New Directions in the Conceptualization and Operationalization of the Home Learning Environment

• Published in: Journal of educational psychology 2023-01, Vol.115 (1), p.160-172
• Main Authors: Wirth, Astrid, Stadler, Matthias, Birtwistle, Efsun, Niklas, Frank
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Child Development; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Development; Concept Formation; Early literacy; Educational Environment; Evaluation Methods; Families & family life; Family; Family Characteristics; Family Environment; Female; Foreign Countries; Home education; Home Environment; Home Study; Human; Kindergarten; Kindergarten Students; Learning Environment; Linguistic Competence; Linguistics; Male; Mathematical Ability; Mathematics Skills; Multitrait Multimethod Techniques; Outcomes of Education; Recognition (Psychology); Young Children
• ISSN: 0022-0663; 1939-2176
• DOI: 10.1037/edu0000749

The Home Learning Environment (HLE) focuses on everyday learning habits in families to support the development of children's early cognitive competencies. A growing number of studies have assessed the HLE by using different conceptual approaches and various assessment methods, often focusing on either the home literacy environment or the home numeracy environment. However, it is still unclear whether the 2 dimensions of the HLE are separable constructs and which assessment method is best suited for assessing the HLE, making it difficult to interpret and compare different study results. In the current study, we used multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) analyses to compare 3 common methods for assessing the HLE and their relations to various outcomes of kindergarten children. Our sample consisted of 2 independent cohorts of children (N1 = 190, N2 = 310) with an average age of 61 months (SD = 4.6). In both cohorts, the MTMM matrix showed a substantial effect of common methods and indicated a 1-dimensional HLE construct indicated most strongly by the children's book title recognition test (TRT-VS). Even when controlling for child and family characteristics (i.e., intelligence and socioeconomic status), the HLE was statistically significantly related to both the mathematical competencies and the linguistic competencies of the child in a structural equation model. This pattern of results was found consistently across both cohorts. We discuss the significance of a 1-dimensional HLE construct and its different assessment methods in the light of implications for future research and interventional approaches. Educational Impact and Implications Statement The purpose of this study was to investigate the theoretical concept of the Home Learning Environment (HLE) and its different operationalizations. The authors found that both, the home literacy environment (HlitE) and the home numeracy environment (HnumE), are cohesive parts of a global HLE. A literacy exposure list, asking parents which book titles their child knows, was most indicative of children's HLE. This study further shows that the HLE is associated with children's mathematical and linguistic competencies in kindergarten-even when child and family characteristics are controlled for. Consequently, as the HLE is of great significance for children's development, knowledge about the conceptualization and suitable assessment methods of the HLE are crucial to investigate these associations as precisely as possible.