Learning in the Family Parental Engagement in Children’S Learning with Technology Intuitive Media Research Services Sponsored by Becta Learning in the Family

Learning in the Family Parental Engagement in Children’s Learning with Technology Intuitive Media Research Services Sponsored by Becta Learning in the Family

Learning in the Family Parental Engagement in Chil- dren’s Learning with Technology By Intuitive Media Sponsored by Becta November 2008 Version 1.6

A report on research by Intuitive Media Re- search Services with children, aged 6-13, who are members of the SuperClubsPLUS and GoldStarCafe Protected Learning Com- munities.

First Published: November 2008 ISBN: 978-1-906171-03-2 Published by Intuitive Media Research Services.

Research Director: Robert Hart. Intuitive Media Research Services Rutland Mill, Coombs Road, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1AQ, UK. Tel.: +44 (0) 1 629 814 936 “I help him searching on Fax: +44 (0) 1 298 871 685 Google, we will search Email: [email protected] together. www.intuitivemedia.com www.superclubsplus.com I will be with him when he www.goldstarcafe.net is doing his homework in the same room and ask Intuitive Media asserts its moral rights as source of the data and author of this report him all the time what he is and requires that if you presents or dissemi- doing. nate any part of the report in any format, you will give Intuitive Media appropriate and He generally knows where prominent credit as source. he can and can’t go. IM makes no warranty for the currency, ac- curacy or completeness of this report and is We play the games to- not in any way responsible for any decisions gether, but apart from or actions you may take as a result of using that he knows how to the report. work it better than me. - Mother of Joe, Year 5 © Copyright 2008 Intuitive Media Research Services

Contents

Foreword 2 The Children 3 Key Findings 4 Family Profiles 7 Meet Jack 7 Meet Lauren 9 Research Methods 11 Learning at Home - Children Speaking 13 Children using technology at home 13 Internet access at home 15 Children’s Internet activities 17 How the Internet fits into children’s lives 19 Schooldays 19 Weekends and holidays 23 Learning in the Family 28 Family supervision 28 Family involvement in children’s learning 32 Learning with Parents - Children Speaking 37 With what do parents help? 37 How do parents get involved? 42 When do parents get involved? 45 Help from mother and father 46 What do children learn with parents? 53 Better parental involvement 63 Parents Speaking - Family Interviews 65 Mother knows best 66 Do parents think it’s important to help? 67 How much do parents help? 68 What stops parents helping? 69 Do parents expect to help more of less in future? 69 What support do parents need? 70 Where can parents turn for support? 72 IM Research Services 75

Foreword

The Children’s Plan suggests the next steps for improving children’s lives in the UK must be taken in partnership with parents and children and this is manifested in the Government’s £300m Home Access project which provides computers and internet access to families to en- hance learning at home. This research takes a timely look at how 4600 children currently learn with technology in the context of their families.

Children Using Technology Parents Collaborate Intuitive Media has a rare degree of access Parents were also encouraged to collaborate to a large population of authenticated UK with their children: school children aged 6-14 – members of IM’s Safe Social Learning Networks, Super- “84% parents said that use of ClubsPLUS and GoldStarCafe. They are SCP encouraged parents to willing and able research participants, highly collaborate with their children motivated and they generally take time to on school work.” give thoughtful, reliable responses. So we can research the thinking and behaviour of This study looks more closely at the nature children, who regularly use ICT in their learn- of this collaboration between parents and ing at home and at school. children, and we ask: How do parents engage with children Children Take Learning Home learning with new technology at Technology enables children to take their home? learning home. 60% of activity in IM’s learn- How can fathers and mothers better ing communities happens at home. In April support their children’s learning? 2007, LTScotland commissioned independent research on children, teachers and par- We conducted two online surveys, the first ents in SuperClubsPLUS (SCP). They found with a sample of 4606 children aged 6 to 14, and the second, going into more depth with “The majority of parents said a further 2535 children drawn from a rigor- their children used SCP at ously authenticated population of 150,000 home. 56% said SCP was used children across the UK. To understand more daily. 44% said it was used sev- about how the family became involved with eral times a week.” children’s learning, we then interviewed twelve families. So, if we want to understand how learning with technology happens in the context of A word about using this book. If you just the family, these children can help. want the headlines in 5 minutes, read the Key Findings. If you have 10 minutes and Parents Value Children’s Involvement want an overview of how the Internet fits in children’s daily lives and how they get in- We also know from the LTScotland research volved in learning in the family, read the two that parents value their children’s involve- Family Profiles. If you want the full and de- ment with the online community: tailed story, then read about the three sur- “Parents saw improvement in veys and the detailed results. ICT skills and independent We hope you will find this insight into learn- working as a result of using ing in the family as fascinating as we did. Be SCP. Most parents believed us- prepared for surprises! ing the community had im- Robert Hart proved children’s interest in Director of Research Intuitive Media Research Services learning. 84% said it had raised their child’s attainment”

the Internet to learn, create, communicate The Children and collaborate with friends and teachers online – so in that respect they are a genera- Intuitive Media conducted this research with tion of “digital natives”. the membership base of IM’s Protected Learning Communities, which provide for Authenticity over 150,000 UK children aged 6 – 14 years, and over 16,000 of their teachers. Intuitive Media’s Safe Social Learning Net- works offer a unique opportunity to effec- IM aims to give children a say in their lives tively reach and research an audience of and to give decision makers access to the authenticated children and teachers. We authentic voices of (otherwise hard-to-reach) know with the highest degree of certainty young people. This means that young peo- that they are real children of the stated age ple’s views are seriously considered and and gender. children can influence contemporary, educa- tional, social and economic policy making. Children in both communities are rigorously authenticated. They are recruited and vali- This project was supported through a re- dated through their schools. First their search grant by Becta. teachers are individually authenticated before they join the community, and then they nominate their pupils to membership, sup- plying the children’s names, age and gender to Intuitive Media.

This ensures our surveys and the data they generate are of the highest authenticity and validity and is derived from significantly large samples.

www.SuperClubsPLUS.com

www.GoldStarCafe.net

The children, who participate in the research are members of www.SuperClubsPLUS.com (for primary) and www.GoldStarCafe.net (for secondary children). Previous research with Ipsos Mori examined their collective demog- raphy and found that this maps broadly to current UK norms of ethnicity, religion and location. They are therefore broadly representative of their generation.

Their day-to-day activity in the online learning communities, however, gives these children significant experience of using ICT and

Key Findings

It is clear from this research that many children use the Internet at home with their parents. Their mothers are particularly engaged with their homework and formal learning and take an interest in their online safety. Fathers join in to a lesser extent but encourage children with the fun aspects and help them with their hobbies.

Access to technology at home 20% of children used their mo- Almost all children had access to a computer bile phones to get online, 17% and the Internet at home. used their games console and 92% of children said they used 15% used a hand held gaming a computer or laptop at home. device.

This corresponds to the findings of Becta’s Boys are twice as likely to use their games Harnessing Technology Review 2008, where console to access the Internet. 92% of parents of school aged children said they had Internet access at home. Accessing the internet via the The majority had access to handheld de- games console was twice as vices, games consoles and mobile phones. high among boys than girls 65% used a handheld device (23% boys; 12% girls). such as a Sony Playstation Internet use at home Portable (PSP), Apple iPod or Overall children spend most of their Internet Nintendo DS and the same time for socializing, play and their own re- number used a games console search rather than for formal learning and such as the Sony Playstation 2 homework. or 3, the Nintendo Wii or the On a typical school day, nearly six in ten go XBox. Overall 58% used mobile online as soon as they come home from phones. school (58%). Slightly fewer children use the Overall it’s girls who have the edge in use of internet after their evening meal (56%). new technologies at home. Boys were more likely than girls “Almost all girls (94%) said they to use the Internet before used a computer or laptop school and just before bedtime. compared with only (88%) of How the Internet ﬁts into family life. the boys. Girls are also more likely to watch TV (76% girls; Spending time with the family comes top of 68% boys) have mobile phones the agenda for children during the school week, but the Internet has become a very (64% girls; 50% boys) and hand important part of children’s day. held devices (68% girls; 61% boys). Boys are a little more On a typical school day, chil- likely to have games consoles dren spend 119 minutes with (69% boys; 62% girls). their families, 79 minutes on the Internet, 72 minutes playing Internet access at home with friends , 68 minutes watch- Most children (91%) used a computer or ing TV, 48 minutes playing com- laptop to access the internet at home, with a puter Games, 42 minutes read- minority using other devices. ing for pleasure, 36 minutes on

homework and 33 minutes on How do parents help? the phone or mobile. Parents are most likely to help with technical problems on the computer and with using Family supervision the internet for formal learning and home- When children use the internet at home, the work. majority say that someone else is in the room with them (63%). Three quarters of children (77%) asked their parents for help Most children were supervised using the internet for home- by their mothers (44%), fol- work while only 42% asked par- lowed by father (35%) and sib- ents for help with fun activities. lings (25%). Parents who do help become closely in- Nearly half the children use the internet in a volved with their children’s internet use. communal family space (49%), but one third use it in their own bedrooms (30%). 83% of parents who helped, checked what their children did Of those who used the Internet online. 75% explained things in the privacy of their own bed- and 72% answered children’s rooms, 53% were boys and 47% questions. 61% talked to the were girls. child about what he or she was doing and 59% praised or en- Family engagement couraged the child when using Most of the children (55%) who had the the internet. 52% checked their Internet at home said they did get help from their families. 43%, including more boys and children’s computer history. older children, claim nobody helped them. Unfortunately, children report, a large minor- Mothers are more likely to help than fathers. ity of parents get irritated with their children for staying on the internet for too long or for Of those who were helped by asking questions or asking for help. parents, 53% were helped by Mum and 47% by Dad. Just over a third of children (36%) said that parents get an- The majority of children (about eight in ten) help other family members use the Internet. noyed with them for asking They mostly help Mum and Dad, then sib- questions or asking for help. lings, grandparents, other family members and neighbours. Mothers take the lead Overall, mothers are more likely than fathers 59% of Mums got help from to engage with their children using new their children compared with technologies especially when it comes to 41% of Dads. Overall mothers formal learning or research. Fathers are more were more likely than fathers to engaged with solving technical problems engage with their children and fun activities. when they used the Internet. Mums were twice as popular as Becta’s Harnessing Technology Review 2008 helpers with 50% of children suggests “There is relatively little evidence to choosing Mum to help, versus date on the use of technology to support 22% choosing dad. family learning”, but there does seem to be The mothers were the mostly experienced strong evidence here that, at least for mem- and capable computer and Internet users. bers of these social learning communities, Half the 12 families in the telephone inter- there is evidence of children and parents view sample reported that the mother used helping each other and learning together. the computer and the Internet most.

