Technology As a Tool for Engagement: Findings from a Technology-Based School Engagement Program for Students and Families

Background: Both student and family engagement in school are linked to academic outcomes. Schools also are increasingly using technology as a tool for engagement. Many districts have one-to-one (1:1) programs, which provide all students with access to a computing device, and online learning platforms to communicate and collaborate with parents. Few studies, however, examine technology interventions to increase student and family engagement together. Additionally, despite the growing presence of technology in education, many families do not have access to technology and reliable internet service in their homes thus limiting its potential to improve engagement. It also is clear that “one size does not fit all” when it comes to family engagement. Recent family engagement theory points to the importance of mutually beneficial two-way relationships between schools and families, rather than traditional parent-as-volunteer involvement. The current study explored the potential of a technology-based engagement intervention to improve both student and family engagement.

Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design, all student participants received a 1:1 program and the randomly assigned intervention group received a take-home tablet with internet access. Parents in the intervention group also participated in four workshops. 63 students completed pre/post-surveys on three types of engagement and academic motivation. 21 parents completed pre/post-surveys on perceptions of school support, empowerment, and school experiences. Mixed models multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) examined differences in students’ school engagement and academic motivation between the two groups at pre- and post-test. T-tests were used to compare scores for the parent variables between the two groups and to compare potential changes in scores over time for the same variables within the intervention group only.

Results: For students, MANOVA yielded an overall effect for time (Wilks λ = 0.80, F(4, 58) = 3.67, p = 0.01, η² = .20). Univariate analyses indicated significant decreases in affective engagement and academic motivation for both groups. The overall effect for time x group was not significant (Wilks λ = 0.87, F(4, 58) = 2.19, p = 0.08, η² = .13). Univariate analyses indicated significant time x group effects for academic motivation only, with scores for both groups decreasing. Parents in the intervention group felt the program improved engagement with their children’s learning. At post-test, only school support scores differed between the groups (t(19) = -3.08, p = .01, g = 1.36), with the intervention group reporting greater perceptions of school support at post-test than the comparison group. There were no statistically significant differences in scores over time for the intervention group.

Conclusions and Implications: This study indicates that technology-based engagement programs may have limited impact on student and family engagement. Students reported lower affective engagement and academic motivation, as well as no change in behavioral and cognitive engagement. Parents in the intervention group, however, were more confident in their ability to engage in their children’s learning and felt more supported by the school. Future research should examine how student and family engagement interact to produce academic outcomes, as well as continue to examine how 1:1 programs influence engagement.