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The long-term role of the home learning environment in shaping students’ academic attainment in secondary school

Pam Sammons (Department of Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK)
Katalin Toth (Department of Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK)
Kathy Sylva (Department of Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK)
Edward Melhuish (Department of Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK AND Institute for the Study of Children, Families and Social Issues, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK)
Iram Siraj (Early Years and Primary Education, The UCL Institute of Education, UCL, London, UK)
Brenda Taggart (Early Years and Primary Education, The UCL Institute of Education, UCL, London, UK)

Journal of Children's Services

ISSN: 1746-6660

Article publication date: 21 September 2015

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships between the characteristics of the home learning environment (HLE) and students’ academic attainments in secondary school in England at age 14 and 16.

Design/methodology/approach

This research study uses multilevel statistical models to investigate the strength and significance of relationships between various measures of the HLE at ages three, six, 11 and 14, and students’ academic attainment in secondary school.

Findings

Multilevel models show that early years HLE and specific dimensions of later HLE are positive predictors of students’ later academic attainment at age 14 and 16, when the influence of various individual, family and neighbourhood characteristics are controlled.

Originality/value

The paper presents unique findings on the role of the HLE in shaping students’ academic success at secondary school, including a range of measures of the HLE obtained at different ages. The results show that the early years HLE measured at age three continues to show effects on later attainment, over and beyond the effects of later HLE and other significant influences such as family socio-economic status and parents’ qualification levels.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This study is part of a research project funded by the Department of Education, UK

Citation

Sammons, P., Toth, K., Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Siraj, I. and Taggart, B. (2015), "The long-term role of the home learning environment in shaping students’ academic attainment in secondary school", Journal of Children's Services, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 189-201. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-02-2015-0007

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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