The mother and the child were equally likely to be the computer and Internet expert in the family, ahead of the fathers and siblings.

What do children learn from parents? Children say their parents help them learn a huge range of skills: how to type faster, how to prepare presentations, spreadsheets or use programmes such as Word or Paint. They learn specific skills like copying and pasting. using email, playing online or computer games, using SuperClubsPLUS or GoldStarCafe, downloading and uploading content. They learn how to do homework or projects for school and they learn about online safety.

Keeping children safe online In all the families interviewed, the parents restricted the child’s Internet access – half of them through direct supervision and a quarter each by restricting the sites children visit or by using site-blocking software. Three quarters of the mothers said they knew mostly everything that their children did on the Internet. “If she is just using Su- Commitment to learning perClubs, she doesn't All the parents interviewed thought it was need any help, it's just important to help children with the internet other areas of the inter- because of its relevance in society. They also see it as an vital learning tool. Some parents net. If she has a club or stressed that the internet is only one among activity after school, she many things they help their children with, would go on the internet and they see helping children learn as an essential aspect of parenting. after tea, otherwise she would go on before time. Improving parental engagement 40% of children surveyed wanted to see an Her skills are already bet- improvement in parental involvement. ter than mine, so I would The majority of children who like to be able to keep up. wanted improvement said they I trust her at the moment, would like their parents to have but I’m not sure I will more time to help (84%). About half (52%) said it would help if when she's a teenager. At parents knew more about com- the moment I think I give puters or the Internet. her enough help, but I Many of the parents who were interviewed would like to do more in said they would like to learn more through the future.” online courses, through the television or through their school or local college. – Mother of Alice, Year 4

Family Profiles

The two profiles below are fictional, but are representative of the majority of the boys and girls we surveyed, and give an idea of how the Inter- net fits into children’s daily lives and how their parents become involved in their learning at home. The parental quotes have been com- piled from interviews with a number of families.

Meet Jack

Jack is 11 years old. He lives in Leeds with his Mum and older sister and stays with his Dad every other weekend.

He’s a popular pupil in Class 6, St Mary’s Primary School. He’s learning to play golf and his dad takes him motorbike riding every weekend.

Jack has his own mobile phone, a Sony PSP, X-Box 360 and a laptop. He goes on SuperClubsPLUS every day for about an hour when he gets in from school and sometimes he logs on first thing in the morning or just before bedtime. He plays computer games for about half an hour a day, which is more than his sister, although he watches less TV than her,

“He uses the xbox 360 and chats with friends remotely. He would have the internet on at the same time looking for cheats. He would have half an hour's homework each day about 6.30-7.00, but it doesn't always involve the internet.” – Mother

He often goes on the Internet in his own bedroom on his X- Box 360, but his Mum pops in to keep an eye on what he’s doing and to see if he needs any help, particularly with his homework, which she usually checks for him after the evening meal.

“It depends what he's doing. A school project would require some help, but on SuperClubs he doesn't need any help. I would help if asked or if I saw he was struggling.” – Mother

Jack also helps Mum with the Internet and he shows his grandmother how to find the websites she likes.

“He knows where to go for good websites that he's been shown at school or by a friend.” – Mother His Dad does help him with the Internet, but not so much as his Mum and mostly on hobbies and fun activities. Some- times Dad plays computer games with him. At the weekends Jack’s dad lets him go on the Internet when he likes.

“[At weekends] he would use the internet during the early evening. [He also] goes motorcycling and plays golf [with his Dad]. He would watch TV or play on the games console if it’s raining. On the internet [it would] be SuperClubsPLUS.” – Mother

Jacks Mum takes Internet safely very seriously and she thinks she pretty well knows everything he does on the Internet.

“It's important to teach skills of how to use the computer and internet efﬁciently as it's an essential tool in today's society and education system. Teaching internet safety is increasingly important as they get older and become more independent in their use of the internet, especially when peer pressure to join unsafe social networking sites arises.” – Mother

Jack likes his parents being engaged with him on the Internet, especially his Mum. In fact he wishes they had even more time to help him and he’d be happier if they knew a bit more about computers so they could explain things better.

“My dad teaches me how to use microsoft powerpoint/excel/word etc. and emails because he knows a lot about that because of his job. He taught me lots of things in excel and also some shortcuts (he he) because he does a lot of spreadsheets at work and home. Both me and my dad play a game online called Runescape, and he taught me a new way to train and make money on it. Mum helped me on the internet when I was researching for my money, money, money topic. She helped me because she explained all the information and helped me to understand it.” – Jack Jack’s Mum agrees with Jack and wishes she did know a bit more. She would like to do a computer course online or at the local college, or even use the school facilities or watch a TV programme that helps parents understand the Internet better.

“They used to do free computer courses. I don't know if they still do them, but I know that I did them... Pathways. You can always self-help, can't you? Self-learn... You just go on and start exploring. People are scared of them as well, some people are scared of technology. Yeah, I've seen programmes on TV, especially these abbreviations that the child uses. Yeah, so I do think that those sort of things are, you know, good for parents to know. (Interviewer: Abbreviations for what?) If they're talking in chat rooms and things like that, there's certain abbreviations, like 'parent over shoulder' POS... makes you more aware of what's going on. If they don't want you to see something, they'll either minimize it quick or put something like that.” – Mother Jack’s Mum certainly takes the lead in helping him learn at home with the Internet. In fact Mum thinks that she and Jack are the best computer experts in the family. It was Mum who decided they should have the Internet and chose the Internet Service Provider and Mum knows how to fix the computer most of the time. Dad helps out less but, he still helps – especially with the fun things.

Meet Lauren

Lauren is 12 years old. She lives in Ealing, London with her mum and dad. She’s in Year 8 at her secondary school.

She’s into fashion, High School Musical and X-Factor and she’s a keen swimmer.

She has a computer and she usually goes on GoldStarCafe (GSC) for an hour when she gets in from school. Sometimes she sends GSC emails with her Nintendo DS Lite after dinner, but she finds it’s sometimes tricky getting the wifi sorted. She also has her own mobile phone, which she uses every day for a short time, but she doesn’t have a games console like her younger brother. She plays computer games on her DS for a little while most days, but prefers to watch TV.

“She would go on GoldStarCafe ﬁrst when she gets in from school - 3.30-4.30. She often does sports. Once or twice she would like to look things up, shopping and things. She goes onto swim shops and looks online for different items. She will look up things for homework for school, maybe once a week, but it depends on how often she is set homework. She does a lot of making invitations [on the computer], for birthdays, Barbeques, and prints them off.” – Mother

She goes online in the family living room, where Mum keeps a close eye on her and is always on hand to help. She spends more time helping and being helped by Mum than her younger brother does.

“Mum helps me with loads of things. She tells me about not giving personal details out, she will help me download pictures from the digital camera to the computer, or help with searching on Google.” – Lau- ren

Lauren’s Dad works long hours, so he doesn’t have so much time to help. When he does it’s with fun stuff rather than formal learning.

“Her dad works long days, so [he doesn’t help] as often. [They would go on] Ebay for pursuing hobbies and collectibles.” – Mother

Lauren wishes both her parents had more time to be on the Internet with her, but overall she prefers to work with Mum rather than Dad.

“A few months ago, i had a French test at school, so my mum sat with me and searched the internet for a good French website

for kids. She wrote down all the main words and phrases to remember, then she tested me on it. I passed my test with ﬂying colours, and I think it was all because of her help.” - Lauren

Mum likes helping Lauren, particularly with her homework.

“Her geography homework was to find five places in the world that are special to [her], say why they are special and research facts about them. I helped her find suitable facts on Wikipedia, she then took the pictures and facts and pasted them into Word. I helped with sending it over the home network to the printer. – Mother

Lauren’s Mum takes supervision and Internet safely very seriously and she is committed to helping her child learn.

