Validation Study of the Family Involvement Questionnaire–Elementary Version With Families in Belize - Assessment for Effective Intervention 2021, Vol. 46(3) 238-243

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Marglet

This validation study examines the factor structure of the Family Involvement Questionnaire–Elementary Version with families in Belize. Data were collected from 185 primary caregivers of children in primary education settings, who completed the questionnaire to assess educational involvement. Results show that the Belize factor structure was not congruent with structures previously found in samples from the United States and New Zealand. Exploratory factor analysis supported a five-factor solution spanning home-school communication, expectations and monitoring, educational support, school and community involvement, and school attendance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Keywords

Family involvement background in Belize

Measurement approach and need for validation

Family Involvement Questionnaire–Elementary Version (FIQ-E) overview

Validation findings and rationale for context

Validation Study of the Family Involvement Questionnaire–Elementary Version With Families in Belize Assessment for Effective Intervention 2021, Vol. 46(3) 238–243 © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2019 Article reuse guidelines: [sagepub.com/journals-permissions](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[ ](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[DOI: 10.1177/1534508419862857](DOI: 10.1177/1534508419862857)[ ](DOI: 10.1177/1534508419862857)[aei.sagepub.com](aei.sagepub.com) S. Andrew Garbacz, PhD 1, Garret J. Hall, MS 1, Kaitlyn Young, MS 1, Yen Lee, MS 1, Rachel K. Youngblom, PhD2, and Daniel D. Houlihan, PhD3 Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure of the Family Involvement Questionnaire–Elementary Version with families in Belize. Participants were 185 primary caregivers of children in primary education settings in Belize. Caregivers were given the Family Involvement Questionnaire–Elementary Version to measure their educational involvement in their children’s schooling. Findings indicated the factor structure of the Family Involvement Questionnaire– Elementary Version in Belize was not congruent with the factor structures with samples from the United States and New Zealand. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a five-factor solution: (a) home-school communication, (b) home expectations and monitoring,(c) educational support,(d) school and community involvement, and (e) school attendance. In light of similar measurement studies in the literature, these data indicate that family educational involvement varies across geographic and cultural contexts. This suggests that interventions and policies to improve education outcomes via family involvement ought to consider the unique structure of families’ involvement in the educational system. Keywords Belize, elementary school, family, family educational involvement, home-school collaboration Family educational involvement (hereafter referred to as family involvement) refers to a family’s support for their child’s academic, social, and behavior development (Pomerantz, Kim, & Cheung, 2011) . Families can be involved in school decisions, participate in school events, and serve on school teams as they collaborate with educators to improve cross-setting supports for children (Christenson & Sheridan, 2001) . The variety of ways families support their children are often overlooked, pointing to a need to better understand how families from different backgrounds support their children (Garbacz & Sheridan, 2011) . This is critical as understanding the myriad of ways families support their children can inform intervention development and progress monitoring (Sheridan, Smith, Kim, Beretvas, & Park, 2019) . Belize has received little attention in the literature and has a need to better understand family involvement (Näslund-Hadley, Alonzo, & Martin, 2013) . Research on family involvement in Belize is limited. Descriptive findings have reviewed the landscape of family involvement in Belize and have found needs and opportunities for families in Belize education systems, such as concerns with youth violence and a lack of parenting support (United Nations Children’s Fund, 2011; Youngblom & Houlihan, 2014) . Although research examining family involvement in Belize is not well developed, decades of research in other countries demonstrate the importance of family involvement for children’s academic, social, and behavior success (Pomerantz et al., 2011; Sheridan et al., 2019). Family involvement is positively associated with student academic performance (Fan & Williams, 2010) and negatively associated with student behavior problems (Sheridan et al., 2019) . In fact, research in Belize examining maternal cognitive engagement with preschool age children found positive associations with children’s literacy skills (Yildirim & Roopnarine, 2017) . Family involvement is of particular concern in Belize due to disparities across geographic settings (Inter-American Developme

FAQs

What is the purpose of this study in Belize?

To examine the factor structure of the Family Involvement Questionnaire–Elementary Version with families in Belize so it can inform effective interventions.

Who participated and how was family involvement measured?

The study included 185 primary caregivers of children in primary education settings. Caregivers completed the FIQ-E to measure educational involvement in children’s schooling.

What did the factor analysis reveal?

Exploratory factor analysis suggested a five-factor solution: home-school communication, home expectations and monitoring, educational support, school and community involvement, and school attendance.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Marglet