The Changing Nature of Parent–Teacher Communication: Mode Selection in the Smartphone Era

Abstract

Parent–teacher communication continues to evolve due to smartphones and other new communication technologies. In all, 1,349 parents completed the Parental Academic Support Scale to assess the frequency and importance of communication across modes. Confirmatory analysis revealed a good model fit. Media richness theory was applied to parents' qualitative and quantitative responses to understand the communication modes parents now select to communicate with teachers at the P-12 level. The data revealed an increase in parents' preference for frequent e-mail communication as well as for emerging modes of parent–teacher communication such as text messaging and social media. Implications for media richness theory and changes to parent–teacher communication are discussed.

Keywords:

• Parental Academic Support
• Media Richness Theory
• Technology
• Smartphones
• E-mail
• P-12 Level