“It's important that they are supervised in a controlled environment and safeguarded from accessing any inappropriate sites. Getting involved and doing things together enriches a child's learning. Safety online is also important. If she is just using SuperClubs, she doesn't need any help, it's just other areas of the internet. Her skills are already better than mine, so I would like to be able to keep up. I trust her at the moment, but I’m not sure I will when she's a teenager. At the moment I think I give her enough help, but I would like to do more in the future.” – Mother

While Lauren’s Mum loves helping her daughter, she thinks that some other parents don’t help their children enough.

“Maybe they don't know enough about it or they can't be bothered... Maybe they haven't got time or they're not the sort of parents that help their children.” – Mother She thinks the school could do more to inform parents.

“Run course so parents can increase their conﬁdence, … a meeting just to show the parents what the children can do [on the internet]. Parents don't realize how capable children are.” - Mother Although Mum thinks she knows enough to keep up with Lauren’s needs right now, she would still like to learn more.

“Knowing more about sites and security features, signs and what they mean. Things to look for - warning signs associated with unsafe sites. A home-based learning package would help as I have no childcare and can’t attend courses.” – Mother

Lauren, like Jack and thousands of her online friends, benefits greatly from her parents involvement in her learning and finds that the using Internet, and particularly her protected learning community provides an opportunity where she and her parents can learn together.

The analysis is differentiated by age and Research Methods gender. The free-text response analysis iden- tifies themes and patterns. The Surveys The family interviews were carried out by Intuitive Media’s research surveys are pub- telephone with twelve volunteer families. lished online and promoted in IM’s Protected While the sample was too small to be repre- Protected Social Learning Networks and the sentative, this survey did give further insight respondents are self-selecting volunteers. into how children and their families collabo- Children earn community “credits” for taking rate in their homes. We have collated and part, which they can accumulate and ex- quoted representative anonymized re- change for additional community features, sponses to illustrate emergent patterns and such as extra pages for their personal com- enrich the findings. munity websites. The community Mediators, who routinely communicate with the chil- At no point does the analysis identify indi- dren, stimulate their learning and protect vidual children. them online, actively promote the surveys and encourage children (and, where appropriate, teachers and parents) to take part. Children are told their responses may be read by influential people, who will consider their views when making decisions about their education and other aspects of their lives. Children are assured that no personally identiﬁable information will be passed on. Some previous IM Research can be downloaded from www.intuitivemedia.com The surveys are kept reasonably short and engaging for the children. The questions are The Sample expressed in age-appropriate language and The surveys were made available to children are non-influential and entirely child-safe. in the Intuitive Media Safe Social Learning Networks SuperClubsPLUS and GoldStar- Depending on many factors including the Cafe between May and June 2008. The sur- children’s interest in the subject, the weather veys were open to all children in the com- and competing major sporting events, the munities on a voluntary basis. surveys usually attract approximately 500 early-adopter responses from children in the first few days and between 1000-2500 re- Age & gender distribution sponses over a few weeks. The current sur- In both surveys, the largest proportion of veys attracted over 4000 respondents. respondents were 8 to 13 years old (Year Groups 4 to 8). less than 1% of responses The Analysis came from children under 7 years old and these were discarded. Overall there were The two online surveys included a mix of 16% more responses from girls than boys. multiple-choice and open questions, eliciting a blend of closed and free-text responses. Survey 1: Learning at Home The multiple-choice responses were sub- jected to quantitative analysis on-the-fly and 4606 children responded to the first survey, were updated instantly as new children age and gender breakdown as follows: submitted their completed surveys. Simulta- neously, we monitored the raw free-text Year Group Age range % responses. Year 3 7-8 8% Our research staff, experienced and qualified Year 4 8-9 15% in education, psychology and research Year 5 9-10 26% methodologies, conduct further qualitative Year 6 10-11 23% and quantitative analysis of the data, with a Year 7 11-12 4% range of robust tools used by academic Year 8 12-13 24% researchers worldwide. Survey 1: Distribution of respondents by year group

Survey 3: Family Interviews Intensive interviews were carried out by telephone with 12 families who volunteered to take part. Of the children in the family sam- Boys ple, 8 of the 12 were girls. The age range 41% Girls was: 59% Age Number of Children 9 3 10 7 11 2

Survey 1: Distribution of respondents by gender Survey 3: Distribution of respondents by age Survey 2: Learning With the Family Three families were from Scotland and nine 2535 children responded to the second sur- from England. Four out of twelve were single vey, age and gender breakdown as follows: parent families.

Year Group Age range % Year groups Year 3 7-8 10% The year group numbers we refer to in the Year 4 8-9 15% tables above and throughout the report are those in use in England. The equivalents for Year 5 9-10 25% the other UK countries are as follows: Year 6 10-11 18% Year 7 11-12 3% England Scotland N.Ireland Age Year 8 12-13 28% Year 8 Secondary 1 Year 9 12-13 Survey 2: Distribution of respondents by year group Year 7 Primary 7 Year 8 11-12

Year 6 Primary 6 Primary 7 10-11

Year 5 Primary 5 Primary 6 9-10 Boys Year 4 Primary 4 Primary 5 8-9 Girls 43% 57% Year 3 Primary 3 Primary 4 7-8

Year 2 Primary 2 Primary 3 6-7

Year Groups UK comparison

Survey 2: Distribution of respondents by gender

Learning at Home - Children Speaking

The first community survey established overall community behaviour in relation to learning at home in the family, looking at the following aspects of home learning: What access do children have to technology and the Internet?

How does Internet use fit into their daily lives?

When and where (in the house) do children learn in their online communities? How is their learning exposed to or hidden from the family?

Which siblings and parents get involved? How do children help their families and how do their families help them?

What tasks do family members help with?

How does involvement by mother and father vary?

Survey 1: Learning at Home 4606 children responded to the survey. The largest proportion of respondents were 8 to 13 years old (Year Groups 4 to 8). There were 18% more responses from girls than boys. Age and gender differences are included in this commentary only for those questions where they were significant. The responses from Year 1 and Year 2 were too few to be compared to other year groups so they have not been included in age comparisons.

Children using technology at home

Our fist aim was to establish what technology children in the sample used at home and how they accessed the Internet.

QUESTION: What technology do you use AT HOME? (tick all that apply)

Results:

Technology at Home All All% Boys Girls Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7

Computer / laptop 4224 92% 88% 94% 86% 90% 92% 93% 93%

TV 3348 73% 68% 76% 62% 67% 71% 75% 77%

Games console E.g: PS2/3, Wii, xbox 2999 65% 69% 62% 49% 59% 63% 71% 73%

Hand held device E.g:PSP, iPod, DS 2993 65% 61% 68% 48% 54% 63% 70% 68%

Mobile phone 2685 58% 50% 64% 31% 39% 51% 67% 74%

Digital TV 1794 39% 42% 37% 33% 29% 37% 41% 44%

Table: Technology children use at home

Summary: Technology Children use at Home 92% of children said they used a computer or lap- Computer / laptop 92% top at home. (Exactly the same level as reported in TV 73% Becta’s Harnessing Tech- Games console 65% nology Review 2008). 65% used a handheld Hand held device 65% device such as a Sony Playstation Portable Mobile phone 58% (PSP), Apple iPod or Nin- tendo DS and the same Digital TV 39% number used a games console such as the Sony 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Playstation 2 or 3, the %Children Nintendo Wii or the XBox. Overall 58% used mobile phones. See the Sum- mary table left. It is interesting to note the age at which children secure access to the technology. (See below). More children of all ages said they used a computer or laptop than used a television. A large majority of the youngest children (86%) had access to a computer. Around half of the youngest children (49%) had use of games consoles and hand held devices, rising to just under three quarters (74%) by the time they reached year 7. Three in ten (31%) of the year 3 children had a mobile phone, rising to over seven in ten by year 7. In Year 7 over 70% of children have use of a handheld device, a games console and a computer.

Computer / laptop Technology at Home - by Age TV 100% 92% 93% 93% Games console 90% Hand held device 86% Mobile phone Digital TV 77% 80% 75% 71% 67% 62% 60% %Children

40%

20% Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7

Technology at Home - by Gender

Computer / laptop 88% 94% When we compare use TV 68% 76% of technology by gen- Games console 69% 62% der, we find that almost all girls (94%) Hand held device 61% 68% said they used a com- Mobile phone 50% 64% puter or laptop compared with only (88%) Digital TV 42% 37% of the boys.

0% 50% 100% 150% 200% %Children

Boys Girls

Girls are also more likely to watch TV (76% girls; 68% boys) have mobile phones (64% girls; 50% boys) and hand held devices (68% girls; 61% boys). Boys on the other hand are a little more likely to have games consoles (69% boys; 62% girls).

Overall it’s girls that have the edge in use of new technologies at home.

Internet access at home

QUESTION: How do you usually access the Internet AT HOME? (tick all that apply)

Results:

Access to the Internet at Home All All% Boys Girls Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7

Computer/laptop 4214 91% 88% 94%

Mobile phone 916 20% 21% 19% 15% 15% 18% 22% 25%

Games console E.g: PS2 or 3, Wii, 764 17% 23% 12% xbox

Hand held device E.g: PSP, iPod, DS 697 15% 19% 12%

Digital TV 425 9% 12% 7%

Don't have Internet access at home 174 4% 5% 3%

Table: Accessing the Internet at home NOTE: We have included age differences only for the mobile phone and this is the only device where we found variation in terms of age.

