Date of Award
12-2017
Document Type
Action Research Project
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Kristy Cook
Second Advisor
Siri Anderson
Department/School
Education
Abstract
This comparative action research study examined the effects of using three different digital communication tools in early elementary and middle school classrooms. Seesaw, Facebook, and Remind were compared to answer the following questions: To what extent does each digital tool facilitate: Parent-teacher communication? Quality information sharing? Active parent engagement? Teachers collected qualitative and quantitative data over four weeks. Participating parents received and responded quickly to teacher posts in all three tools at both grade levels. Parents used the information as conversation starters at home and to help their children succeed. Notably, parents whose first language is not English appreciated that Facebook and Remind translated teacher messages for them automatically. Parents responded the most to posts with personal information such as pictures, awards, or student work. Although Seesaw had much greater efficacy at the early elementary than middle school level, this may have been related to institutional factors. Parents who did not participate cited privacy concerns, lack of access, and limited availability. Tools did have distinguishing attributes/limitations for some sorts of communication and interactions. Overall, parents and teachers were highly satisfied with the use of digital parent-teacher communication methods and recommend to others. Appendixes include parent instructions, guidelines, and assessments that may be useful for implementation.
Recommended Citation
Bosch, NaTeal; Bosch, Stephanie; Cline, Kylie; Hochhalter, Sarah; Rieland, Aleksandra; Takekawa, Emily; and Walther, Tanya. (2017). The Effects of Parent-Teacher Communication using Digital Tools in Early Elementary and Middle School Classrooms. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/maed/231