Exploring Factors of the Parent-Teacher Partnership Affecting Learning Outcomes: Empirical Study in the Early Childhood Education Context

Abstract

The quality of early childhood education is influenced by partnerships between parents and teachers. This research aims to measure the influence of different factors of the parent-teacher partnership, namely, communication, cooperation, and parents' participation on the early childhood learning outcomes. This research also measure the effect of teacher-parent cooperation in mediating the influence of teacher-parent communication on the learning outcomes and the effect of parental participation in moderating teacher-parent communication on the learning outcomes. The study used a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional survey design among 183 parents of young children in Padang. The data were collected using questionnaires, which were analyzed using a Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis. The results indicate that the early childhood education learning outcomes are (1) positively influenced by teacher-parent communication and (2) parental participation, (3) except teacher-parent cooperation. Besides, (4) the teacher-parent communication positively influences teacher-parent cooperation. (5) The teacher-parent communication does not mediate the influence of teacherparent cooperation on the children’s learning outcomes, and (6) the parents’ participation does not moderate the influence of teacher-parent communication on the early childhood education learning outcomes. The results of this research contribute to identifying the importance of parents in early childhood learning outcomes through partnerships with teachers.