Internet Access with Devices at Home Most children (91%) use a computer or Computer/laptop 91% laptop to access the inter net at home. Mobile phone 20% Other devices are Games console 17% coming into use with 20% of children using Hand held device 15% their mobile phone to get online, 17% use Digital TV 9% their games console No Internet 4% and 15% use a hand held gaming device. A 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% small minority (9%) go online via their %Children digital TV.

Access to the Internet at Home - by Mobile Phone 80% 74% Although 20% of children 67% use their mobile phones to access the Internet, this is 60% fewer than the number who 51% own phones. The chart (right) shows that while 39% about half of the year 3 40% 31%

children say they use their %Children mobiles to access the Internet, and Internet ac- 20% 25% cess rises with volume of 22% ownership as children get 18% 15% 15% older, it is clear that only 0% about a third of year 7 mo- Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7 bile owners use them to access the Internet. Access by Mobile Mobile ownershhip

Access to the Internet at Home - by Gender

Computer/laptop 88% 94%

Mobile phone 21% 19%

Games console 23% 12%

Hand held device 19% 12%

Digital TV 12%7%

No Internet 5%3%

0% 50% 100% 150% 200% %Children

Boys Girls

Accessing the internet via computers corresponds exactly with volume of ownership and is independent of gender. (See below) Accessing the internet via other devices, however is higher among boys, especially via the games console, which is twice as high among boys than girls (23% boys; 12% girls). This is not explained by the slightly higher ownership of games consoles by boys (69% boys; 62% girls) and shows a clear preference by boys or a difference in capability between boys and girls.

Children’s Internet activities

QUESTION: AT HOME, how often do you use the Internet to do these things? Results:

At least About Every Less Don't Internet Activity once a once a [Often] day often know week month

Community websites, E.g: Su- 7% 80% 47% 33% 6% 4% perClubsPLUS or GoldStarCafe

Play games 47% 31% 7% 6% 6% 78%

Emailing 37% 32% 7% 7% 8% 69%

Find information for other things 30% 33% 14% 9% 8% 63%

Homework 29% 33% 11% 11% 7% 62%

Instant messaging 31% 24% 6% 7% 13% 55%

Listen/download music 31% 21% 13% 11% 8% 52%

Use a chat room 21% 17% 7% 8% 10% 38%

Internet activity at home Note: Results are sorted by the last column ‘Often’ which refers to using the internet for this activity ‘every day’ or ‘at least once a week

Internet Activity - Often Favourite uses of the internet among members of SuperClubsPLUS or Community 80% GoldStarCafe are visiting their community websites and then playing games Play games 78% online. Around eight in ten children take part in these activities every day Emailing 69% or at least once a week (80% commu- Information 63% nity websites; 78% playing games - see ‘Often’ in table above). Homework 62% Other popular activities are sending Messaging 55% emails (69%) - which they do within Music 52% their communities and finding information for things other than school (63%). Chat room 38% This is closely followed by using the internet for homework (62% every day 0% 40% 80% or at least once a week).

%Children Overall children say they use the Inter- net more for socializing, play and their own research than they do for formal learning in the form of homework.

Internet Activity - Every Day by Gender Girls engage in all activities less on a daily basis. For Play games 54% 42% example, more than half of Community boys play computer games 49% 42% every day (54%) whereas it’s Emailing 40% 35% only four in ten (42%) girls. Messaging 36% 28% One in three boys use the internet for homework every Music 36% 27% day (34%), but only one in Information four girls (26%). However, 35% 26% girls tend to do this more on Homework 34% 26% an at least once a week basis (36% vs 28% boys). Chat room 27% 17%

. 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% %Children

Boys Girls

How the Internet fits into children’s lives

School days

QUESTION: On a school day, when do you usually use the Internet at home? (tick all that apply)

Results

Internet use – school day All% Boys Girls Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7

Before school 19% 24% 14% 14% 24% 22% 19% 16%

Just before I go to bed 24% 26% 23% 23% 20% 25% 23% 34%

After my evening meal 56% 51% 56% 61% 50 50% 52% 53%

As soon as I get home from school 58% 60% 61% 56% 61% 60% 60% 53%

Chart: Internet use on a School Day Going online has become part of children’s regular evening routines. The fact that many children use the internet as soon as they get home from school shows how important this technology has become in their daily lives. On a typical school day, nearly six in ten children say they go online as soon as they come home from school (58%). Slightly fewer children use the internet after their evening meal (56%). One in four go online just before they go to bed (24%), and almost two in ten before school (18%).

Older children are more likely to access the Internet before bedtime but less likely to access before they go to school.

Internet Use – School Day - by Childʼs Gender 150%

100% 61% 56%

%Children 50% 23% 14% 60% 51% 24% 26% 0% Before school When I get home After evening meal Just before bed

Boys Girls

Boys are more likely to use the Internet before school and just before bedtime. Girls are a little more likely to go online after the evening meal.

QUESTION: On a typical school day, how much time do you usually spend on these activities?

Results:

About Children’s Activity - 10 min About 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 Don’t None 30 5+ hrs school day or less 1 hr hrs hrs hrs hrs know min

On the Internet (at home) 7% 7% 20% 20% 15% 8% 4% 3% 7% 9%

Doing homework 11% 18% 32% 19% 7% 3% 1% 0% 2% 7%

Watching TV 11% 11% 20% 16% 15% 8% 4% 2% 5% 9%

Reading, not for home- 13% 23% 26% 14% 8% 3% 2% 1% 3% 7% work

Playing computer games 16% 19% 23% 14% 9% 5% 2% 1% 4% 8%

Spending time with family 9% 7% 10% 12% 13% 10% 7% 5% 17% 9%

With friends after school 18% 11% 11% 12% 11% 10% 5% 3% 6% 11%

Using phone/mobile 27% 34% 13% 6% 3% 2% 2% 1% 4% 10% phone

Chart: Children’s Activity on a School Day The table, below, summarizes children’s activities on a typical school day – counting those who do each activity from 10 min or less to 5+ hours; excluding “None” and “Don’t know”:

84% use the Internet at Home Childrenʼs Activity - Weekdays mostly for between 30 min to about 2 hours, Internet 84% 82% do Homework - mostly for about 30 min, Homework 82% 82% spend time with their Family Family 82% - with the highest % spending 5 hours or more, TV 80% 80% watch the TV - mostly for between 30 min and 2 hrs, Reading 80% 80% - spend time Reading, other than for their homework, taking Games 76% 10 min or less to 30 min, Friends 71% 76% play computer Games - mostly for 10 min or less to 30 Phone/mobile 63% min

71% spend time with Friends 0% 30% 60% 90% after school - varies, from 10 min %Children or less to 3 hours.

63% use their Phone or mobile - mostly for 10 min or less.

The chart, below shows the Aggregated Time children spent on these activities. This refers only to those children who said they did something (excluding “None” respondents) and could say what time they did (excluding “Don’t Know” respondents). It was calculated by the sum of the number of minutes spent multiplied by the percentage of children who spent that number of minutes. Since children were asked to indicate a range of time spent on activities, the number of minutes is taken as a conservative estimate or the me- dian of each range, i.e:

10 min About About RANGE: 1-2 hrs 2-3 hrs 3-4 hrs 4-5 hrs 5+ hrs or less 30 min 1 hr

MINUTES: 5 20 50 90 150 210 270 330

Childrenʼs Activity - Aggregated Time - Weekdays

Family 119 Internet 79 Friends 72 TV 68 Games 48 Reading 42 Homework 36 Phone 33

0 26 52 78 104 130 Child-Minutes Chart: Children’s Activity - Aggregated Time - Weekdays Spending time with the family comes top of the agenda for children during the school week, taking 119 minutes of children’s time, but the internet has become a very important part of children’s day. On aggregate, children spend 79 minutes on the Internet on a typical school day and watch TV for 68 minutes per day. On a school day, children spend more time on the Inter- net than they do playing with their friends after school or watching TV. The amount of time spent with family members varies from child to child and from family to family. This is the activity on which the highest proportion of children spent 5 hours or more (17%) and the aggregate is 119 minutes a day, but it is likely to be one that coincides with other activities, such as watching TV, doing homework or even using the internet.

Doing homework takes up less time for most children. About one third (32%) say they spend about half an hour on it on a typical school day (36 minutes on aggregate).

It seems that children still enjoy reading for pleasure. Eight in ten children (80%) claim to do reading other than for homework, which is done for short periods of time, mostly ten minutes or less up to half an hour (42 minutes on aggregate).

Three in four children play computer games on a typical school day (76%), which also mostly takes up just ten minutes or less up to an hour. (48 minutes on aggregate).

Seven in ten children (71%) spend time with their friends on a weekday evening. The amount of time for this activity varies between ten minutes or less and three hours. (72 minutes on aggregate). Nearly two thirds of children (63%) use the phone or mobile phone on a typical weekday, but mostly for a relatively short period of time. One third (34%) spend ten minutes or less on it, and 27% say they don’t use a phone at all during school days. (33 minutes on aggregate).

There aren’t many differences between boys and girls and the different age groups, apart from younger children spending less time using the phone/mobile phone (especially Year 3 and Year 4).

Family Interviews We asked parents:

QUESTION: On a typical weekday, what does your child do when they get home from school?

