Identifying effects of personal boundaries, confidence, and age, on texting use for teacher communication with parents

Multiple studies have shown that parental involvement increases student academic success. Teacher-parent communication is an integral type of parental involvement. This study evaluated how personal boundaries (political and safety), confidence, and age predict the use of texting by teachers for teacher-parent communication. Using a survey instrument, this study collected quantitative data about types and frequency of technology use for teacher-parent communication, along with texting confidence and personal boundaries. Open-ended qualitative responses were collected to explain the use of texting by teachers in more detail. The sample included 149 teachers in south Texas, with a relatively equal distribution of grade levels: elementary school, middle school, and high school. Binary logistic regression was used to determine how personal boundaries, confidence, and age predict a teacher's use of texting. Analyses revealed that as a teacher's personal boundaries decrease, their likelihood of belonging to the group of teachers who will text parents increases. Teachers' confidence and age did not prove to be statistically significant. This research indicates that the digital divide in adults is not as wide for socio-economic groups with respect to cell phone ownership, so cell phones and texting might be an important way to contact all parents regardless of socio-economic status creating valuable teacher-parent relationships for all.