A meta analysis is a process of analyzing the results from many different statistical studies. This kind of study is conducted on specific topics to look for trends and significance. The meta analysis conducted by Dr. Jeynes looked at variables that could be related to parent involvement and academic achievement.
The meta analysis used 77 published research studies as its base. These studies included over 300,000 students. There were 36 studies of secondary schools, 25 from elementary schools and 16 which included data from both. Two reviewers were used to rate the quality of the studies. The studies were rated on a 3 point scale. The overall rating for the 77 studies was 2.3.
The major aspects studied in the meta analysis were student grades, teacher ratings and standardized achievement test performance. In general, the results indicated that parental involvement has a positive impact on academic achievement and the findings held true no matter the race or ethnic group.
The meta analysis found that parental expectation for academic achievement is the most critical aspect of parent involvement. In other words, the analysis indicated that parents who held the expectation that their child would succeed academically were the ones whose children typically excelled.
Another significant finding, related to academic achievement, was that in general, parent involvement programs do work. This finding was expected, but the impact was not as significant as intrinsic parent involvement. The research indicates this is because parents who are naturally excited about their child’s academic success tend to support their child’s performance more than parents who have an interest due to participation in a parent involvement program.