Below are examples of how children fit using the internet/computer into their weekday evenings:

One hour can be used for computer and/or games console usually after tea. - (Mother of Callum, Year 7)

She is responsible for feeding the dog, she might do some exercise or take the dog for a walk, she can watch children's TV between 5 and 6 while I’m getting the dinner ready as long as it doesn't interfere with what her father wants to watch, and free time in her room if she wants to. She isn't allowed to go and play on the computer without any direct supervision. She would go on straight after school. - (Mother of Rosanna, Year 5)

Get changed, spend time in her room if she has friends round, go on the computer – she prefers that to the TV – tea time, dog walking, clubs. - (Mother of Alice, Year 4)

Homework ﬁrst, evening meal, then go on the internet. She would also read in the evenings. - (Mother of Annabel, Year 5)

He uses the xbox 360 and chats with friends remotely. He would have the internet on at the same time looking for cheats. He would have half an hour's homework each day about 6.30-7.00, but it doesn't always involve the internet. - (Mother of Jacob, Year 5)

She goes to her grandparents’ after school, she plays football twice a week, or she would go out on her bike. [When she comes in after school, she would do] homework, play on the games console or play outside, and sometimes to on the internet. - (Mother of Tracey, Year 4)

Evening meal ﬁrst, then SuperClubsPLUS, and play out with her friends depending on the weather. - (Mother of Ruth, Year 4)

She usually uses the internet when she has homework and will often stay online after she has ﬁnished to do other things such as go on GoldStar Cafe or play a game. - (Mother of Rachel, Year 8)

Read, homework, then go to bed. He doesn't use the internet that much during the week. He would use it when he comes in after playing outside after dark. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5)

She would go on GoldStarCafe ﬁrst when she gets in from school - 3.30-4.30. She often does sports. Once or twice she would like to look things up, shopping and things. She goes onto swim shops and looks online for different items. She will look up things for homework for school, maybe once a week, but it depends on how often she is set homework. She does a lot of making invitations [on the computer], for birthdays, Barbeques, and prints them off. - (Mother of Elizabeth, Year 8)

Weekends and holidays

QUESTION: At weekends and holidays, what times of day do you usually use the Internet at home? (tick all that apply)

Results:

Internet Use - Weekends and No ALL Boys Girls Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7 Holidays

Early evening 2383 52% 48% 55% 47% 50% 51 51% 56%

Late afternoon 2331 51% 50% 51% 45% 44% 50% 51% 56%

Early afternoon 2270 49% 50% 49% 50% 49% 51% 49% 46%

Late morning 2048 44% 43% 45% 38% 43% 45% 42% 46%

Early morning 1572 34% 38% 31% 41% 39% 33% 33% 29%

Late evening 1528 33% 34% 33% 24% 28% 30% 36% 39%

Children’s use of the Internet weekends and holidays

Internet Use – Weekends & Holidays - by Childʼs Gender 150%

100%

49% 51% 55% 45%

%Children 50% 31% 33%

50% 50% 48% 38% 43% 34% 0% Early morning Late morning Early afternoon Late afternoon Early evening Late evening

Boys Girls

At weekends and during holidays, Internet use among children rises over the period of the afternoon, peaking in the early evening. It is lowest in the early morning and late evening.

Outside of school days, Internet use in the early evening is higher among girls, whereas in the early morning more boys and also more younger children going online.

Internet use in the late evening use increases with age. Younger children are more likely to use the Internet in the early morning.

QUESTION: On a typical weekend or holiday, how much time per day do you usually spend on these activities?

Results:

10 About Time on activities - min About 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 Don’t None 30 5+ hrs weekend & holidays or 1 hr hrs hrs hrs hrs know min less

On the Internet 10% 9% 17% 18% 14% 8% 4% 3% 8% 8%

Watching TV 12% 11% 16% 15% 14% 10% 5% 3% 6% 8%

Playing computer 9% 5% 3% 2% 5% 7% 17% 16% 21% 15% games

Reading, not for 8% 4% 2% 1% 4% 7% 18% 21% 22% 13% homework

Doing homework 25% 18% 24% 13% 6% 2% 1% 1% 2% 8%

Spending time with 12% 11% 7% 5% 10% 10% 16% 8% 11% 11% friends

Spending time with 11% 10% 7% 7% 22% 9% 9% 7% 9% 9% family

Using phone/mobile 4% 2% 2% 1% 4% 9% 27% 29% 15% 7% phone

Time on activities - weekend & holidays The survey suggests that the balance of children activities at the weekend and during holidays is largely similar to time spent during the week.

Weekday Vs Weekend Activity Fewer children do homework outside of school days. Some 82% of children do homework Internet 84% 82% during the week compared with 67% on a weekend or holiday. Homework 82% 67% On a day off they are also likely to spend less time on their Family 82% 82% homework. 24% say they spend around 30 minutes on homework TV 80% 80% on a weekend compared with 32% on a weekday. Reading 80% 75% There are slight differences in time spent reading (not for Games 76% 76% school). 80% of children do this during the week compared with Friends 71% 74% 75% on a weekend/holiday.

Phone/mobile 63% 64% The number of children saying they spend five hours or more 0% 50% 100% 150% 200% with their family increases from 17% on a weekday to 22% on a %Children weekend/holiday.

Weekday Activity Weekend & Holiday

There are few differences between boys and girls and the different age groups, apart from younger children spending less time using the phone or mobile phone (especially Year 3 and Year 4).

Note: children can ﬁnd it difﬁcult to estimate time spent on an activity, therefore this data may be less reliable.

Childrenʼs Activity - Aggregated Time - Weekdays vs Weekends & Holidays

Family 119 138 Internet 79 97 Friends 72 80 TV 68 77 Games 48 56 Reading 42 45 Homework 36 35 Phone 33 32 0 65 130 195 260 Child-Minutes Weekdays Weekends & Holidays

Aggregate Time was calculated as above for weekdays.

Spending time with the family still comes top of the agenda for children during weekends and holidays (138 minutes), followed by time on the Internet (97 minutes), playing with friends (80 minutes) and watching TV (77 minutes).

Children say they spend more time on everything at the weekends and during holidays except on homework and using their phones. About one quarter (24%) say they spend about half an hour on homework at weekends and holidays compared to one third who spend about half an hour on a typical school day, however the aggregated amount of time they spend is almost the same during either period.

Family Interviews We asked parents:

QUESTION: On a typical weekend, what does your child do?

Below are examples of how children fit using the internet/computer into their weekends:

She will go on the internet when she asks to, rather than at a set time. She would watch a bit of TV, go on the PC, play, take the dogs for a walk, ride her bicycle, play with her friends, visit grandma, reading, or practise the piano or ﬂute - different things. - (Mother of Rosanna, Year 5)

Lots of family time and a lot of time playing rather than watching TV. Dog walking. The games console only on journeys and computer use depends on the weather. At weekends [we’re often] away in our motor home or visiting family. - (Mother of Alice, Year 4)

She will listen to music on the computer if she has a friend over. She goes to the park and on her bike or plays pool table and games. - (Mother of Tracey, Year 4)

Dancing on Saturday morning, rugby on a Sunday. She might go on Su- perClubsPLUS when she ﬁrst gets up. She [also] goes to her dad's. - (Mother of Ruth, Year 4)

He would use the internet during the early evening. [He also] goes motorcycling and plays golf. He would watch TV or play on the games console if it’s raining. On the internet [it would] be SuperClubsPLUS. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5)

She uses it [the internet] mostly during the week, but on and off at the weekend for the odd 10 or 15 minutes. [She does] sports mainly at the weekends. - (Mother of Elizabeth, Year 5)

Learning in the Family

The second part of Survey 1 was designed to establish which family members became involved with children’s learning, where and when they were involved, who supervised Internet access, who helped the children and who they helped.

Family supervision

QUESTION: When you use the Internet, who is usually in the room with you? (tick all that apply) Results

Who’s is in the room? ALL All% Boys Girls Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7

Mum, step-mum, female carer 2042 44% 38% 49% 51% 44% 44% 45% 46%

Dad, step-dad, male carer 1633 35% 31% 39% 39% 35% 36% 33% 37%

Nobody 1604 35% 35% 34% 24% 31% 33% 36% 38%

Brother 1187 26% 27% 25% 30% 27% 26% 27% 25%

Sister 1170 25% 23% 27% 31% 27% 26% 25% 24%

Grandmother 304 7%

Grandfather 276 6%

Uncle 248 5%

Aunt 247 5%

Female cousin 233 5%

Male cousin 214 5%

Female neighbour 165 4%

Male neighbour 147 3%

Don't have Internet at home 98 2%

Family Supervision

NOTE: We have included age and gender differences in the table only for those people who are most likely to be in the room with the child.

When children use the internet at home, the majority say that someone else is in the room with them (63%). In Supervision - Who is in the room? most cases this is their mother (44%), followed by their father (35%) or a Mum 44% sibling (brother 26%, sister 25%). Children who are supervised tend to Dad 35% be watched over by those closest in the family. Nobody 35% Smaller numbers are accompanied on Brother 26% their Internet use by grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins and neigh- Sister 25% bours.

This still leaves over one third of chil- 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% dren (35%) who use the internet on %Children their own which has implications for their safety online.

Of those children who were supervised by a parent, 55% were supervised by Mum and 44% were accompanied by Supervising Parent - Gender Dad.

