Goal Setting Engages More Caregivers in Online Math Homework than Instructional Support
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| Title: | Goal Setting Engages More Caregivers in Online Math Homework than Instructional Support |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Conrad Borchers (ORCID |
| Source: | Grantee Submission. 2025Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL 2025) (20th, Newcastle and Durham, UK, Sep 2025). |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 16 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Institute of Education Sciences (ED) |
| Contract Number: | R305A220386 |
| Document Type: | Speeches/Meeting Papers Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Junior High Schools Middle Schools Secondary Education Elementary Education Grade 8 |
| Descriptors: | Parent Role, Caregiver Role, Homework, Middle School Students, Mathematics Education, Tutoring, Goal Orientation, Rewards, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Grade 8, Technology Uses in Education |
| DOI: | 10.1007/978-3-032-03870-8_5 |
| Abstract: | Parent and caregiver involvement in homework can be critical to student success, yet many families face barriers such as limited time and content knowledge. We examine two approaches to involving caregivers in homework that students complete with tutoring systems for middle school mathematics. The first, an intelligent caregiver support module, provided real-time, step-level tutoring guidance and SMS notifications to caregivers. The second, a goal-setting contract based on prior non-digital homework interventions, facilitated structured agreements between caregivers and students to set homework goals and rewards. We conducted two four-week studies in American middle schools with diverse student populations, totaling 75 students, to determine which approach engages more households. After low initial adoption of the tutoring support module, the goal-setting contract was introduced at the second study site. While only 12% of the families enrolled in the tutoring feature, 55% engaged with the goal-setting contract when given the opportunity, a significant increase. Short interviews with students and teachers further emphasized the role of household participation--extending beyond parent-child dyads--as siblings frequently assumed homework support roles, contributing to higher engagement with goal-setting. We contribute novel evidence that caregivers were more likely to engage with tools enhancing motivational roles than with real-time instructional guidance in technology-supported homework. Specifically, goal-setting emerges as a low-friction strategy to enhance student engagement while mitigating barriers that limit direct instructional support. [This paper was published in: "Two Decades of TEL. From Lessons Learnt to Challenges Ahead. EC-TEL 2025. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 16063," edited by K. Tammets et al., Springer, 2026.] |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| IES Funded: | Yes |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | ED676616 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Parent and caregiver involvement in homework can be critical to student success, yet many families face barriers such as limited time and content knowledge. We examine two approaches to involving caregivers in homework that students complete with tutoring systems for middle school mathematics. The first, an intelligent caregiver support module, provided real-time, step-level tutoring guidance and SMS notifications to caregivers. The second, a goal-setting contract based on prior non-digital homework interventions, facilitated structured agreements between caregivers and students to set homework goals and rewards. We conducted two four-week studies in American middle schools with diverse student populations, totaling 75 students, to determine which approach engages more households. After low initial adoption of the tutoring support module, the goal-setting contract was introduced at the second study site. While only 12% of the families enrolled in the tutoring feature, 55% engaged with the goal-setting contract when given the opportunity, a significant increase. Short interviews with students and teachers further emphasized the role of household participation--extending beyond parent-child dyads--as siblings frequently assumed homework support roles, contributing to higher engagement with goal-setting. We contribute novel evidence that caregivers were more likely to engage with tools enhancing motivational roles than with real-time instructional guidance in technology-supported homework. Specifically, goal-setting emerges as a low-friction strategy to enhance student engagement while mitigating barriers that limit direct instructional support. [This paper was published in: "Two Decades of TEL. From Lessons Learnt to Challenges Ahead. EC-TEL 2025. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 16063," edited by K. Tammets et al., Springer, 2026.] |
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| DOI: | 10.1007/978-3-032-03870-8_5 |
