Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Abstract
The aim of the present research was to study the effects of parent education on reading literacy performance of fourth grade students based on PIRLS 2006 data. After refining the data, the research sample totalled 4731 students studying in 4th grade in the elementary school who had participated in PIRLS exam. The scales used in this study were taken from reading background questionnaires for parents’ educational level, number of books at home, early reading abilities, early learning abilities, and reading literacy total scores that were used to arrive at the structural equation modeling for studying direct and indirect effects and total effects of Parents’ educational level (exogenous variable) on number of books at home, early reading performance, early reading abilities variables (endogenous variables). After confirming the latent variables measurement models and fitting the structural complex model, results demonstrated that the model under examination had goodness of fit with data. Effects of Parents’ educational level on number of books at home and reading literacy variables were significant. In the total model all of the direct effects were significant, but the effects of parents’ educational level on early reading performance and early reading abilities variables were not significant. Effects of parents’ educational level on 'early reading ability' were positive. Effects of Parents’ educational level on 'reading literacy achievement' was significant and could predictive 25% percent of this variance, and 67% percent of the number of books at home. Effects of parents’ educational level on early reading performance were negative, and not significant. Effect of the Number of books at home on reading literacy performance and early reading abilities were positive and significant. Effects of this variable on early reading performance was positive but not significant. Effects of number of books at home on early reading performance was negative and significant. Effects of early reading performance on reading literacy performance and early reading activities were significant, although the effects of this variance on reading literacy performance were negative but significant.
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