Wie unterstützen Eltern die häuslichen Lernaktivitäten von Kindern mit Lernstörung? : Eine Längsschnittstudie

Abstract

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Für Kinder mit Lernstörung (LS) hören die Lernproblemen nicht mit dem Unterrichtsschluss auf, sondern setzen sich bei den Hausaufgaben fort. Dennoch ist über die Hausaufgabenpraxis bei LS wenig bekannt. Fragestellung: Ziel war es, die familiäre Hausaufgabenpraxis bei Kindern mit und ohne LS längsschnittlich zu untersuchen. Methode: 82 Eltern (davon 47 von einem Kind mit LS) wurden zu vier Zeitpunkten befragt und latente Veränderungsmodelle gerechnet. Ergebnisse: Eltern von Kindern mit LS berichteten mehr Kontrolle und Konflikte bei den Hausaufgaben und nahmen ihre Hilfe als weniger kompetent wahr. Auch forderten sie von ihren Kindern weniger Anstrengung ein. Längsschnittlich nahmen bei beiden Gruppen die Hausaufgabenkontrolle sowie die familiäre Belastung ab. Diskussion und Schlussfolgerung: Die schwierigere Hausaufgabensituation bei Kindern mit LS legt nahe, das Thema bei der Diagnostik anzusprechen und zu eruieren, wie die Familien entlastet werden können.

How Do Parents Support Homework Behavior in Children With Learning Disorders? A Longitudinal Study

Abstract. Theoretical Background: Although research suggests that parents become more involved in the homework process when their child exhibits problems in school, most research has not focused on children with learning disorders (LDs). Therefore, little is known about how parents of children with LDs support their children’s learning. In addition, only a few longitudinal studies exist, even though parental homework involvement is likely to change throughout schooling. Objective: Parental homework involvement for children with and without LDs during the transition from primary to secondary school was examined. Specifically, we investigated (a) interindividual differences in the amount of homework support provided by parents of children with and without LDs, as well as (b) the linear trend and the interindividual stability of parents’ homework involvement. Method: In this 2-year longitudinal study, 82 parents (47 parents of a child with LDs) completed a questionnaire on homework involvement at four measurement points every 6 months. The questionnaire consisted of four scales: (a) parental competence regarding help with homework, (b) parental homework control, (c) parent–child conflicts during homework, and (d) parents’ effort attribution. Results: Bivariate correlations between the scales were mostly insignificant with two exceptions: (1) the more competent parents felt in helping with homework, the more they made use of control, and (2) parents who made more use of homework control, reported more parent–child conflicts than parents who controlled their child’s homework to a lesser extent. Latent change score models revealed that parents continuously reduced homework control over the 2-year period and that parent–child conflicts during homework also significantly decreased – both for families of children with LDs and those without. The interindividual differences between parents, however, remained relatively constant over time, suggesting high rank-order stability of parental homework involvement. The results further showed that compared with parents of children without LDs, parents of children with LDs reported a higher frequency of homework control and increased homework conflict. They also felt less competent to effectively help with homework. Significant group differences were also found concerning parents’ emphasis on effort: Parents of children with LDs attributed school success less strongly to effort. Discussion and Conclusion: Overall, the study showed that the homework situation is more stressful in families of children with LDs than in those without LDs. The longitudinal results further support the idea that parental homework involvement does not remain consistent over time but rather undergoes some changes as children grow older and transfer to secondary school. Thus, caution is warranted when generalizing results from cross-sectional studies on parental homework involvement to different grade levels.