Dad Mum 44% 56%

Internet Access - Motherʼs Supervision 60% 49% 51% 45% For all age groups, Mum is more likely 44% 44% 45% to be in the room than Dad. Parent supervision drops a little as children get older, but still almost half the chil- 30% 39% 39% 36% dren have their Mum on hand when 35% 33% they are on the Internet. %Children 15%

0% Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7 Age by Year Group

Mum Dad

Girls are generally more likely to be Supervising Parent - by Childʼs Gender supervised by both Mum and Dad. See below how boys are more likely to access the Internet in the privacy of Mum 38% 49% their own bedroom. Dad 31% 39%

0% 30% 60% 90% %Children

Boys Girls

QUESTION: Where in your home do you use the Internet? (tick all that apply) Results:

Location ALL Boys Girls Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7

Living room/lounge, dining room, kitchen 49% 45% 51% 51% 48% 49% 47% 44%

My bedroom 30% 32% 28% 26% 27% 29% 31% 36%

Study, home-office 29% 28% 29% 24% 27% 31% 27% 25%

Move around (laptop) 21% 16% 18% 20% 21% 20%

Parents' bedroom 10%

Sibling’s bedroom 10%

Hallway/landing 10%

Don't have Internet access at home 3%

Location of Internet use

NOTE: We have included age and gender differences in the table only for the major locations.

Nearly half the children use the internet in a Location of Internet Access communal space, such as the living room/lounge, Living/lounge dining/kitchen 49% dining room or kitchen (49%). A third use it in My bedroom 30% their own bedroom (30%). For another third, internet Study home-ofﬁce 29% access is located in a Move around (laptop) study or home-office 21% (29%). Two in ten children Parents' bedroom move around, using the 10% internet from different Siblingʼs bedroom 10% locations around the house as internet access Hallway/landing 10% is via a laptop (21%), and one in ten go online in No Internet 3% another bedroom of the house (parents’ bedroom 0% 25% 50% 10%, sibling’s bedroom %Children 10%) or in the hallway/ landing (10%).

Private Bedroom Access - by Gender Girls are more likely than boys to use the internet in a communal space. Of those who access the Internet in privacy of their own bedrooms, 53% are boys and 47% are girls. Girls Boys 47%

53%

Internet Access - My Bedroom As children get older they are more likely to 40% 36% access the Internet in their own private space. 35% 31% 29% This could be due to children wanting to 30% 27% spend more time in the privacy of their own 26% bedroom as they get older, but may also 25% result from parents trusting them more in %Children relation to internet use. 20%

15% Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7 Age by Year Group

Family involvement in children’s learning

QUESTION: When you use the Internet at home, who helps you? (tick all that apply)

Results:

Who helps children with Internet? ALL All% Boys Girls Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7

Nobody 2003 43% 43% 47% 41% 34% 40% 42% 45%

Mum, step-mum, female carer 1905 41% 41% 35% 46% 45% 44% 43% 41%

Dad, step-dad, male carer 1727 37% 37% 33% 41% 39% 36% 41% 35%

Brother 862 19% 19% 18% 18%

Sister 831 18% 18% 16% 20%

Uncle 421 9% 9% 9% 9%

Aunt 418 9% 9% 9% 9%

Female cousin 396 9% 9% 7% 9%

Grandmother 392 9% 9% 10% 8%

Male cousin 386 8% 8% 10% 8%

Grandfather 380 8% 8% 9% 8%

Female neighbour 212 5% 5% 5% 4%

Male neighbour 201 4% 4% 6% 3%

No Internet at home 108 2% 2% 3% 2%

Who helps children?

Note: We have included age differences in the table only for the main helpers.

Who Helps Children with the Internet at Home? Most of the children (55%) did get Nobody 43% help from their families or neigh- Mum 41% bours although 43% claimed that Dad 37% nobody helps them. Brother 19% Boys and older children are more Sister 18% likely to say that nobody helps Uncle 9% them, and more younger children Aunt 9% and girls claim they receive help Female cousin 9% from both their mother and father. Grandmother 9% Male cousin 8% Around three in ten children say Grandfather 8% either their brothers (19%) or sis- Female neighbour 5% ters (18%) help them, followed by Male neighbour 4% other family members who are No Internet 2% less likely to live in the same house and their neighbours. 0% 25% 50% %Children

Who Helps Children? - Family Closeness

Parents 77% The ‘closeness’ of the person helping seems to be more important than gender Siblings 36% (although we will see more evidence below that mums help more than dads). Uncles & aunts 18%

Interestingly 16% of children are helped by Cousins 17% their grandparents, and we note below that Grandparents 16% even more children give their grandparents some help. Neighbours 9%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% %Children

41% children say they get help from their Who Helps the Children - Mum or Dad? mother, step mother or female carer. (We will henceforth refer simply to the generic person who has the “mother” role.) Fa- thers, step fathers or male carer (“fathers”) lag a little behind at (37%). If we look only at those who say their parents help them, we see that 53% are Dad Mum helped by Mum and 47% are helped by 47% 53% Dad.

The Helping Parent - by Childʼs Gender

It is interesting to ask whether boys are more likely to seek the help of their fa- Mum thers, but it seems that boys are generally 41% 35% more likely to seek (or get) help from both Mum and Dad and it’s more likely overall to be Mum. Dad 37% 33%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% %Children

Boys Girls

QUESTION: Who do YOU help to use the Internet at home? (tick all that apply) Results:

Who do children help? ALL All% Boys Girls Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7

Mum, step-mum, female carer 2172 47% 42% 51% 37% 40% 46% 48% 48%

Dad, step-dad, male carer 1537 33% 30% 36% 26% 27% 33% 33% 31%

Brother 1303 28% 27% 29% 25% 24% 28% 30% 28%

Sister 1293 28% 26% 30% 23% 25% 28% 29% 24%

Nobody 940 20% 25% 17% 28% 27% 21% 18% 20%

Grandmother 921 20%

Grandfather 725 16%

Female cousin 611 13%

Aunt 595 13%

Male cousin 535 12%

Uncle 523 11%

Female neighbour 328 7%

Male neighbour 288 6%

No Internet at home 100 2%

Who do children help?

Note: We have included age and gender differences in the table only for the people children mostly help.

Who do Children Help with Internet at Home?

Mum The majority of children 47% Dad (about eight in ten) give help 33% Brother 28% on using the Internet to other Sister 28% family members. Nobody 20% Grandmother They mostly help Mum and 20% Grandfather Dad, then the siblings and 16% Female cousin grandparents, other family 13% Aunt 13% members and neighbours. Male cousin 12% Uncle 11% Female neighbour 7% Male neighbour 6% No Internet 2% 0% 25% 50% %Children

Who do children help - Family Closeness

Parents 81% As we found above children tend to engage with those closest in the family. Siblings 56% Grandparents benefit from children’s help in Grandparents 48% one in five homes (grandmothers 20%; grand- Cousins 25% fathers 16%). Uncles & aunts 18% Girls seem to be helping others with the inter- Neighbours net more than boys and older children more 13% than younger ones. 0% 30% 60% 90% %Children

Which Parents do Children Help? Interestingly, while mothers are the most likely to help a child on the Internet at home, they are also the ones who get the most help from children when they use the Internet. Almost half the children say they help their mothers (47%), followed by fathers (33%). If we focus only on Dad those that help their parents, then 59% of Mums 41% Mum get help compared with 41% of Dads. Overall it 59% seems that mothers are more likely than fathers to engage with their children when they use the Internet.

As we found earlier that girls are generally more likely to seek (or get) help from both Mum and Dad they are also more likely to Parent Helped - by Childʼs Gender give help to both of their parents. So it seems that overall that both parents are more likely to engage with their female Mum 42% 51% children when they use the Internet.

Mothers help more and get help more than fathers; girls get help more from Dad 30% 36% both parents and help their parents more than boys. This might be because 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% women and girls tend to engage in so- cially supportive behaviour more in %Children general.

It is encouraging to see that women are becoming so involved Boys Girls with new technology through their children.

How do children help their parents? We interviewed families in depth and asked the parents how their children helped them with the Internet

[His father] doesn't know how to [enter] the password and [Joe’s] helped him load it up before. We've got a special password that you load up before you go on the internet. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5)

Most parents described how their children helped the mother:

Creating ﬁles, saving documents, effective searching, inserting things into documents, doing an invitation. - (Mother of Alice, Year 4)

He knows where to go and good websites that he's been shown at school or by a friend. - (Mother of Richard, Year 5)

Not yet, but she probably will in the future. She is catching up fast. - (Mother of Emily, Year 6)

Effective searching. She has a knack of knowing what to type in. - (Mother of Annabel, Year 5)

She will explain how to look something up. - (Mother of Tracey, Year 4)

She helps me with loads of things. She tells me about not giving personal details out, she will help me download pictures from the digital camera to the computer, or help with searching on Google. - (Mother of Ruth, Year 4)

Nothing. My computer skills are advanced enough already. - (Mother of Rachel, Year 8)

She helps a lot. I lost something when I was emailing and she showed me what to do and sorted it out. - (Mother of Elizabeth, Year 5)

Learning with Parents - Children Speaking

The second community survey homed in on the detail of learning with parents, looking at the following aspects of parental involvement: Which parents get involved – when, where and how?

What do mothers do with the children? What do fathers do with the children?

How welcome is their involvement?

How do children think parental involvement could it be improved?

Survey 2: Learning with Parents 2535 children responded to the survey. The largest proportion of respondents were 8 to 13 years old (Year Groups 4 to 8). Overall there were 14% more responses from girls than boys. Age and gender differences are included only for those questions where they were significant. The Year 1 and Year 2 groups were too small to be compared to other year groups, and no filter was available for Year 8 respondents so these groups have not been included in age comparisons.

With what do parents help?

