Faculty Feature: Parental Involvement Project

Submitted by: Jane Gair

Has your teaching been influenced by parental involvement? 

The Parental Involvement Project is a research study that asks the question: How is parental involvement in university and college student education perceived and dealt with by faculty members?

Data for the Parental Involvement Project is presently being collected from UVic, UBC, and U Sask. Camosun College is represented in one of our researchers (Dr. Jane Gair) and in a student research assistant (Simon Swanek), and we hope to see our college reflected in our data collection as well. We hope you will support this study and our work by completing our short 15-minute survey. 

Details below!

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and University of Victoria (UVic) are conducting a study among faculty members at USask, UVic, The University of British Columbia (UBC) and Camosun College, looking at the extent of parental involvement in academic matters related to their university-aged children.   

All university and college teachers are welcome to participate.  The study consists of a brief online survey (~15 minutes to complete).   

Study rationale: There is evidence in the literature that supports the positive impact that parental involvement has in the academic success of their children at the K-12 level.  There is also an increasing body of evidence suggesting that parental involvement in the affairs of their adult children in the workplace is less beneficial.  There is little data regarding the extent and impact of parental involvement in academic matters at the post-secondary level, which for many young adults is the in-between step between K-12 education and the workplace.  The purpose of the following study is therefore to try and fill this gap, to determine the extent of parental involvement in the academic matters of their adult children at the university level, the nature of the involvement, and the impact of that involvement on faculty perception of these students. 

Study objectives: This study has three main objectives:  

1.      To determine how common it is for parents to be involved in academic matters related to their university-aged children 

2.      To determine the nature of the parental involvement   

3.      To determine the impact parental involvement has on faculty perception of their students 

Potential Risks: There are no known or anticipated risks to you by participating in this survey. Participation in this study is completely voluntary and participants have the right to withdraw at any time. Although sensitive information will be discussed, all information received will be kept completely confidential. 

Potential Benefits: You may benefit by participating in this survey as it may inform future teaching practices. 

Confidentiality: The survey responses will be collected anonymously and as a result confidentiality of participation and data will be maintained.  
 
Right to Withdraw: Your participation is voluntary and you can respond to the questions you are comfortable with. You may withdraw from the survey project for any reason, without explanation or penalty of any sort. Should you wish to withdraw, you may leave the survey; however, data that has already been submitted cannot be withdrawn. 
 
Follow up: The data from this project will be disseminated to the University community via presentations and/ or reports and academic publications. If you would like to review the results from the study, please contact the Principal Investigators, Dr. Jane Gair (UVic) or Dr. Stan Bardal (USask).  
 
Questions or Concerns:   if you have any questions or concerns about the study please contact the Principal Investigators, Dr. Jane Gair (UVic) ac.civu@riagj or Dr. Stan Bardal (USask) ac.ksasu@ladrab.nats. 

In addition, you may verify the ethical approval of this study, or raise any concerns you might have, by contacting the Human Research Ethics Office at the University of Victoria (250-472-4545 or ac.civu@scihte). For Camosun participants, you can also contact Camosun’s Research Ethics Board Chair at ac.nusomaC@riahCBER 

By completing and submitting the online survey, YOUR FREE AND INFORMED CONSENT IS IMPLIED and indicates that you understand the above conditions of participation in this study, and that you have had the opportunity to have your questions answered by the researchers if needed. 

If you would like to participate in this important research, please click on the link to the survey below: 

https://qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dhGlIBbqbkhVxtQ

Please feel free to pass this along to any colleagues you think may be interested in this research. 

We thank you for your time.

Sincerely,  

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