This quantitative critical review summarizes a study that examined the influence of parental involvement in primary school children's mathematics homework on academic performance. The original study used survey data from over 4000 Australian children and families to analyze the relationship between parental help with homework and math achievement. This review finds that the original study had a clear rationale, reviewed relevant prior literature, and appropriately used a correlational research design and statistical analysis methods to address its research questions. Some limitations noted include a lack of specificity regarding math achievement in the stated research questions and not describing the ethical procedures for the secondary data used.

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A Quantitative Critical Review
Saleh Alshehri
Introduction
This assignment is a quantitative critical review of the study entitled, “Parental influence on
primary school children’s mathematics achievements: Insights from the longitudinal study of
Australian children”. The study was conducted by Colin Carmichael and Amy MacDonald in
2016, and published by the International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years
Education. Their aim was to measure the effectiveness of parental involvement when helping
their children complete their homework in Australian primary schools. Specifically, it sought
to determine whether the influence of parents would have a positive impact upon their
children’s performance in mathematics, at a primary school level. The researchers choose a
quantitative method, as it relied on statistical and mathematical approaches, in order to analyse
a current phenomenon and examine certain hypotheses (Bryman, 2016). Thus, in its overall
critique of the study, this paper will aim to analyse its main elements, focusing on research
conceptualisation, design, data, reliability and validity, as well as any limitations of the study,
and subsequently followed by a conclusion.
Critique of conceptualisation
Creswell (2012) states that an adequate rationale is important in research studies, as it reveals
the reasons behind conducting the research. In this study, the rationale is clear, as it was
determined by the research gap, which attempts to enrich this field of research and be
considered in the future (O'Dwyer & Bernauer, 2014). In recent years, standardised testing in
primary schools was introduced in Australia, which was due to the concerns that student
participation and achievement in mathematics during these schooling years was inadequate.
This in turn, put pressure on mathematics teachers, as well as children, to enhance and improve
academic performance. In light of this, the researchers explored homework as one of ways that
contributes towards increasing achievement.
The introduction of their article gave a synopsis of the research, which comprised of justifying
the purpose of the study, the importance behind such a study, the methodology and its overall
findings. Additionally, based on previous studies, the researchers indicated in their

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introduction, the problems that can occur from the involvement of parents on students’
performance in mathematics.
Having a good and clear introduction can help the reader to understand why a particular
research should be conducted (Bryman, 2016). Clearly, this study has a well written
introduction, which grasped the reader’s attention and illustrated the subject matter
appropriately and succinctly. Furthermore, in a good research paper, it is important to have a
broad knowledge about the topic by drawing upon the literature from previous research. In
their paper, the researchers discussed the topic from different angles, using contrasting and
comparative research data to illustrate sufficient knowledge pertaining to this issue, and to also
provide a balanced, unbiased account of the various perspectives. This can help the reader to
have a deeper understanding of the study as a whole, and the main focus of it (Creswell, 2012).
For example, based on the existing literature, Carmichael and Macdonald (2016) managed to
discuss the issue from a global context, as an attempt to illustrate the link between the children’s
performance and their homework in mathematics. Conversely, they also discussed the issue
from a local context, tackled by Australian researchers, which subsequently helped them to
determine the research gap for this issue. That can be seen in the literature review, where they
discussed the work of Horsley and Walker (2008). They also mention that, although Horsely
and Walker studied the link between parental involvement and homework, they were not
specific in any particular subject. In other words, they did not examine how effective the
involvement of parents was during homework, when it came to helping their child achieve in
a specific subject, like Mathematics or English. Creswell (2012) asserts that linking the current
study to previous studies is important, as it helps the current study to overcome any limitations
that are previously identified, which would therefore improve the quality of the research.
Consequently, the research questions were formulated to address the gap in the literature. As
for the first question, it was to find out: “Are Australian parents of primary school children
involved in their children’s homework”. This was followed by the second question, which was
to measure, “how beneficial is this involvement?”. From these questions, particularly the latter,
it is clear that the researchers directly aimed to fill the gap of the study by Horsley and Walker
(2008). Moreover, the research questions refer to the aim of the study, which sought to explore
parent involvement in primary children’s homework, and how that can be of benefit in the
Australian context. That said, one may note that the researchers’ questions could have been

