents
Abstract ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Dedication ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 4
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. 10
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ 11
Introduction to Problem of Practice .............................................................................................. 12
Organizational Context and Mission ............................................................................................. 12
Importance of Addressing the Problem ......................................................................................... 13
Purpose of the Project and Questions ............................................................................................ 14
Organizational Performance Goal ................................................................................................. 15
Stakeholder Group of Focus .......................................................................................................... 15
Review of the Literature ................................................................................................................ 16
First-Generation Success ................................................................................................... 16
College Attendance ........................................................................................................... 17
Social and Emotional Development .................................................................................. 17
Impact of Parental Involvement on First Generation College Students ............................ 18
Effect of Economics and Cultural Capital ......................................................................... 18
Increasing Retention and Success Rates ............................................................................ 19
Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences ................................................................ 19
Knowledge and Skills ........................................................................................................ 19
Motivational Influences ..................................................................................................... 25
Utility value ........................................................................................................... 25
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
7
Personal interest ..................................................................................................... 26
Organizational Influences .................................................................................................. 26
Cultural models ..................................................................................................... 27
Cultural settings ..................................................................................................... 28
Interactive Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................... 28
Qualitative Data Collection ........................................................................................................... 30
Interviews .......................................................................................................................... 30
Data Analysis and Findings ........................................................................................................... 31
Data Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 31
Findings ............................................................................................................................. 33
Knowledge findings ............................................................................................... 35
Factual and conceptual knowledge influence ........................................................ 35
Procedural knowledge influence. .......................................................................... 36
Motivation Findings .......................................................................................................... 37
Self-efficacy influence ........................................................................................... 39
Value influence. ................................................................................................... 389
Culture and Context Findings ............................................................................................ 39
Culture and context interaction ............................................................................. 39
Cultural Findings ............................................................................................................... 40
Cultural model influence ....................................................................................... 40
Assumed cultural setting influence ....................................................................... 41
Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 42
Knowledge Recommendations .......................................................................................... 42
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
8
Learning and Motivation ................................................................................................... 44
Importance of Skills and Experience ................................................................................. 45
Motivation Recommendations ........................................................................................... 45
Increasing Value ................................................................................................................ 48
Increasing Self-Efficacy .................................................................................................... 48
Organization Recommendations ....................................................................................... 49
Resource Alignment .......................................................................................................... 51
Change Facilitation ............................................................................................................ 52
Implementation and Evaluation Framework ................................................................................. 53
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations ............................................................... 54
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators ........................................................................... 54
Level 3: Behavior .............................................................................................................. 55
Required drivers .................................................................................................... 57
Organizational support .......................................................................................... 58
Level 2: Learning .............................................................................................................. 59
Learning goals ....................................................................................................... 59
Program ................................................................................................................. 59
Level 1: Reaction ............................................................................................................... 61
Evaluation Tools ................................................................................................................ 62
During and immediately following implementation ............................................. 62
Delayed for a period after the program implementation ....................................... 62
Data Analysis and Reporting ............................................................................................. 63
Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 63
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
9
Limitations and Delimitations ....................................................................................................... 64
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 64
References ..................................................................................................................................... 66
Appendix A: Participating Stakeholders with Sampling Criteria for Interview ............................ 72
Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale ....................................................................... 72
Interview Recruitment Strategy and Rationale .................................................................. 72
Appendix B: Protocols .................................................................................................................. 73
Interview Protocol ............................................................................................................. 73
Appendix C: Interview Questions ................................................................................................. 74
Appendix D: Credibility and Trustworthiness .............................................................................. 75
Appendix E: Ethics ........................................................................................................................ 76
Appendix F: Information/Facts Sheet for Exempt Non-Medical Research .................................. 77
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
10
List of Tables
Table 1. Knowledge Influence, Knowledge Types, and Knowledge Assessment………………. 23
Table 2. Summary of Interview Participant’s Demographics…………..……………………… 33
Table 3. Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations…………………………... 43
Table 4. Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations………………………….... 47
Table 5. Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations………………………… 50
Table 6. Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes ……………… 55
Table 7. Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation ………..…………. 56
Table 8. Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors …………………………………….... 58
Table 9. Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program ……………………….... 60
Table 10. Components to Measure Reactions to the Program…………………………….......... 61
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
11
List of Figures
Figure 1. Conceptual Map............................................................................................................ 29
Figure 2. Motivation ratings of interview participants................................................................. 38
Figure 3. CASP graduation rates vs. national graduation rates………………………................ 64
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
12
Introduction to Problem of Practice
Dennis, Phinney and Chuateco (2005) state that as a result of first-generation students not
having parents that can support them with direct college related tasks they often have idealistic
outlooks and a lack information about college. According to Engle and Tinto (2008), first
generation students total 24% of our higher education population and are “nearly four times more
likely…to leave higher education after the first year” (p. 2). More importantly only 40% of first-
generation students who enroll and begin at four-year institutions earn a degree within six years
(Snyder, de Brey & Dillow, 2016). Pascarella, Pierson, Wolniak, and Terenzini (2004) define
first generation students as students whose parents’ education level did not go beyond high
school. Colleges and universities across the nation have worked to create or adopt educational
opportunity programs to specifically address the needs of first-generation students (Thayer,
2000). Unfortunately, they need a significant amount of support in order to successfully make
the transition to college. The result is less students with college degrees and the skills needed to
compete in the job market (Borja, 2006). This paper will research a lack of parent involvement
for first-generation college students and how an increase in their involvement can potentially
support degree attainment.
Organizational Context and Mission
The College and Alumni Support Program (CASP) is a nonprofit education program that
provides individualized academic and financial advising to each participant while they are in
college. CASP is in its fourth year as a restructured element of its original programming. It is
located in Northern California and currently serves over 500 college students from the nine Bay
Area counties. Of the over 500 college students, 61% are of Latino or Hispanic descent, 16% are
of Asian descent, 15% are of African American descent, and the remaining 8% are a mixture of
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
13
several different ethnicities. All CASP participants have either graduated from its partner high
school or were accepted via application during their senior year of high school. Furthermore,
many of CASP participants are low income, first-generation college students, or a combination
of the two. Currently the organization only works with program participants. There is an
absence of support and communication with parents and guardians throughout a participant’s
college tenure.
CASP’s mission is to prepare students to graduate from college, join the workforce and
give back to their community using a holistic advising approach. The holistic advising approach
involves one college advisor and one financial advisor who is appointed to support each
participant with their academic goals, social and emotional growth, professional development
and financial literacy. The organization currently employees six college advisors, one lead
college advisor, three financial advisors, one lead financial advisor and two program
administrators. One major goal of advising at CASP is to ensure timely college graduation with
as little debt as possible.
Importance of Addressing the Problem
The problem of low parent involvement amongst first-generation college students in
higher education is important to solve for a variety of reasons. The mission of the U.S.
Department of Education is to “promote student achievement and preparation for global
competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access,” colleges and
universities are failing to uphold this mission (U.S. Department of Education, 2011). According
to Baum, Ma and Payea (2013), the median earnings for both males and females who graduated
college and earned a bachelor’s degree is at least fifteen thousand dollars more than males and
females who only earned a high school diploma. Martinez, Sher, Krull and Wood (2009) state
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
14
that this discrepancy affects a large number of the population since almost 20% of the United
States population did not obtain a degree. Moreover, as the competitiveness of the job market
increases the likelihood of first-generation college students having the ability to attain careers
with above marginal earnings will remain unchanged. Thus, making it difficult for first-
generation college students to disassociate themselves from the low-income bracket. Continually
seeking solutions to improve the degree attainment rate of first-generation students will support
the efforts to create a more fair and equitable platform across higher education institutions and
will increase first-generation college students degree attainment rates and overall
competitiveness in the job market.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this project is to conduct a needs-based analysis in the areas of; knowledge
and skill, motivation, and organizational resources, to identify what is necessary to reach the
organizational performance goal of integrating a parent engagement program component by July
2020. The analysis will begin by generating a list of possible needs and will then move to
examine these systematically to focus on actual or validated needs. Although a complete
analysis would involve all organization partners, for practical purposes, the researcher will utilize
one key stakeholder group as the focus of this study, program staff members. The goal is to
answer the following research questions:
1. What are the CASP staff knowledge and motivations related to fully integrate a parent
engagement curriculum by 2020?
2. What is the interaction between organizational culture, context, CASP staff knowledge
and motivation?
3. What are the recommended knowledge, motivation, and organizational solutions?
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
15
Organizational Performance Goal
The organizational performance goal is that by July 2020, CASP will have a fully
integrated parent engagement program component that will in turn support families with
supporting program participants. Currently, CASP does not have a parent engagement
curriculum. Members of the college advising team have witnessed many program participants
abruptly leaving school because of academic and financial difficulties, that could have possibly
been avoided with more familial support. Covarrubias, Valle, Laiduc, and Azmitia (2017) state
that first-generation students who continue their relationships with their families while in college
have increased persistence and retention rates. Thus, encouraging the organization to adopt this
goal. It is important that CASP continue to work to find and close the gaps that fail to support
their goal to increase the graduation rate of program participants. CASP will begin by
introducing this component to incoming families in July of 2020 and increase the reach of
participants annually, by presenting it to each incoming cohort.