QUESTION: Do your parents ever get involved or help you with the following things? (choose one for each activity)

Any Who gets involved, when you use … Mum Dad Both None parent

I have a technical problem with the computer 21% 32% 28% 19% 81%

Internet for homework 30% 9% 27% 34% 66%

Internet to get information for other things 24% 12% 25% 38% 61%

Computer for homework (other than the internet) 26% 9% 25% 41% 60%

Internet to learn something (other than for school) 23% 10% 24% 44% 57%

CD-ROM on computer to learn something (other than 54% 20% 15% 19% 46% for school)

Play games on a games console 15% 12% 17% 56% 44%

Computer for fun (other than on the internet) 16% 8% 15% 60% 39%

Internet for fun 16% 7% 15% 62% 38%

How the family gets involved

With what kind of activities do parents get involved or help their children when it comes to using new technologies? We asked children whether their mother, their father or both parents helped them with a range of computer and Internet activities.

Considering helping from any one parent or both parents together, we can see that parents are most likely How do parents get involved? - Any Parent to help with technical problems on the computer (81%) and with using Technical problem 81% the internet for homework (66%). Internet for homework This is followed by using the inter- 66% net to get information for things not Internet for information 61% related to homework (61%) and Computer for homework using the computer for homework 60% (i.e. applications other than the Internet to learn 57% internet, 60%). A further 57% of CD-Rom to learn parents also help their child to use 54% the internet to learn something not Games console 44% related to school and 54% to use a CD-ROM on the computer to learn Computer for fun 39% something not for school. Internet for fun 38% Parents are less likely to become 0% 30% 60% 90% involved with children in play activities. E.g. playing on a games con- %Children sole (only 44% of parents get involved), or using the internet (38%) or the computer for fun (39%).

So most children report that their parents do get involved or help them with learning related activities on the computer and the Internet.

Which parent gets involved? A

Technical problem 21% 32% 28%

Internet for homework 30% 9% 27%

Internet for information 24% 12% 25%

Computer for homework 26% 9% 25%

Internet to learn 23% 10% 24%

CD-Rom to learn 20% 15% 19%

Games console 15% 12% 17%

Computer for fun 16% 8% 15%

Internet for fun 16% 7% 15%

0% 30% 60% 90% %Children

Mum Dad Both

Some differences emerge when we look at only one parent in the family helping (either mother or father) or both parents getting involved.

For most of the activities, the number of children (or families) where both parents get involved is similar to the number of children (or families) where it is the mother only who helps. In con- trast, the number of children (or families) where only the father helps is for most activities just between half to one third of the number of children with mothers only or both parents getting involved.

The main exception is one activity: helping to solve a technical problem with the computer. Here we can see more children (or families) where both parents help (28%) than mothers only (21%) and even more children (or families) where it is only the father who helps (32%). In two other activities the number of only fathers helping is similar to that of only mothers or both parents getting involved: playing on the games console (12% fathers only; 15% mothers only; 17% both parents) and using a CD-ROM on the computer to learn something not for school (15% fathers only; 20% mothers only; 19% both parents).

Overall, mothers are more likely than fathers to become engaged with their children using new technologies, either on their own or as a co-parent, especially when it comes to homework, learning or finding information. The exception is helping with a technical problem on the computer, playing on the games console or using a CD-ROM where fathers are equally or, in the case solving a technical problem, even more engaged.

Which parent gets involved? B

Technical problem 49% 60%

Internet for homework 57% 36%

Internet for information 49% 37%

Computer for homework 51% 34%

Internet to learn 47% 34%

CD-Rom to learn 39% 34%

Games console 32% 29%

Computer for fun 31% 23%

Internet for fun 31% 22%

0% 60% 120% %Children Mum Dad

In the chart, above, we have calculated the results in a different way, looking at the total number of mothers and fathers helping (rather than children with mothers only, fathers only or both parents helping). The first column is the number of children who say their mothers help, either as the only helper or together with the father (mothers only + both parents). The second column is the number of children say their fathers help, either as the only helper or together with the mother (fathers only + both parents).

In the first 6 activities there is a notable difference between mothers and fathers helping. Technical problems are more frequently addressed by fathers, but for all other activities, especially learning activities, mothers are more likely to be involved. Technology use in the family is clearly gender related and we can see parallels to other activities in family life: fathers being in charge of fixing things and mothers helping children with homework in general.

Among younger children (Year 3) engagement, from either parent alone or both parents together, is higher across all activities, apart from helping with a technical problem which is almost the same as the overall sample. The number of younger children saying it is only their mother who helps is also higher across all activities, even for solving a technical problem (mothers only 29%; fathers only 26%).

QUESTION: When you use the internet at home for HOMEWORK, do you ever ask your parents for help? (choose one)

Results

% of those Parents helping with Internet for Homework All All% who ask for help

No, I don't ask them for help 582 23% N/A

Both, my mum and dad equally 545 21% 28%

Both, but more my mum than my dad 509 20% 26%

Yes, my mum or step-mum or female carer 467 18% 24%

Both, but more my dad than my mum 245 10% 13%

Yes, my dad or step-dad or male carer 187 7% 10%

Parents’ help with homework activities

The third column includes percentages based on only those children who do ask for help.

When using the internet at home to do homework, three in four children say they Parent helping with Internet for Homework do ask their parents for help (77%). Of those that ask for help, 28% say they ask both parents equally. For those that Mum more ask only one parent, it’s more likely to be Mum (26%) than Dad (9%). 26%

If we look at those who ask both but prefer Mum over Dad and add those who Mum want Mum only, Mums are twice as Equal popular as helpers with 50% choosing 28% 24% Mum versus 22% choosing dad.

Younger children (Year 3) tend to ask DadDad more their mothers only more for help than 9% 13% both parents equally.

Father’s absence The results show that overall mothers are more involved in children’s learning activities with new technologies than fathers. It is worth considering whether this has anything to do with fathers being absent from the home.

According to the Office of National Statistics, 76% of UK children live in a two-parent and 23% in a one-parent household (21% with mother, 2% with father). See page 19 of the report: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_social/Social_Trends38/Social_Trends_38.pdf

If we assume that the sample of children from SuperClubsPLUS and GoldStarCafe is largely representative of the UK child population (a survey by Ipsos Mori showed that the total Super- ClubsPLUS and GoldStarCafe population was broadly representative) then the balance of 2- parent and single parent families should be similar to the UK norm.

In many cases in our data, the differences in the number of fathers and mothers getting involved with children’s learning are larger than could be explained by children living with their mothers only. Also, if children live with their mothers, that doesn't mean that the father doesn't have any involvement, they could use the internet together when the child stays with the father.

However, differences in fathers and mothers helping in two-parent families could be due to mothers not working or working part-time and fathers working longer hours and therefore spending less time with their children. Even in families where both parents work full-time the mother may still take on the traditional role of the main carer and therefore help the children more when they use the internet. (According to the National Office for Statistics 71% of women whose youngest child is between 5-10 years old are in employment, see www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=1655)

QUESTION: When you use the internet at home for FUN, do you ever ask your parents for help? (choose one)

Results

% of those Parents helping with Internet for Fun All All% who ask for help

No, I don't ask them for help 1460 58% N/A

Both, my mum and dad equally 296 12% 28%

Yes, my mum or step-mum or female carer 242 10% 23%

Both, but more my mum than my dad 219 9% 20%

Yes, my dad or step-dad or male carer 165 7% 15%

Both, but more my dad than my mum 153 6% 14%

Parents helping with fun activities

The third column includes percentages based on only those children who do ask for help.

Parent helping with Internet for Fun When they use the internet for fun, the majority of children don’t ask their parents for help (58%). Of the 42% that do, 27% of children say they Mum more ask both parents equally - the same as for using 20% the internet for homework (see table on previous Mum page). Similarly most children prefer help from 23% Mum (43%) rather than Dad (30%), although Dad is more welcome to help with fun activities Equal than he was with homework activities. 27% Dad more Dad 14% 16%

How do parents get involved?

QUESTION: When you use the internet do your parents do any of these things? Results:

Any How do parents get involved? Mum Dad Both None parent

Ask what I'm doing 32% 8% 43% 18% 83%

Help me 22% 13% 40% 25% 75%

Explain things to me 22% 13% 38% 27% 75%

Answer my questions 21% 10% 41% 28% 72%

Check my work afterwards 24% 8% 30% 38% 62%

Talk to me about what I'm doing 23% 10% 28% 40% 61%

Praise or encourage me 18% 8% 33% 41% 59%

Keep an eye on the screen and what I'm doing 21% 9% 28% 41% 58%

Check what games I'm playing 20% 10% 28% 42% 58%

Stay in the same room 21% 8% 26% 45% 55%

Check the computer afterwards 19% 12% 21% 48% 52%

Use the internet with me 18% 9% 22% 51% 49%

Talk to me afterwards about what I did 19% 7% 23% 51% 49%

Sit with me 18% 8% 19% 54% 45%

Get annoyed with me for asking questions or asking for 15% 64% 36% 15% 6% help

Get annoyed with me for using the computer or internet 14% 6% 14% 66% 34%

How do parents engage with their children when it comes to using new technologies? We asked children how their mother, their father or both parents got related to them when they used the Internet.

Which parent gets involved?