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defined and described with greater accuracy, which may have subsequently led to the data
being collected without a clear objective (Bryman, 2016).
Additionally, the researchers did not refer specifically to the achievement of mathematics in
their research questions (the subject under investigation) which in turn, may have resulted in a
confusion about the main objective of the study, and a contradiction between the research
questions and the existing literature (Ary, Jacobs, Irvine, & Walker, 2018). Thus, the mention
of mathematic achievement in the research questions could have easily clarified the focus of
the study.
Appropriateness of design
Carmichael & MacDonald’s (2016) study used a correlation design to determine the study
purpose. The importance of conducting correlational design research is that it helps the
research’s conductors to compare more than one variable, in order to indicate the similarities
and differences. This would then bring forth a proper prediction of the results, without the
interference of the variables Creswell (2012). In their paper, the researchers stated they relied
on the data of 4,050 children at kindergarten level to respond to the research questions. This
data was provided by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), which ensured validity and
credibility concerns of the research were met.
In order to reduce any errors in the results of the data, it is important for researchers to use data
samples that reflect the reality of the population (Bryman, 2016). In this study, the collection
of information was good; this is because, during the analysis of the data, the researchers
primarily relied on data from the LSAC, which was related to the questions of the parents and
the teachers through the questionnaire. Their findings, therefore, were largely from those who
had a direct relationship with the children who had homework.
The procedures adopted in the data collection was appropriate for the aim of the study because
the research scope was based on a national context. However, as the research budget was
limited, it was difficult to conduct a comprehensive search throughout Australia based on
preliminary data. Therefore, as a suitable alternative, it was a good decision to use trustworthy
secondary data for the research. Additionally, the process of collecting the data was illustrated
in clear manner, as the outline for the content of the questions were properly provided. For
example, out of all the data they had received from the LSAC (4050 samples), they reported
that they had focused on 2,624 children. They further elaborated upon why the data for 2,624,

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out of 4050 children, on mathematics’ achievement was available. Therefore, there was a
priority in data collection and analysis, which can be determined based on its link to the
research questions.
A further critique in the research design also found that the researchers did not refer to the
ethical procedures that were employed during the data collection stage. There may be an excuse
for this, possibly owing to the reliance on the secondary data, but this too was not made clear.
Ethical problems are essential for research studies, especially when dealing with primary data,
because they may carry special data, which can cause problems if it is not handled carefully
(Bryman, 2016). For this reason, the data that is available to the general public was used; this
could explain why they did not choose to mention the ethical measures that were supposed to
carried out in this research.
Quality of analysis
It is important in the research procedure to mention the type of approach that one adopts when
analysing data (Creswell, 2012). In this review section of their research, Carmichael and
MacDonald (2016) explained that they adhered to a quantitative methodology for the analysis
of data. They also showed the type of statistical tests that were used, and the reasons behind
them. These are all good signs to the study of correlation in research. The researchers also
mentioned their use of multiple variables in a convenient way, which was to facilitate their use
in testing their hypotheses on class data outputs. They have shown how they narrowed the
control variables that are relevant for the achievement in mathematics. The extract was
therefore clear and easy for the recipient to understand.
Furthermore, Bryman (2016) believes that, for a research study to be effective, it is vital to
have a clear description of the analysis procedure. This can explain why some procedures were
conducted and how they can affect the overall result. Thus, the researchers in this study
described how they used the bivariate analysis, where the level of relation between there
variables were approximately 5%. In a similar manner, with the mathematical achievement that
were controlled by the primary school children, the description of multivariate analysis was
clear, which clarified the relationship between the variables used in this research. That said, for
this section in particularly, the data was difficult to read unless one has a broad knowledge of
statistics and its technical language. Creswell (2012) asserts that researchers should articulate
their analysis in such a manner, that it is easy to be understood by normal leaders. In this regard,