Stakeholder Group of Focus
The College and Alumni Support Program’s stakeholders include the students who
directly receive support and the program staff which work with students on a daily basis.
Although a complete analysis would involve all organization partners, for practical purposes, the
researcher will utilize one key stakeholder group as the focus for this study. Focusing solely on
the program staff will allow the opportunity for the organization to work collaboratively to create
and introduce a new, comprehensive parent engagement component. Staff participation is highly
important in achieving the organization’s mission. Over the past four years CASP has achieved
a great deal of success. With six-year graduation rates at 78% the program is seeking support
with enhancing its four-year graduation rate, which is currently at 48%. In an effort to continue
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
16
to support the program’s overall mission of having students graduate with as little debt as
possible and in the fastest timeline possible, the staff is continually working to improve their
current programming. Working with program staff members will allow for the creation of
specific goals that align not only with participant needs, but the organization’s mission and the
purpose of this study as well. Ultimately, these goals will support the program in continuing to
build support systems for students that align with the mission and vision of the organization.
Review of the Literature
This literature review will examine the effect of low parent involvement on first-
generation college degree attainment. This section will first review first-generation college
attendance and parental involvement in the college process. The section will next explore the
impact of family engagement on the social and emotional development of first-generation
students. Finally, the general research review will turn to examine the importance of college
transitional support for first-generation students and effective practices for parental involvement
in this transition. Following the general research literature review, the researcher will use the
Clark and Estes Gap Analytic Framework to review the role of the College and Alumni Support
Program (CASP) staffs’ knowledge, motivation and organizational influences on parental
involvement in higher education for first-generation college students.
First-Generation Success
There are several differences between first-generation students and their counterparts.
The key differences are derived from socioeconomic status, academic preparedness, and access
to resources (Atherton, 2014). Petty (2014) states that the challenges first-generation students
have to deal with are critical to their success in academia. Challenges such as delayed entry,
commuting to campus, taking classes part time, working full time and needing to enroll in
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
17
remedial courses (Engle, 2007). According to Atherton (2014), first-generation students have
lower rates of cultural capital because their parents are without higher education experience. The
concept of cultural capital is “problematic because cultural capital is unequally distributed in
society, with middle and upperclass families having more and working and lower class families
having less (Dumais & Ward, 2010, p. 247). Thus, first-generation students are two times more
likely to leave their institution before the second year or obtain their degree after four years
(Garcia, 2010).
College Attendance
First-generation students face a number of unprecedented challenges that adversely affect
their college attendance. They are less academically prepared, often do not even decide to attend
college until they reach high school and are more likely to attend community colleges (Garcia,
2010). However, over the years access to college has increased for first-generation students.
Colleges and universities across the nation are actively seeking first-generation students and as a
result, a large percentage of the student population have parents that have not obtained a college
degree (Stephens, Fryberg, Markus, Johnson, & Covarrubias, 2012). Despite being provided
with an increased amount of access, there is still an apparent achievement gap between first-
generation students and their counterparts; first-generation students often continue to struggle
academically while in college and need tutoring (Stephens et al., 2012). Petty (2014) suggests
that colleges and universities work to expedite bridge building between high school and college
to provide first-generation students better academic and social preparation.
Social and Emotional Development
As previously mentioned academics are not the only issue stifling first-generation
students. They often struggle socially and culturally when they transition to college. This results
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
18
in uncertainty about the cultural norms of college and their own belonging there (Stephens et al.,
2012). Cultural fit is essential for first-generation success. Strayhorn (2006) recommends that
cultural impact models be revised and colleges place an emphasis on multicultural issues. How
students adapt to their college surroundings depends on their model of self, which is often
learned from their families and communities (Stephens et al., 2012).
Impact of Parental Involvement on First Generation College Students
The final decision to attend college can be affected by a student’s familial upbringing and
the education level of their parent. One of the top reasons discovered for students deciding to
leave college is family demands (Kuh, Cruce, Shoup, Kinzie & Gonyea, 2008). Familial
relationships with college students can greatly impact the student’s college experience. For
example, consistent communication about academic goals is suggested to positively influence
student persistence (Plageman & Sabina, 2010). Unfortunately, according to Engle (2007), first-
generation students often report not receiving encouragement and support from their parents to
go to or prepare for college. Petty (2014) states that parental involvement during the planning
process increases the chance that the student will end up attending college, despite their parents’
education level. Garcia (2010) declares that as a result of first-generation students being the first
in their families to attend college, they have to navigate the application process alone because
many families cannot answer questions about the process.
Effect of Economics and Cultural Capital
Economics contributes to the lack of college preparation first-generation parents can
provide their students. There are fewer resources available to families within the lower income
quartile (Stephens et al., 2012). Higher rates of cultural capital and exposure to curricular
activities earlier and often in-life will ultimately result in positive educational outcomes (Yeh,
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
19
2010). First-generation students come from parents with low rates of institutionalized cultural
capital thus prohibiting them from developing higher rates at home (Dumais & Ward, 2010).
Dumais and Ward (2010) also state that students that come from more privileged backgrounds
tend to have more access to and are more comfortable asking for support and information about
college. Petty (2014) reported that as a result of parents lack of higher education experience they
may not be aware of the economic benefits that can arise from obtaining a college degree. In
fact, some first-generation students acknowledged that they were discouraged from attending
college in order to support the family financially (Petty, 2014).
Increasing Retention and Success Rates
Family engagement is an essential component in increasing retention rates of first-
generation college students. Studies are increasingly showing positive benefits of parental
support on adolescent development (Dietrch, Kracke & Nurmi, 2011). First-generation students
often have difficulty settling into college and their continued relationship with family supports
their matriculation and persistence (Covarrubias et al., 2017). Sax and Wartmen (2010)
encourages colleges to consider parent relationships when creating tactics to increase student
retention and graduation rates. In addition to familial support, student participation in support
services on their campuses have proven to assist with increasing retention and graduation rates
(Engle, 2007). A suggested solution is that higher education institutions acknowledge the
challenges of first-generation students and prioritize the development of tools that support their
persistence and success (Petty, 2014).
Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences
Knowledge and Skills
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
20
CASP is an education program that works to support primarily first-generation, low-
income students by providing each individual with a college scholarship in conjunction with
academic and financial advising to encourage social and emotional growth. The overall goal of
the organization is to support participants with graduating in the quickest timeline possible and
with as little debt as possible. After much reflection and survey, the organization has decided
that in order to increase four-year graduation rates they need to find ways to continue to build
and develop each participant’s support system outside of the organization. As a result, CASP
has decided to focus on the creation and implementation of a parent engagement component that
will work to encourage parents to be active in their student’s education while in college.
In this section of the paper the researcher will focus on the knowledge related influences
that are pertinent to the achievement of CASP’s goal to fully integrate a parent engagement
program component within their organization. It is important to examine knowledge and skills
in problem-solving in order to effectively understand the importance of implementing new
programming properly. Research shows that the effectiveness of program implementation is
greater when programs are thoughtfully introduced (Durlak & DuPre, 2008).
This paper will present knowledge influences and categorize them into knowledge types
as they pertain to CASP. Knowledge influences are labeled by Pickard (2007) as factual,
conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. CASP’s organizational global goal focuses
specifically on conceptual and procedural knowledge. Conceptual knowledge is “the
interrelationships among the basic elements within a larger structure that enable them to function
together,” (Anderson, 2006, p. 49) while procedural knowledge determines “how to do
something, methods of inquiry, and criteria for using skills, algorithms, techniques, and
methods” (Anderson, 2006, p. 49).
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
21
CASP staff need to understand the impact of parent involvement. Parents are an integral
part of the school community in primary and secondary school, attending parent-teacher
conferences, volunteering at events and often times supporting students with their academics.
Thus, after having years of consistent communication between the school, parent and student, the
absence of this communication after the transition to college can be a struggle for families and
students. Despite the variety of services being offered by colleges and universities, many first-
generation students do not utilize them as a result of living off campus, working a large number
of hours and participating in less on-campus activities (Inkelas, Daver, Vogt, & Leonard, 2007).
CASP has witnessed many participants being forced to drop out of their prospective universities
for reasons that could have been avoided with more support from home. Therefore, to support
this declarative conceptual knowledge type, staff need to understand the impact of parent
involvement on student educational success.
Ratelle, Larose, Guay and Senécal (2005) conducted a longitudinal study of 729 young
adults in their last year of high school. This study focused on parent involvement and its
correlation to intrinsic motivation. They reported that when it comes to promoting important
outcomes at the college level parents can still play an integral role. In relation to CASP’s goal to
introduce a parent engagement component, Ratelle et al. (2005) also reported that their findings
implied children who use their social support are able to increase their ability to overcome
stressful situations. Exploring the notion that family engagement is a form of social support for
first-generation students can reinforce the argument that it is important for CASP to increase
parent engagement. Staff need to understand that incorporating parent engagement as an
innovation technique can support increasing retention rates at partner colleges and CASP’s
mission to have students graduate as quickly as possible.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
22
CASP staff need to understand how to explain the new program and its benefits.