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a review of the researchers’ data analysis showed that they wrote their data analysis discussion
in a complex way, which seems to suggest that they did not expect it to be read outside of the
academic environment.
Many researchers, such as Heale and Twycross (2015), stress a great deal upon the importance
of addressing the issue of reliability and validity of data analysis. As for this study, the
researchers succeeded to adequately address key reliability and validity issues. For instance,
they clearly stated that their analysis of data undertook waves, and each wave followed a
particular way to narrow the variables of the data. This led to the elimination of redundant data
that may have affected the credibility of the achievement result. Hence, the validity and
credibility of this research seems reliable, which is useful for academic research relating to the
topic of this research in the future. Moreover, the study used bivariate and multivariate analysis,
which led to an increase in research credibility, as well as convince the reader about the
researchers’ claim. Bryman (2016) states that conduction bivariate and multivariate analysis
can illustrate how the variables are related, and demonstrates a profound understanding of
conducting quantitative research.
Critical reading of the findings
Newby (2014) explains that one should sync the research findings of a study to the data that
has been collated, and to then relate this back to the existing literature pertaining to this area of
research. By fulfilling this criterion, it will ensure the data is reliable and that it can be relative
to other research in a similar area. That is to say, the research data can be used for current and
future research. That in turn, would help other researchers to conduct more research relating to
topic issues, owing to any upcoming gaps in the literature (Punch & Oancea, 2014).
In this study, the researchers successfully related their finding to the literature. For example,
when the researchers reviewed the literature, they referred to some studies that found a strong
correlation between the parents’ involvement and how this helped their children achieve at the
primary school level. Thus, in light of the findings of their own study, the researchers built
upon this and came to a conclusion that, not only can parent involvement have a positive
correlation on children’s achievement, but more importantly, is the need to create a supportive
environment where children can finish their homework without disturbance. Furthermore, the
researchers found out that limiting television viewing hours can also result in an increase in
children’s achievement. However, the children’s performance would decrease, as there was an
active involvement of the parents (just over a quarter - 27.5%), by helping in doing the

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homework. In this regard, therefore, it seems as though this research has met the requirements
of what constitutes as good research findings, as it presents a solution that can help to fill a gap
in the literature (Bryman, 2016).
Furthermore, a well-developed research study is one that can successfully answer its research
questions from the results section (O'Leary, 2017). As previously mentioned, in this study, the
researchers had three main research questions that they were aiming to find answers for:
1. “To what extent are Australian parents of primary school children involved in their
children’s homework, and how beneficial is this involvement?
2. What type of involvement is most beneficial?
3. To what extent does socioeconomic position (SEP) influence the impact of parental
involvement?”.
After evaluating the findings/results of the study, it is evident that the researchers addressed all
of their research question in an adequate manner. In answering to the first question, the findings
showed that the involvement in homework from the Australian parents had a direct link to the
parents’ expectation of their child’s future. Additionally, the conclusion to the second research
question pointed out that the most beneficial tactic to help their children do their homework
was the restriction time allocated by the parents on the children viewing television. Lastly, the
findings of the third research question revealed zero interface with regards to SEP and the
contributions made by the parents towards their child’s homework.
Therefore, one may conclude that the findings within this study, and the subsequent analysis
of these findings, were sufficient in effectively answering the research questions that were
posited. This shows how the researchers were determined to keep the study in line with seeking
answers for these particular questions, and that they maintained their focus on achieving the
aims that they initiated from the beginning of the study.
Validity of limitations
One of the important sections in scientific research that all research studies are required to
address, is any weaknesses and/or limitations that may have an effect on the results of their
study (Creswell, 2012). The researchers recognised that their sample was limited, since it
contained a smaller proportion of participating parents with children who had disabilities
(6.3%) than what was expected, as this category made up the majority of the 1426 children that
were excluded from the study. This exclusion was due to data that was missing from their
responses. That said, such statements by the researchers may not necessarily indicate a negative

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impact on the findings, as one may assume the parents with disabled children are likely to react
similarly to parents with children of no disability. Even if this is the case, this limitation
presents the prospect for future investigation, which can explore the differences (if any)
between parents that have children with disabilities and parents with children of no disability.
The second limitation of the study relates to cost. The research had a limited resource, which
prevented the researchers from conducting an extensive inquiry pertaining to this issue. That
is, in order to conduct primary research throughout the whole country of Australia, the
researchers would have needed to secure a substantial financial resource. However, due to the
cost of primary research and the limitations of financial funding, relying on secondary research
was more feasible, and would also enable them to cater for the issue of funding whilst carrying
out a valid research conclusion.
Conclusion
By adopting Creswell’s (2012) framework for evaluating a quantitive approach in research, the
study under review has met the main denote specifications, which indicate a good quality
standard of research. The presented paper by Carmichael and MacDonald (2016) effectively
articulated the purpose behind their study in a clear statement, which was to, “examine the
extent of parental involvement in primary children’s homework and their benefits in the
Australia context”. Additionally, they illustrated the significance of their study as a means of
aiding both parents and teachers who are seeking help in working with their children’s
homework. The study, therefore, presents a valuable argument on how to deal with children’s
homework, by offering a detailed explanation in a clear language for stakeholder to benefit
from. (2750 words)
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Carmichael, C., & MacDonald, A. (2016). Parental influences on primary school children's
mathematics achievement: insights from the Longitudinal Study of Australian

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