Effective communication between staff, families and participants is essential to accurately
promote engagement with the new component. In order to maintain compliance with the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), each staff member needs to understand
the process of communicating the parent engagement components developed by CASP.
According to Toglia (2007), FERPA guidelines were designed to protect students’ educational
records from being released. Once a student is classified legally as an adult or enrolls in a
higher education institution the rights are transferred to them. CASP staff must know how to
engage parents with each component and not to engage in conversations about specific
participants.
Effective communication with parents will build trust in programming and grow their
knowledge of higher education and desire to engage with their students and schools. Graham-
Clay (2005) states, “Strong communication is fundamental to [a] partnership and to building a
sense of community between home and school” (p. 117). In the case of CASP’s education
component, they are hoping to serve as a bridge between parents, higher education institutions
and students to promote more effective communication and increase four-year degree
attainment. Table 1 shows the organizational mission and global goal as well as two
knowledge, motivation and organizational influences discussed in this literature review.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
23
Table 1
Knowledge Influence, Knowledge Types, and Knowledge Assessment
Organizational Mission
CASP’s mission is to prepare students to graduate from college, join the workforce and give
back to their community using a holistic advising approach.
Organizational Global Goal
By July 2020, CASP will have a fully integrated parent engagement program component that
will in turn support families with supporting program participants.
Stakeholder Goal
n/a
Assumed Knowledge Influences Knowledge Influence Assessment
Staff will understand what the impact of
parent involvement on student educational
success is.
Staff will be interviewed to gauge the needs
and beliefs on parent engagement in higher
education.
Staff will understand the process of
communicating the parent engagement
components developed by CASP.
Staff will be interviewed to ensure they fully
understand the process for communication.
Assumed Motivation Influences Motivational Influence Assessment
Value (Utility)
Staff need to be able to see the value in
Staff will be interviewed and asked to discuss
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
24
engaging with the parent engagement
component being created.
the value of the global goal.
Interest (Self Efficacy)
Staff will be motivated to support parents
with engaging with the education
programming.
Staff will be interviewed to determine their
motivation levels.
Assumed Organizational Influences Organizational Influence Assessment
(Cultural Models)
The organization needs to create a culture
of open communication and honesty about
processes and procedures to increase trust
amongst staff and parents.
Interviews about trust amongst staff.
(Cultural Settings)
The organization needs to provide space
and regularly scheduled time to complete
programmatic reflections and evaluations.
Structured conversations surrounding
reflection importance and how it could help
achieve the overall goal.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
25
Motivational Influences
This paper will also present motivation-related influences that are important for the
success of CASP’s organizational global goal, to introduce an education programming
component for parents. More importantly, enforcing psychological ownership, “a feeling on the
part of the employees that they have a responsibility to make decisions that are in the long-term
interest of the company” (Avey, Wernsing & Palanski, 2012, p. 24). This increased
acknowledgment of responsibility will create buy-in amongst staff that will expand motivation
and the interest in supporting parents. Similarly, it will support the trickle-down effect in which
the ethical leadership of CASP leaders can influence the ethical leadership of staff who can
follow suit and influence parents (Mayer, Kuenzi, Greenbaum, Bardes & Salvador, 2009). Each
person’s contribution can have an effect on the outcome of the global goal. Theorists stated that
persistence is influenced by the belief that the individual can do well on an activity and how
much the individual values the activity (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000). Therefore, it is important that
CASP staff see this programming as a valuable resource to parents who may have never attended
college, resulting in their child being a first-generation student.
Utility value. Research shows that interaction with family members and peers play an
important role in academic success (Dennis, Phinney & Chuateco, 2005). Unfortunately, due to
a lack of communication between CASP and parents, many are not aware of the experiences
their children are having on their campuses. Furthermore, the program’s goal to increase parent
knowledge through new programming is essential. CASP staff, however, need to be able to see
the value in engaging with the parent engagement program being created and introducing it to
families.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
26
Participants and families value the work that CASP does and this can be used to increase
motivation levels. Similarly, if CASP can support staff members with seeing the value in the
parent engagement, it will prove the utility value theory to be true and support the organizational
goal. Pintrich (2003) states that “utility is defined in terms of individuals’ perceptions of the
usefulness of the content or task to them, a more extrinsic orientation to the task” (p. 675).
Therefore, when the staff understands and recognizes the value they will be able to impart the
same sentiments to the parents.
Personal interest. Staff must feel ownership over the goal to support parents with
engaging with the program. Blanchard (2007) writes that as an effective leader one must make
sure that each contributor is aware of the overall goal and work to coach one another to
accomplish it. Thus, leading to gain trust through integrity and partnership. Through this
process, CASP will, in turn, build independent ownership and show staff that each person has the
power to make an impact. Staff will feel independently successful, be able to motivate parents to
participate and ultimately make a greater impact on students and the organization’s mission and
goals. Krapp (1999) states that interests are important factors in learning and development.
With the participants and their families confiding in CASP for educational support it is essential
to have staff that are attentive and enthusiastic about working with others to accomplish the
organizational goal.
Organizational Influences
In this section the focus will be organizational influences and their effect on CASP’s
ability to make progress toward their organizational goal; fully integrate a parent engagement
component by July 2020. According to Schien (2010) culture by definition is what an
organization or group has learned from solving external problems through internal adaptation.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
27
Over the past four years CASP has worked to strengthen participants’ commitment to the
mission; to graduate as quickly as possible and with as little debt as possible. Therefore, it is
essential for CASP’s cultural model and setting be addressed. Rueda (2011) states that cultural
model traits are dynamic and shape an organization’s structure. This will allow their
stakeholders to fully commit to the implementation of a completely new process, thus
strengthening the delivery of the organization’s new parent engagement component.
Clark and Estes (2008) state that the lack of efficient and effective organizational work
processes and resources are another cause of performance gaps. If not addressed rifts in
organizational culture can arise. The six steps of support that Clark and Estes (2008) suggest are
necessary for organizational change include: 1. Having clear goals along with effective work
procedures; 2. Alignment of structures and processes; 3. Consistent communication and the
progress toward the performance goal; 4. Active involvement from top management; 5. Support
with knowledge, skills and trust surrounding the change process and teamwork; and 6.
Individuality. Not all change plans align with each other and organizations should not work to
duplicate but instead redesign the change plan to fit the organization’s needs.
Cultural models. The CASP organization needs to create a culture of open
communication and honesty in order to strengthen trust. Both open communication and honesty
are facets of an organization that if promoted through processes and procedures will increase
trust and transparency amongst stakeholders. Berger (2014) states that communication has a
large impact on an organization and its employees and generally sets the tone of an organization.
In a study evaluating the effect of trustworthy behavior on an organization, Krosgaard, Brodt and
Whitener (2002), found that employees responded positively to leaders who demonstrated
trustworthy behavior. With an increased focus on stakeholders, the CASP organization will
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
28
ultimately be able to effect change within. Schneider, Brief and Guzzo (1996) similarly believe
that, “culture can be changed through a focus on climate [...] by altering the everyday policies,
practices, procedures, and routines, thereby impacting the beliefs and values that guide employee
actions” (p.12).
Cultural settings. The CASP organization needs to provide an opportunity to complete
programmatic reflections. Schein (2010) states that climate is an artifact of culture. Climate is
comprised of the tangible components that you can see and feel within an organization. The
emotion and partnerships developed amongst staff ultimately lead to experiences that support
program development. According to Rueda (2011), cultural settings are formed by individuals
and groups and can impact behavior. CASP implementing structured programmatic reflection
time will support with staff buy-in and feeling of ownership toward the organizational goal.
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of leadership to create a climate that promotes people's desire
to grow and be creative (Schneider, Brief, & Guzzo, 1996).
Interactive Conceptual Framework
A conceptual framework, according to Maxwell (2012), is an essential component in
research design. A conceptual framework’s system of theories and concepts are what informs
the research and supports the reader with understanding the main ideas of the study. The
framework also works to support the development of the research problem, questions and data
collection techniques as it pertains the problem (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The researcher will
utilize the theories and beliefs of the conceptual framework to build the study. The figure shown
below is a graphical representation of the interconnectedness between the knowledge, motivation
and organizational structures of CASP. Stakeholders alongside the organization must work
together to ensure that the organizational goal is met. Although the knowledge, motivation and
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
29
organizational context have been presented independently their theories are dependent upon one
another.
Figure 1. Conceptual Map of Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Context for CASP and
its stakeholders.
CASP stakeholder knowledge and motivation are key components in ensuring that the
organization’s parent engagement component is implemented properly. The knowledge and
motivation influencers are as follows: 1. Understand the process of communicating the parent
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
30
engagement components developed by CASP to families; 2. Understand the impact of parent
engagement on student educational success; 3. Increase interest in supporting parents; and 4.
Identify value in interacting with the parent engagement programming. As previously noted,
Clark and Estes (2008), state that increasing knowledge, skills and motivation within an
organization is essential for its success with achievement of the organizational mission.
Collectively, improvement in the organization’s cultural model and setting is essential to
support stakeholders. The organizational influencers include; 1. Create a culture of open
communication and honesty; and 2. Provide space and regularly scheduled time to complete
programmatic reflections and evaluations. Once addressed, both of these influencers will
support Eisner’s theory, (as cited in Merriam & Tisdell, 2016); when given the space to develop
their own perceptions, CASP stakeholders will be able to generate their own interpretations of
the goal and its purpose. This will result in a deeper understanding of the purpose and ultimately
an increase in knowledge.
Qualitative Data Collection
Interviews are the source of data collection that will be used to collect qualitative
information. Interviews will be conducted with CASP staff members to address the assumed
organizational influences named previously: staff knowledge about parental engagement and its
effect on degree attainment, staff motivation to want to implement new programming and to
identify what support staff need from the organization to be able to fully implement a new
program. Once all data is collected the researcher hopes to be able to make solid programmatic
suggestions surrounding how to develop the organizational goal. The researcher worked to
ensure all ethical practices were followed, please see Appendix E for details.
Interviews
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
31
According to Creswell and Creswell (2018) interviews are a good tool for participants to
be able to provide historical information. The researcher used purposeful sampling as a tool for
participant selection. Purposeful sampling uses a selection criteria that calls upon participants
that have a certain experience or competence about the subject matter (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016). For this study the researcher conducted a series of seven in-person interviews over a one
month period in the winter of 2018. A total of eight staff members met the criterion and were
invited to participate out of seventeen total employees, one of the eligible participants opted out
do to a lack of availability. Appendix A provides more detail about interview selection criterion.
The email invitation stated that the purpose of the project and protocols the researcher would be
using during the process, to provide participants with all the information they might need to
make a decision about participating. Additional information regarding interview protocol for
this study are noted in Appendix B.
Data Analysis and Findings
Data Analysis
The next section of this paper will provide an in depth review of the qualitative findings
in relation to the organizational goal; implement a parent engagement program by July 2020.
The data to be discussed was derived from interviews with CASP program staff members that
have been employed by the organization for at minimum six months. CASP currently has
seventeen employees stretched across three departments; financial advising, academic advising
and program operations. Not all staff work directly with program participants and their families,
therefore the number of departments eligible to participate dwindled down to two of three based
on the listed criterion. After review of the transcriptions the researcher used the gap analysis
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
32
framework (Clark & Etes, 2008) to identify if any gaps existed. The coding was based on two of
the research questions provided:
1. What are the CASP staff knowledge and motivation related to fully integrate a parent
engagement component by 2020?
2. What is the interaction between organizational culture, context, CASP staff knowledge
and motivation?
In addition, the coding was based on important themes that were closely related to the
research questions. Both open and axial coding were utilized as a part of the data analysis. All
participants were given pseudonyms in order to protect their individual privacy, as well as, the
privacy of the organization. Majority of interview participants had similar degree levels and
were from the same department. More specifically, five of the participants held master’s degrees
and were also members of the academic advising department. The remaining two members held
bachelor’s degrees and were members of the financial advising department. The interview
participants were all program staff, Table 2 below, shows more of their demographics.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
33
Table 2
Summary of Interview Participant’s Demographics
Participant
Name
Gender Degree Level Department Length of Employment
w/ CASP
Hilary F M AA 9 months
Russell M M AA 1 year 9 months
Grant M M AA 6 years
Nathan M B FA 7 years
Allison F B FA 10 years
Louise F M AA 1 year 9 months
Alysa F M AA 1 year 6 months
Totals 4-F, 3-M 5-M, 2-B 5-AA, 2-FA Avg.~4 years 1 month
Key:
Gender: (F) Female, (M) Male Degree Level: (M) Masters, (B) Bachelors
Department: (AA) Academic Advising, (FA) Financial Advising
Findings
To learn more about each participant and to better understand their background and
experience with parent engagement in higher education they were asked a series of questions;
1. Describe how involved, if at all, your parents were in your college decision process?
a. Your first year of college?
b. Beyond the first year?
2. How did their engagement, or lack of, affect your college experience?
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
34
The specificity of each response varied amongst participants but overall seven out of eight
participants mentioned either, being first-generation or having no familial support during the
college decision process. When asked to describe parental involvement surrounding their
decision to attend college specifically, Nathan stated,
“For myself it wasn't really a choice to go to college. It was more a requirement, but from
my parents. So that was kind of like on the onset, not up for discussion, it was a thing that
I had to do.”
Louise also felt as if she did not really have a choice to attend college,
“My mom and my step dad said that the condition was I had to go to community college.
It was, you have to do this if you want to live with us. That was kind of the decision
process, was theirs. It wasn't really mine.”
Allison didn’t remember when she first decided to go to college, but remembered joining a
college support program. She stated, “they helped me to register for advanced classes and apply
to college,” she also discussed her role as translator, required to explain everything to her parents
because they hadn’t been to college and didn’t understand. On the other hand, Hilary, who is the
middle child of two siblings discussed her mom’s push for her girls to attend college,
“I was the first one to go to college. And I think with my mom especially, she went to
[college] but she did not complete. She ended up having my brother and then decided to
[drop] out and so for her, her biggest push was always with her daughters. So my sister
and I got a lot of the push towards go to school, go to school, go to school, let nothing
stop you from finishing.”
Alysa said that although growing up the idea of college was never talked about the expectation
was still present.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
35
“growing up the idea of college it was never talked about. We never had a conversation,
college is important to go to. They didn't finish college at all or anything like that. But I
think that there was always in my mind there was always some sort of expectation that I
was going to go regardless”
Grant and Russell were the only two that stated that their parents were highly involved in their
college decision process. Grant stated, “my mom, my dad, my sister, my brother, my grandma
and my grandpa, all went to the [same] University,” and Russell stated, “my parents were, to
what I can remember…fairly involved.”
Knowledge findings. Clark and Estes (2008) state that knowledge is required for people
to know how to accomplish performance goals. In order to gauge program staff knowledge
about parental engagement and its importance in academic success of first-generation students
staff were asked a series of interview questions. The first of the interview questions that focused
on knowledge asked staff to name some specific things they think parents should do, ask or talk
about with their students.
Factual and conceptual knowledge influence. The researcher worked to identify CASP
program staff’s understanding of the impact of parent engagement on student educational
success. The intent was to determine if there was indeed a gap in the knowledge as it pertained
to the assumed influence, staff will understand what the impact of parent involvement on student
educational success. The findings that displayed CASP staff knowledge of statistical facts
surrounding first-generation success rates and how parental engagement can support were few.
Thus the researcher deemed a knowledge gap to be true. Staff knowledge appeared to be derived
from their own personal experiences and not much from research, data or organizational
evidence. Nathan responded,
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
36
“I definitely think the financial aspect of college needs to be discussed. And it's
something that for me, it was pretty much discussed on the forefront before we even
went. It was like we're [going to] help you as much as we can but then that's it, mostly it's
[going to] be your responsibility to pay for these things. So that effected my choices as
far as college and where I'd end up choosing to go.”
Hilary stated that she believes parents should
“make sure that they keep the lines of communication open as much as possible. And one, I
think checking in on classes. But I think asking about classes, asking about mental health as
comfortable as they are with that.”
Similarly Allison agreed by suggesting parents ask about grades and well-being, but overall
stated that, “they should ask questions even if they don’t know what the answer should be.” The
findings from the coding of each interview proved that program staff generally believe that
parent engagement is essential in the success of first-generation students.
Procedural knowledge influence. Staff were also asked to answer the following interview
question; in what ways, if at all, does CASP currently support/encourage parent engagement.
The purpose was to have interviewees identify their level of awareness about the policies and
procedures in place, as well as, what organizational support they felt they needed to be able to
implement a new parent engagement component at CASP. These questions were designed to
support the researcher in identifying if there was a gap in the procedural knowledge of staff
based on the previously mentioned assumed influence, staff will understand the process of
communicating the parent engagement components developed by CASP. Upon coding
interviews, the researcher found that as a result of the lack of attention to parent engagement
programming, many interviewees could not provide information about the organizational
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
37
policies and procedures regarding parents. Thus, the researcher declared that a gap in knowledge
did exist.
During staff interviews Nathan stated that a major component of supporting first
generation students is to not assume what they know. He mentions the need for the organization
to use more of a
“multi-faceted approach when developing programming for parents. Specifically, involving
an information sharing component like newsletters and maybe putting on presentations and
things like that, or handouts to students and their parents, but also, maybe training too.”
Similarly, Hilary suggested more educational resources for parents and families as well. She
stated,
“If we are a community based organization at its core, we have to identify who all of our
community members are. It's not just students that we serve. Students come from
families, they come from somewhere, they come from all kinds of walks of life,
backgrounds, races, things like that. So we need to be mindful of that.”
She also mentioned having the parent program be a standalone component that includes an
orientation or summer bridge to discuss what the experience will be like for parents once their
student transitions to college. Louise noted that she wished she had the ability to meet with
families multiple times in the first year of college to address the different topics that arose
throughout their student’s first year of college. From the data collected the researcher was able
to ascertain that although the organization hadn’t clearly fostered a connection between parent
engagement and CASP programming, staff were knowledgeable on how programming could
benefit participants and families.
Motivation Findings
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
38
In order to gauge the overall motivation levels of program staff surrounding implementing a
new parent engagement curriculum at CASP, the researcher turns focus to research question one,
what is staff motivation related to fully integrate a parent engagement curriculum by 2020. All
interviewees were asked to rate their level of motivation on a scale ranging from one to ten. One
being not motivated at all and ten being highly motivated to implement a new program. Figure 2
displays each interviewee's response.
Figure 2. Motivation ratings of interview participants
On average the seven interviewees rated their motivation level an 8.07. As a result of this data
analysis in relation to the research question, it is shown that the majority of respondents are
motivated to implement a new program component. However, motivational performance,
according to Clark and Estes (2008), is influenced by “personal and team confidence” (p. 90).
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
39
Self-efficacy influence. Interview responses were evaluated to gauge program staff
confidence levels in their ability to lead effective parent programming. Despite staff being
motivated to support with programming, their lack of time and availability, lessened confidence
levels across majority of interviewees. Nathan stated, “I'd be pretty interested in it, time
permitting,” while Allison stated, “I love working with the students and families but I have so
much on my plate right now that I could not take on another major project.” Sentiments were the
same for Louise who said her rating would have been higher if she was certain the organization
was going to hire additional staff. Although the specifics of each response varied, a common
thread was, staff felt motivation ratings would have been higher if they had more confidence in
more time available in their schedules.
Value influence. It is important for program staff to see the value in engaging with a
new program component. In fact, there were a couple staff members who believed that the
parent engagement program was so important they would support it even with a full workload.
Alysa stated that the
“level of community isn't going to be achieved unless you really put in the effort to really
think about programming and thinking about all the people that go into it and our
participants, so not just the students but the alumni, the parents and the prospects that are
coming through.”
Increasing awareness and value amongst program staff will support with individual persistence
and productivity (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000).
Culture and Context Findings
Culture and context interaction. Research question two aims to answer the following
question, what is the interaction between organizational culture, context, CASP staff knowledge
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
40
and motivation? In order to understand program staff’s interpretation of the connection between
their knowledge, motivation and organizational culture and context they were asked the
following questions:
1. In what ways, if at all, does CASP currently support/encourage parent engagement?
2. In what ways, if at all, can CASP better support/encourage parent engagement?
Immediately staff responses exposed the lack of organizational support of parents and parent
engagement. Earlier in this paper the researcher notes that the organization needs to create a
culture of open communication about processes and procedures. The only interviewees that had
examples of their interaction with parents were members of the financial advising team. Both
Nathan and Allison provided examples of how their departments interact with families as
program participants enter the program. Nathan states that, “for the financial piece, I think we
bring a lot of awareness to it. We have a lot of family workshops with both the parent and the
students.” Allison, another member of the financial advising team, stated, “not much... unless the
student opts to bring the parent to a financial planning meeting.” The interviewees that work on
the academic advising team unanimously agreed that the organization has no programming for
their department. Grant said, “I don't think we do anything,” similarly Russell stated, “I don't
think we really are doing anything,” and Louise confusedly stated, I don't know how we're
involving families.”
Cultural Findings
Cultural model influence. This study assumed that in order to accomplish CASP’s
global goal to develop an effective parent engagement component, the organization needed to
ensure that a culture of open communication was present to increase trust. After interviewing
program staff it was discovered that staff are unaware of the organization’s ideas surrounding
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
41
how they plan to approach program development, thus exposing a gap in staff ability to support
with the project and trust in the implementation process. The researcher previously identified the
organizational cultural setting influence as a need for regularly scheduled space and time for
employees to reflect and work together on programming. This time will allow for understanding
the importance of parent engagement and its effect on degree attainment for program participants
specifically.
Assumed cultural setting influence. When interviewee Russell was asked about
organizational support he stated that taking on a new programming component might be too time
consuming for academic advisors alone. He also mentioned that if the organization created more
space and opportunities for collaboration he could see it working out. This was a consensus
amongst interviewees, most mentioned a lack of time and space, an essential component to this
program’s development. The general consensus amongst program staff that participated in the
interview process for this study overwhelmingly felt that there were very few opportunities to
contribute to program development. As Rueda (2011) stated cultural settings can impact
behavior, as well as, the organization’s ability to truly implement a new program component.
Research question two asks about the interaction between organizational culture and
context and its relationship to CASP staff knowledge and motivation. After interviews the
researcher concluded that there was a general consensus amongst staff. Staff reported that
although the organization is doing well they could be doing better with some program
improvements. An important point that was introduced by both Allison and Hilary and
mentioned by a few others was leadership. Allison stated that “Someone else would have to lead
the charge,” while Hilary similarly stated that “a key person should be in charge of
programming.” This implies that staff would be motivated to support with program development
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
42
if the organization would place emphasis on work balance. By placing one person in charge of
the parent engagement component it would support staff as well, preventing burnout and
allowing them to be involved without feeling burnt out or stretched for time. Grant stated that
having one person as a leader would, “institutionalize [the programming] so it's not just one
person's pet project that dies out once they leave.” Muller (2017) stated that proper project
management creates a “system of appropriate checks and balances that enables transparency,
accountability and defined roles.” It also supports project managers with “delivering their
project in support of organizational objectives.”
Recommendations
Knowledge Recommendations
It is important to examine knowledge and skills in problem solving in order to effectively
understand the importance of effectively implementing new programming. Research shows that
the effectiveness of program implementation are greater when programs are thoughtfully
introduced (Durlak and DuPre, 2008). Knowledge influences are labeled by Pickard (2007) as
factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. CASP’s organizational global goal focuses
specifically on conceptual and procedural knowledge. Conceptual knowledge is “the
interrelationships among the basic elements within a larger structure that enable them to function
together,” (Krathwohl, 2002, p. 214), while procedural knowledge determines “how to do
something, methods of inquiry, and criteria for using skills, algorithms, techniques, and
methods” (Krathwohl, 2002, p. 214). Table 3 shows the organizational mission and global goal
as well as two knowledge influences discussed in this literature review.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
43
Table 3
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Knowledge
Influence
Validated
as a Gap?
Yes, High
Probability
or No
(V, HP, N)
Priority
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Staff will understand the
impact of parent
engagement on student
educational success (F, C)
Y Y Learning and
motivation
are enhanced when
learners have
positive
expectancies for
success
(Pajares, 2006).
Provide Staff with
data and factual
research evidence
that reinforces the
ideal that healthy
parent
involvement has a
positive impact on
student success.
Staff will understand the
process for communicating
the parent
engagement components
developed by CASP (P)
HP Y To develop
mastery, individuals
must acquire
component skills,
practice integrating
them, and
Provide Staff
training on the
steps to apply
FERPA laws and
privacy rules
during
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
44
know when to apply
what they
have learned
(McCrudden &
Schraw, 2007).
communication
with families.
*(F)actual; (P)rocedural; (C)onceptual
Learning and Motivation
The results and findings of this study indicated that 85% of program staff are not
completely privy to the benefits and impact parent engagement can have on a student’s
educational endeavors. A recommendation stemming from the self-efficacy theory has been
identified to close the gap. Pajares (2006) found that enhancements occur in learning and
motivation as learners develop positive success expectancies. From this information one can
imply that providing program staff with data on parent engagement success could increase their
self-efficacy and motivation to promote parent engagement with families. The recommendation
then is to provide all program staff with data and evidence that reinforces the ideal that healthy
parent involvement has a positive impact on student success.
Kuh et al. (2008) describes student background as being a highly researched topic, in
which, family demands are one of the top reasons students make the decision to leave
college. Plageman and Sabina (2010) also state that although a direct relationship couldn’t be
made between family support and increased grades, but one’s persistence level was correlated.
Familial relationships are often positive contributors to a college student’s experience. The
evidence provided shows that increasing parent engagement within the organization could
support with the organizational goal, as well as, increase staff self-efficacy.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
45
Importance of Skills and Experience
Dually the results and findings of this study also indicated that 100% of program staff do
not understand the process for communicating parent engagement components developed by
CASP. A recommendation from the information processing system theory has been selected to
close the gap. In order for an individual to master a concept, they must obtain component skills
and practice implementing them to better understand when to apply the learning (McCrudden &
Shraw, 2007). This implies that when provided with the information needed and legitimate
application time program staff will be able to successfully implement the organizational goal
properly and efficiently. Training on how to apply FERPA laws and privacy rules during
communication with families will increase program staff confidence and ability to implement the
parent engagement component for the organization.
According to Clark and Estes (2008) lack of knowledge is one of the most critical causes
of performance gaps. They also state that the gap can be improved with knowledge and training.
Similarly, McCrudden and Schraw (2006) suggest that providing people with opportunities to
practice their skills will also support closing the knowledge gap. The aforementioned evidence
shows that providing program staff with more knowledge and practice are essential in order for
the organization to successfully accomplish their goal.
Motivation Recommendations
According to Avey, Wernsing and Palanski (2012), enforcing psychological ownership in an
employee is an important component to motivation. This, increased acknowledgment of
responsibility will create buy-in amongst staff that will expand motivation and the interest in
supporting parents. Similarly, to the trickle-down effect in which the ethical leadership of CASP
leaders can influence the ethical leadership of staff who can follow suit and influence parents
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
46
(Mayer et al., 2009). Each person’s contribution can have an effect on the outcome of the global
goal. Theorists stated that persistence is influenced by the belief that the individual can do well
on an activity and how much the individual values the activity (Wigfield & Eccles,
2000). Therefore, it is important that CASP staff see the programming as a valuable resource to
parents who may have never attended college, therefore, making their child a first-generation
student. Table 4 displays assumed motivation influences and theories that support them.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
47
Table 4
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Motivation
Influence
Validated as
a Gap
Yes, High
Probability,
No
(V, HP, N)
Priority
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Value (U)
Staff will be able to
see the value in
engaging with the
parent engagement
curriculum being
created.
HP Y Task Value Theory:
Utility
Rationales that
include a discussion
of the importance
and usefulness of
the work or learning
can help
learners develop
positive values
(Pintrich, 2003).
Provide staff with
time and space to
reflect and discuss
the usefulness of
parental engagement
to staff’s work.
Interest (SE)
Staff will have
confidence in
implementing a new
Y Y Self-Efficacy
High self-efficacy
can
positively influence
Provide staff with
opportunities to learn
from models,
practice, and receive
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
48
parent engagement
component
motivation (Pajares,
2006).
feedback on proper
implementation of
the parent
engagement
component.
*(U)tility; (SE)Self-Efficacy
Increasing Value
Almost 50% of program staff do not see the value in supporting the creation of a parent
engagement component at CASP. To close the knowledge gap a recommendation from utility
task value theory will be used. Pintrich (2003) state that discussion of the importance and
usefulness of the work can support with developing positive values. This theory implies that
providing program staff with space to discuss the usefulness of the project could result in an
increased positive outlook about the project. The recommendation is to provide program staff
with opportunities to discuss parental engagement and its usefulness to the program
mission. The discussion sessions about parent engagement offered to program staff will
strengthen the utility value of the project to them.
Wigfield and Eccles (2000) state that an individual's persistence and performance can be
affected by their beliefs and how much they value the activity. Thus an increase in value can
result in an increase in performance level. Clark and Estes (2008), also state that in order for an
organization to achieve success with their mission it is important to increase motivation.
Increasing Self-Efficacy
The findings show that 85% percent of program staff do not have the confidence to
implement a parent engagement component at CASP. A recommendation from self-efficacy
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
49
theory has been identified as a resource to close the knowledge gap. Pajares (2006) found that
high self-efficacy can positively influence motivation. This suggests that by supporting staff
with building their levels of confidence can result in increased motivation. Thus, the
recommendation is that program staff have opportunities to review parent engagement models,
learn from practice and receive feedback. Providing staff with not only the tools necessary to
learn about parent engagement but to apply what they’ve learned and receive feedback will
increase confidence levels.
Van Dinther, Dochy, and Segers (2011) and Robbins, Lauver, Le, Davis, Langley and
Carlstrom (2004) state that self-efficacy is a key element in learning because of its effect on
cognition. Therefore, the higher the self-efficacy level, the greater the chance an individual will
have at learning concepts. Shea and Bidjerano (2010) also state that self-efficacy and confidence
motivate the learner and support self-regulation and persistence. As is pertains to this study, if
the organization takes the time to increase program staff self-efficacy it can in turn support with
increasing staff motivation and confidence to implement new programming.
Organization Recommendations
After a series of interviews with program staff, the Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis
framework was used to identify gaps in the organizational structure. It was found that the
overwhelming majority of staff identified that there was a need for some shifts in organizational
culture before there could be a successful implementation of a new program component. Time
commitment was a huge factor in staff rating how motivated they would be to support a new
parent engagement program. The assumed organizational influences are noted in Table 5.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
50
Table 5
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Organization
Influence
Validated as
a Gap
Yes, High
Probability,
No
(V, HP, N)
Priority
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
The organization
must provide
autonomy and
choice to allow
staff to create time
for the project in
their schedules.
(CS)
Y Y Organizational
Change
Effective change
efforts ensure that
everyone has the
resources
(equipment,
personnel, time, etc)
needed to do their
job,
and that if there are
resource shortages,
then
resources are
aligned with
Allow staff to select
what current
responsibilities they will
give up and what new
responsibilities they will
take on to support the
CASP fully integrated
parent engagement
curriculum.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
51
organizational
priorities (Clark &
Estes, 2008).
The organization
must place value on
the project by
hiring or
designating a leader
for the project.
(CS)
Y Y Information
Processing
Facilitating transfer
promotes
learning (Mayer,
2011).
Hire or designate a
leader for the parent
engagement curriculum
to coordinate
programming and
provide staff with direct
training and
communication about
the project.
*(CS)Cultural Settings
Resource Alignment
Approximately 86% of program staff do not believe the organization provides enough
flexibility in their schedules to take on a new program development project. The lack of freedom
to organize their daily schedules decreases their level of commitment. A recommendation rooted
in the organizational change theory has been selected to close this organizational gap. According
to Clark and Estes (2008) resource shortages can be prevented by ensuring that effective change
efforts are implemented. This suggests that in order for an organization to successfully
implement change they must first ensure that they can supply all the materials needed. The
recommendation is for the organization to allow program staff to select what current
responsibilities they will give up and what new responsibilities they will take on to support
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
52
CASP fully integrating a parent engagement programming component. For example, having the
option to replace the time they commit to a previously assigned project for the implementation of
this new parent engagement component.
Organizational change is needed when an organization fails to fulfill the needs of its
stakeholders (Jacobs, Van Witteloostuijn & Christe-Zeyse, 2013). Jacobs et al. (2013) also
states that the diversion of resources disrupts routines. Therefore, to effectively implement a
new project it is imperative that resources are allocated properly. The organization must
understand that change requires sufficient resources, as well as, redirection of resources toward
the new activity (Petrou, Demerouti & Schaufeli, 2018). CASP has been continuously growing
in staff size as well as participant numbers thus introducing a new component without assigning
it a leader can be cause for failure and prevent long-term success.
Change Facilitation
A little more than 70% of program staff believes that the organization needs to place
value on the project’s development by designating a single leader. Without a leader for the
project staff members will not be able to fully invest in the project. A recommendation rooted in
the information processing theory has been selected to close this organizational gap. Mayer
(2011) states that learning is increased by facilitating information transferring. This implies that
having one person lead the project can potentially support how information is retained and
supported. The recommendation is that they hire or designate a leader to run the parent
engagement project. This will support with coordinating programming and providing staff with
direct training and communication about the project.
According to Carter, Armenakis, Feild and Mossholder (2013) the exhibition of
appropriate leadership behaviors support the facilitation of organizational change. Thus is it
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
53
important to identify a primary leader when implementing change. Carter et al. (2013) also
states that leadership supports the development of quality relationships between employees
which will stimulate effective change behaviors. Thus, leadership on projects is a necessity in
order to solve conflicts and find sustainable solutions to problems as they arise during
implementation (Năstase, Ţăpurică & Tache, 2010).
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
CASP currently utilizes key performance indicators (KPIs) for goal
management. According to Marr (2012) KPIs are the instrument companies use to track their
performance. During the interviews of program staff it was analyzed that there is still a need for
training improvement. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick’s (2016) New World Model will support the
development of the organization’s overall project management. The implementation of a project
relies on the training and evaluation of its progress, which is what the New World Kirkpatrick
Model emphasizes. It utilizes four levels to evaluate training processes; level 1: reaction, level 2:
learning, level 3: behavior and level 4: results, planning in reverse to ensure that training,
evaluation and implementation all align to the overall goal.
CASP currently utilizes key performance indicators (KPIs) for goal
management. According to Marr (2012) KPIs are the instrument companies use to track their
performance. During the interviews of program staff it was analyzed that there is still a need for
training improvement. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick’s (2016) New World Model will support the
development of the organization’s overall project management. The implementation of a project
relies on the training and evaluation of its progress, which is what the New World Kirkpatrick
Model emphasizes. It utilizes four levels to evaluate training processes; level 1: reaction, level 2:
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
54
learning, level 3: behavior and level 4: results, planning in reverse to ensure that training,
evaluation and implementation all align to the overall goal.
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations
As a leader in college access and success, CASP works to prepare students to graduate
from college with the tools necessary to obtain employment after graduation. CASP also works
to instill the importance of community service with the hope that program participants will have
the desire to give back to their community. The organizational goal is to increase the number of
four-year graduates by integrating a parent engagement component into the program structure.
The intent behind new program implementation is to bridge the gap between the organization
and families, to add an additional layer of support for program participants. In order to ensure
that the new parent engagement component is ran successfully, program staff will be utilized as
the primary stakeholder. Each level of training is designed to ensure that program staff have a
clear understanding of each component and find value in the program.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
works to identify the desired results. Table 6 below identifies both internal and external level 4
outcomes, metrics and methods for CASP to reach its organizational goal. The different
outcomes address the goals of the main stakeholders. The table notes that the external outcomes
are to increase degree attainment and parent knowledge about how to support their students. The
internal outcomes are more focused on program staff engagement and communicating with
parents who actually want to.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
55
Table 6
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
Increased degree attainment of
first-generation college students
in the community
Number of first-generation college
students who attribute completion
success to CASP involvement
Community Census
data
Parents will have increased
knowledge about how to
support their student(s).
Number of parents who state that
CASP programming has increased
their knowledge.
Annual Programming
Surveys
Internal Outcomes
Staff meaningfully engages
parents with the engagement
curriculum
Number of parents engaged by staff Bi-annual staff
surveys and reflection
sheets
Parents have opted to be a part
of the engagement curriculum
Number of participants and parents
who opt in
Enrollment form
Level 3: Behavior
The key stakeholders of CASP are the program staff. As identified by Kirkpatrick and
Kirkpatrick (2016), level 3 critical behaviors are essential to the success of level 4
outcomes. Table 7 below outlines each critical behavior as it pertains to the organizational goal
and level 4 outcomes. Consistent and efficient communication will support with the
implementation of the parent engagement component. Behaviors such as, actively connecting
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
56
the parents to the new curriculum to ensure that they have full opportunity to access and interact
with it. Additional behaviors include, documenting parent interactions and reporting crucial
updates about perception and understanding to catch critical issues early. Lastly, encouraging
program staff to work together to modify communication tools will support continuous program
development and strengthen staff self-efficacy.
Table 7
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
Program staff will actively
engage with parents and the
new curriculum
Number of parents that engage
with curriculum (Email open rate;
number of attendees in-
person/online forums)
Newsletters and
forums
Quarterly
Program staff will provide
updates about how the
curriculum is being received
Number of feedback sessions
attended
Surveys and
reflection
sessions
Quarterly
Program staff will work
together to update
communication tools
Percentage of documented tool
updates
program
development
meetings
Annually
Program staff will document
their interactions with
parents.
Percentage of meetings and events
with parents will be noted and
tracked
Attendance
reports
Quarterly
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
57
Required drivers. In order to ensure that the organizational goal is accomplished
successfully, the required drivers listed in Table 8 below will be implemented. In hopes to build
out a strong and sustainable parent engagement component CASP will utilize Kirkpatrick and
Kirkpatrick’s (2016) required drivers; reinforcing, encouraging and rewarding, to acknowledge
and build upon critical behaviors. The listed methods will provide multifaceted levels of support
for stakeholders, from visual aids to hands-on learning and practice opportunities. Continuous
rewards and encouragement will also aid in the individual learning of each staff member and
the continued development of the self-efficacy needed to implement the project. Table 8
outlines the suggested methods for each driver as well as the proposed frequencies and behaviors
they will support.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
58
Table 8
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing
Critical Behaviors Supported
1, 2, 3 Etc.
Reinforcing
Schedule follow-up working sessions Monthly 1, 2, 3
Provide job-aide with key information from
trainings
Ongoing 2
Encouraging
Solicit feedback during staff meetings Monthly 1, 2
Review progress and offer support in
individual meetings
Monthly 2, 3
Rewarding
Continuous praise during learning period Bi-weekly 1, 2, 3
Monitoring
Ensure tracking efforts are consistent and
completed on time
Bi-Weekly 2
Organizational support. According to Schien (2010) culture by definition is what an
organization or group has learned from solving external problems through internal
adaptation. The organization must continue to work to strengthen overall commitment to the
mission; to graduate as quickly as possible and with as little debt as possible. Therefore, it is
essential for CASP to react and build programming around the needs of program staff to address
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
59
their concerns and allow them to fully commit to the implementation of a completely new
process. In turn, this will strengthen the delivery and implementation of the organization’s new
parent engagement component. Clark and Estes (2008) state that performance gaps are caused
by a lack of efficient and effective work processes. Building the methods named earlier into
organizational processes and procedures will ensure that all staff receive adequate support and
training organization-wide.
Level 2: Learning
Learning goals. A key aspect of the program going well lies it how well it is introduced
and how well staff engage with it. Staff must:
1. Be confident in the purpose and process for implementation of the parent engagement
component (Confident, Procedural)
2. Be motivated to support the development and promotion of the program (Self-Efficacy)
3. Find value in the program as it relates to their job and the organizational mission (Self-
Efficacy)
Program. The training program that the researcher recommends is hand-on working
session trainings that would allow for program staff to not only ask questions but hear the
responses to questions of their peers. These sessions would also allow for space to practice
delivery methods. To successfully implement this brand new parent engagement program all
program staff will need to be well versed in each component. This will support healthy
relationship building between parents and the organization because program staff will be
confident in their knowledge about each topic. These working sessions will start off as monthly
learning and teaching opportunities and eventually decrease in frequency and transform into
reflective, problem solving norming sessions. The Clark and Etes (2008) gap analysis
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
60
framework is the researchers primary source for measuring the gap between the organization's
goals and their current state. The four levels of evaluation (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) add
an additional layer to the evaluation plan to ensure that there is a holistic approach taken to
accomplish the organizational goal. In the table below (Table 9), the evaluation tools and
learning goals are aligned.
Table 9
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program.
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”
Knowledge checks Before, during and after
Observations of conversations After
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”
Staff will recall the steps and procedures with a peer During
Schedule working sessions to support ask completion After
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Peer discussion about value During
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”
Survey using scaled items During and after
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
Create an action plan with department During
Share out action plan with larger group During
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
61
Level 1: Reaction
Level 1 reaction is designed to access if trainees are engaging with the material and
finding it relevant to their work (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Setting up these sources of
assessment will support the notion that formative and summative evaluation are
important. Table 10 below outlines the methods and tools that will be used to evaluate program
staff reactions to trainings and training materials, as well as, the timing in which they will be
released. More specifically, the outlined sources have been chosen as a way to ensure that
program staff leave each training with a clear understanding of their role and required tasks.
Table 10
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program.
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Surveying to see if objectives have been met During and after trainings
Pair sharing sessions answering scenario questions During trainings
Attendance tracking In the beginning of trainings
Relevance
Survey of program staff After trainings
Customer Satisfaction
Survey of program staff After trainings
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
62
Evaluation Tools
During and immediately following implementation. Evaluation is a key element of
program implementation. It supports the monitoring of progress and guides the development of
improvements and changes. Evaluation during implementation will ensure understanding and
provide the opportunity to clarify any discrepancies before the training concludes. Similarly,
conducting evaluations immediately after a training will support with identifying any
miscommunications that may have arose during the training. In addition, the information from
the evaluation can be used to develop future trainings additional training materials.
Evaluation during the training will include pairing staff members with a partner and
reviewing scenarios together. This method reinforces understanding through practice, discussion
and explanation. Evaluating for understanding during the training will allow for time to clear up
any discrepancies prior to the conclusion of the training session. The survey at the conclusion of
the training will evaluate the staff’s understanding of the training objectives and ask how well
they feel the objectives were met.
Delayed for a period after the program implementation. After the program
implementation has begun the organization will need to provide a full academic year of parent
engagement programming to effectively evaluate its progress. But to ensure that the quality of
programming stays consistent there needs to be a mid-year evaluation period. At the conclusion
of the calendar year, December, program staff will be surveyed to both evaluate and enhance the
programming. The intent behind this evaluation tool is to gain perspective based on all
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick’s (2016) four levels of training evaluation. Staff will be asked to
evaluate the level of thoroughness each staff member put into the implementation. In addition, it
will gauge how confident the staff felt at disseminating the program components to participants.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
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Data Analysis and Reporting
The data to be discussed was derived from interviews with CASP program staff members
that have been employed by the organization for at minimum six months. After review of the
transcriptions the researcher used the gap analysis framework (Clark & Etes, 2008) to identify if
any gaps existed. The coding was based on the three research questions provided:
1. What are the CASP staff knowledge and motivation related to fully integrate a parent
engagement curriculum by 2020?
2. What is the interaction between organizational culture and context and CASP staff
knowledge and motivation?
3. What are the recommended knowledge, motivation, and organizational solutions?
as well as, important themes that were identified as closely related to the research
questions. Both open and axial coding were utilized as a part of the data analysis. All
participants were given pseudonyms in order to protect their individual privacy, as well as, the
privacy of the organization.
Summary
The plan to integrate the New World Kirkpatrick Model into CASPs change management
procedures will aid in aligning new program development with better training and
evaluation. Each of the four levels of the model plays a critical role in the success of the next.
The new parent engagement component at CASP is designed to support parents of first time
college going students. The overall goal is to increase four-year graduation rates of program
participants. The current graduation rates are depicted in Figure 3 below.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
64
Figure 3. CASP graduation rates vs. national graduation rates
CASP stakeholder knowledge and motivation are key components in ensuring that the
organization’s parent engagement component is implemented properly. Staff participation is
highly important in achieving the organization’s mission. Clark and Estes (2008), state that
increasing knowledge, skills and motivation within an organization is essential for its success
with achievement of the organizational mission. Ultimately, implementing the New World
Kirkpatrick Model will not only support the organizational goal but ensure that staff are
equipped with the tools necessary to successfully do their part.
Limitations and Delimitations
The limitations of this study are few. The openness of program staff is in question if they
feel like their jobs are at risk for being truthful. On the other hand, the delimitations include the
chosen number of interview participants for the study versus total number of staff.
Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to identify the necessary needs of stakeholders to
accomplish the organizational performance goal of implementing a parent engagement program
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
65
by July 2020. In order to offer the organization recommendations on how to implement the new
programming, the study evaluates the importance of motivation as a means to increase value and
inversely, the importance of knowledge and skills to increase motivation. The program staff that
participated in the interviews were genuinely excited about the possibility of introducing this
programming to participants and families as a way to continue to build community throughout
the organization. Specifically the findings show that staff members identify parent engagement
as a component that is largely absent from the organization, but is vital to the success of the
overall mission, to graduate students as fast as possible.
The recommendations include an important factor that was dually noted by program staff.
Time is a current constraint on staff, therefore placing importance on the identification of a key
leader to run the implementation is going to be essential. If CASP plans to be successful at
implementing this programming it must first prioritize the needs of program staff, they are the
core of the organization. While the research shows the that parental engagement can be a
positive support for first-generation students, CASP staff agreed that an educational component
for families requires much attention. The literature review explored the various effects of parent
involvement on first-generation student’s degree attainment. Dietrich, Kracke and Nurmi (2011)
stated parental engagement contributes to adolescent development and Covarrubias et al. (2017),
reported that familial relationships also supports first-generation persistence. In order to break
the cycle and combat low retention and degree attainment rates we must continue to think
outside the box and develop services that will support not only first-generation students but their
families as well.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
66
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https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/mission/mission.html
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Appendix A: Participating Stakeholders with Sampling Criteria for Interview
Participating Stakeholders
Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Criterion 1. Interview participants must work for CASP but not hold a supervisory
position.
Criterion 2. Interview participant’s job responsibilities must include consistent
interaction with program participants and their families.
Criterion 3. Interview participants must have worked for the organization for at least six
months. With at least six months of work experience at CASP staff are more likely to have a full
understanding of the organization’s history, programming and student population.
Interview Recruitment Strategy and Rationale
According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016) interviews are primary sources of qualitative
data collection. These interviews will focus on program development and how the organization
can use the survey data to create the plan for the parent engagement component. Purposeful
selection can support with providing the best data for this study (Maxwell, 2012). CASP
currently has 17 employees stretched across three departments; financial advising, academic
advising and program administration. Not all staff work directly with program participants and
their families, therefore the number of departments eligible to participate dwindles down to two
of three based on the listed criterion. Many employees are relatively new to the organization and
thus requiring that interview participants have been employed for a specific amount of time will
ensure that participants have a baseline knowledge of organizational structure. It will also aid in
ensuring their ability to answer key questions within the interview. Someone who just started on
the job within a few weeks may not be well positioned to answer protocol questions.
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Appendix B: Protocols
Interview Protocol
In an effort to ensure flexibility in the interview structure the researcher has decided to
utilize semi-structured interview structure. Semi-structured interviews allow for more flexibility
in question style and actual verbiage (Meriam & Tisdell, 2016). This will support the researcher
with being able to steer the interview in the direction of the interviewee’s responses and gain a
true understanding of the responses. All interviews were recorded to ensure that responses were
collected fully and were scheduled for one hour. In order to provide convenience and increase
motivation to participate, interviews will be held at the CASP office during work hours. All
questions asked of staff members will be open-ended to identify gaps in knowledge and
motivation as it pertains to CASP staff.
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Appendix C: Interview Questions
1. Describe how involved, if at all, your parents were in your college decision process?
a. Your first year of college?
b. Beyond the first year?
2. How did their engagement, or lack of, affect your college experience?
3. When you think of parental involvement with college students what are some specific
things you think they should do, ask or talk about with their students?
4. In what ways, if at all, does CASP currently support/encourage parent engagement?
5. In what ways, if at all, can CASP better support/encourage parent engagement?
6. What effect would those items mentioned have on program participants?
7. What effect would those items mentioned have on achieving program goals?
8. If you could create and implement programming to support parents with supporting
CASP program participants what would it look like?
9. What would be the best way to introduce this programming and its components to
program participants and their families?
10. What obstacles, of introducing a parent engagement component, do you foresee getting in
the way?
11. On a scale of 1 to 10, how motivated would you be to support the implementation of a
new parent engagement component?
a. Please explain your rating
12. What organizational support would you need to implement a new parent engagement
component at CASP?
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Appendix D: Credibility and Trustworthiness
In order to ensure that the data presented is credible and representative of participants
thoughts and opinions, the researcher plans to identify researcher bias. Creswell and Creswell
(2018) state that clarifying the bias that a researcher may bring to a study creates an open
narrative that respondents often resonate with. This will also ensure that all participant answers
are interpreted clearly and without much alteration to their original form.
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Appendix E: Ethics
It is the researcher’s responsibility to ensure the code of ethics is followed and that the
safety of participants is at the forefront of a study (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). The researcher
will apply for research approval from the institutional review board (IRB) and the University of
Southern California (USC). Upon approval of the research study, participants will be asked to
sign an informed consent form. Ultimately, the validity of a study is dependent upon the
researchers' ethics (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
The researcher is an employee for the College and Alumni Support Program (CASP); the
researcher works alongside the staff being interviewed in this research study. The researcher has
worked in the organization for over fifteen years and is truly vested in the organization’s
continued development and success. In order to minimize any confusion about their role in the
research and to work to ensure transparency surrounding the purpose of the interview is
provided, the researcher will provide each participant with written copies of the project’s purpose
statement and research questions. The researcher will also provide a written description of their
role in the interview process alongside information about their role as an investigator. The
researcher will also reiterate that participation is voluntary and an interview can be terminated at
any time. To acknowledge researcher biases appearing during the interview process the
researcher will remain non-judgmental and sensitive as they conduct interviews. They will ask
the same group of questions during a predetermined amount of time (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
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77
Appendix F: Information/Facts Sheet for Exempt Non-Medical Research
University of Southern California
USC Rossier School of Education
Waite Phillips Hall
Los Angeles, California 90089-0626
INFORMATION/FACTS SHEET FOR EXEMPT NON-MEDICAL RESEARCH
Parental Involvement in Higher Education and its Effect on First Generation Degree
Attainment: An Innovation Study
You are invited to participate in a research study. Research studies include only people who
voluntarily choose to take part. This document explains information about this study. You should
ask questions about anything that is unclear to you.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This research study aims to understand your experience with parent engagement and ideas for
program development.
PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT
If you agree to take part in this study, you will be asked to participate in a 60 minute audio taped
interview. You do not have to answer any questions you don’t want to; if you don’t want to be
taped, handwritten notes will be taken.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Interviews will be recorded and transcribed. You will be given a pseudonym to mask your
personal identity to be used for all future reference. Recordings will be discarded once
transcripts of the interviews are processed. Interview transcripts will be stored on a password
secured storage system indefinitely and may potentially be used for future studies. You have the
right to request to review your interview transcript.
Required language:
The members of the research team, the funding agency and the University of Southern
California’s Human Subjects Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP
reviews and monitors research studies to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects.
When the results of the research are published or discussed in conferences, no identifiable
information will be used.
INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
Principal Investigator Kristina Wright via email at kell739@usc.edu or
Faculty Advisor Frederick Freking at freking@usc.edu
IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
University of Southern California Institutional Review Board, 1640 Marengo Street, Suite 700,
PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
78
Los Angeles, CA 90033-9269. Phone (323) 442-0114 or email irb@usc.edu.
Abstract (if available)
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Wright, Kristina
(author)
Core Title
Parent engagement in higher education and its effect on first generation degree attainment: an innovation study
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)
Publication Date
10/17/2019
Defense Date
06/24/2019
Publisher
University of Southern California
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Tag
education,first-gen,first-generation,first-generation student,Higher education,knowledge and motivation,OAI-PMH Harvest,parent engagement
Language
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), Krop, Cathy (
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), Muraszewski, Alison (
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