Ask what I'm doing 32% 8% 43%

Help me 22% 13% 40%

Explain things 22% 13% 38%

Answer my questions 21% 10% 41%

Check my work afterwards 24% 8% 30%

Talk to me about what I'm doing 23% 10% 28%

Praise or encourage me 18% 8% 33%

Keep an eye on what I'm doing 21% 9% 28%

Check what games I'm playing 20% 10% 28%

Stay in the same room 21% 8% 26%

Check the computer afterwards 19% 12% 21%

Use the internet with me 18% 9% 22%

Talk to me afterwards about what I did 19% 7% 23%

Sit with me 18% 8% 19%

Get annoyed with me asking questions or for help 15% 6% 15%

Get annoyed with me using computer or internet 14% 6% 14%

0% 30% 60% 90% %Children

Mum Dad Both

Considering involvement from any one parent or both parents together, we can see that parents are most likely to ask what their child is doing when online (83%) - See “Any Parent” column in table above). This is followed by three in four children saying their parents help them when online (75%), explain things (75%) or answer their questions (72%).

Around six in ten children say their parents check their work (E.g. homework that has been completed with the help of the internet) afterwards (62%), talk to the child about what he or she is doing online (61%), praise or encourage the child when using the internet (59%), keep an eye on the computer screen (58%) or check what games the child is playing online (58%). Over half of parents stay in the same room when the child is on the internet (55%) or check the computer history afterwards (52%). Just under half of parents talk to their child afterwards about what he or she did online (49%). Around half of parents use the internet together with their child (49%) or sit with them at the computer (45%).

So we can see positive involvement in their child’s internet use from many parents. But some parents can also get irritated with their children for staying on the internet for too long or for asking questions or asking for help. Just over a third of children say that either parent alone or both parents together get annoyed with them for asking questions/asking for help (36%) or for using the computer or internet (34%).

The number of children who report some kind of positive involvement from both parents together is higher than the number of children (or families) who say it is only their mother who does these things.

The number of children (or families) where it is only the father who gets involved is smaller for all activities than the number of children (or families) where it is both parents or the mother only who get involved. Similarly to getting involved with their children’s use of new technologies (as discussed earlier), mothers are also more likely than fathers to engage with their child by helping or supervising, either on their own or as a co-parent.

Younger children (Year 3) report more parents overall and more mothers only getting involved. The number of younger children who say their ‘mothers only’ get annoyed with them especially high.

QUESTION: Where in the house are you when your parents help you on the Internet? (tick all that apply)

Results:

Where do parents help? All All%

Living room, lounge, dining room, kitchen 1175 46%

Study, home-office 690 27%

My bedroom 624 25%

They don't help me 406 16%

Hallway, landing 274 11%

Parents' bedroom 257 10%

Sibling's bedroom 231 9%

Location of Internet Access

Living/lounge dining/kitchen 49% 46% My bedroom 30% 25% Study home-ofﬁce 29% 27% Parents' bedroom 10% 10% Siblingʼs bedroom 10% 9% Hallway/landing 10% 11%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100% %Children Access Location Parent Help Location The location in the home where parents help their children on the internet corresponds largely to where in the house children tend to use the internet, i.e. the location of the computer/laptop (see Survey 1: Learning at Home). So parents tend to help regardless of where internet access is located.

When do parents get involved?

QUESTION: When you use the internet at home on a SCHOOL DAY, when does your mum or dad usually help you? (choose one)

Results:

Any When do parents help - school day Mum Dad Both None parent

after my evening meal 23% 11% 25% 41% 59%

as soon as I get home from school 26% 10% 17% 47% 53%

just before I go to bed 17% 9% 17% 57% 43%

before school 21% 4% 8% 67% 33%

When do parents help - school day

after my evening meal 23% 11% 25%

as soon as I get home from school 26% 10% 17%

just before I go to bed 17% 9% 17%

before school 21% 4% 8%

0% 15% 30% 45% 60% %Children

On a typical school day, most children report that one or both parents help them with using the internet after the evening meal (59%). This is followed by helping as soon as the child gets home from school (53%) or just before the child goes to bed (43%). Parents are less likely to help before school (33%). This corresponds largely to the times when the child tends to use the internet (see above). So parents’ time for helping seems to be driven by the child’s time of internet use.

QUESTION: When you use the internet at home at WEEKENDS and on HOLI- DAYS, when does you mum or dad usually help you?

Results:

Any When do parents help - Holiday and Weekends Mum Dad Both None parent

early evening 22% 11% 24% 43% 57%

early afternoon 23% 9% 24% 45% 56%

late afternoon 22% 10% 24% 44% 56%

late morning 21% 11% 19% 49% 51%

late evening 17% 12% 20% 51% 49%

early morning 20% 5% 12% 62% 37%

When parents help - weekends & holidays

When do parents help - Holiday & Weekends

early evening 22% 11% 24%

early afternoon 23% 9% 24%

late afternoon 22% 10% 24%

late morning 21% 11% 19%

late evening 17% 12% 20%

early morning 20% 5% 12%

0% 15% 30% 45% 60% %Children Mum Dad Both

At the weekend and during holidays most children report that one or both parents help them on the Internet in the early evening (57%), later afternoon (56%) or early afternoon (56%). This largely corresponds to the times when most children tend to use the internet on a weekend/ holiday (see above). Note that fathers appear are much less likely to be available to help in the early morning (5%) than mothers (20%).

Help from mother and father

Family Interviews

QUESTION: What does the father do to help/ get involved?

Below are examples of what fathers do who get involved with their child’s internet use:

Sit with him. - (Father of Richard, Year 5)

Says when time's up. - (Mother of Annabel, Year 5)

His dad works long days, so [he doesn’t help] as often. [They would go on] Ebay for pursuing hobbies and collectibles. - (Mother of Callum, Year 7)

Her step-dad helps her. He will explain things to her, how to interpret and helps with things to do with maths. On Gridclub there are maths games that he would help with. - (Mother of Rosanna, Year 5)

QUESTION: Could you describe one time when the father helped your child with something on the internet? What was it about? What did you do?

[It was for a] tudor project using the BBC school page, copying and pasting. - (Father of Richard, Year 5)

She will do Powerpoint with her dad. - (Mother of Ruth, Year 4)

She's a junior gunner with Arsenal, so dad helps her with that. They play the Toontown game together. She might get dad to help with homework. - (Mother of Elizabeth, Year 5)

QUESTION: What does the mother do to help/ get involved?

Below are examples of what mothers do who get involved with their child’s internet use:

It varies, but [we do] all activities together. She is independent only in SuperClubsPLUS. - (Mother of Emily, Year 6)

Sit with him. - (Mother of Richard, Year 5)

It depends what he's doing. A school project would require some help, but on SuperClubs he doesn't need any help. I would help if asked or if I saw he was struggling. - (Mother of Callum, Year 7)

Whoever is next to her and gets asked the questions will help her. Any- thing to do with her sight, she asks me. - (Mother of Rosanna, Year 5, who has a visual impairment)

If she's struggling with typing or spelling. Homework – rephrasing a para- graph. If she was on SuperClubsPLUS, she wouldn't need help. If she is using YouTube, I sit with her . - (Mother of Alice, Year 4)

I say when time's up [or my husband], or I intervene if [she was using something] inappropriate. - (Mother of Annabel, Year 5)

Looking for sites - Warhammer, BBC Bitesize. His older siblings will help [too]. - (Mother of Jacob, Year 5)

I only really know the basics. I sit with her and watch the screen. - (Mother of Tracey, Year 4)

I try to help, but she knows more than me. - (Mother of Ruth, Year 4)

I help her with ﬁnding information for homework, technical help and how to do things [internet skills]. - (Mother of Rachel, Year 8)

I help him searching on Google, we will search together. I will be with him when he is doing his homework in the same room and ask him all the time what he is doing. He generally knows where he can and can’t go. We play the games together, but apart from that he knows how to work it better than me. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5)

His dad helps more than me. - (Mother of Elizabeth, Year 5)

QUESTION: Could you describe one time when the mother helped your child with something on the internet? What was it about? What did you do?

Mother: He didn't know how to look up... he had like 1950s, post-1950s studying to do, and I showed him how to look it up, look for it.

Interviewer: How did you help him?

Mother: Put in post-1950s [into Google] and things came up – history post 1950s.

Interviewer: And what kind of results did you get?

Mother: Neil Armstrong, ﬁrst man on the moon, those kinds of things. Historical events.

Interviewer: Who had control over the computer, who was using the mouse and the keyboard?

Mother: I tried to give him as much control as possible and then he learnt how to do it quickly.

Interviewer: And what did you do with the results?

Mother: We put it into our own words and then wrote it up – well he did, I didn't. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5)

Looking up money and bank notes for a school project. - (Mother of Emily, Year 6)

Greek gods - copying and pasting from the BBC site. - (Mother of Rich- ard, Year 5)

For a school project. [He could] pick a subject. [We did] Mary's Meals, an international organisation that provides meals for children in poor countries, and prepare to do a talk on it… I sat with him to see what he was reading and helped him put the information together in a logical order. - (Mother of Callum, Year 7)

A project on St Lucia and ﬁnding information. [We] looked at lots of different websites using Google. [We] looked at a tourist information site, looked at the temperature, then copied and pasted a piece of text, [and then I] emailed it to my work so it could be printed… She was in control [of the computer] apart from when I emailed it to my work [email account] for printing. - (Mother of Rosanna, Year 5)

Joining loveponies.com as a member. She'd not put the email address in correctly, so I helped her with that. - (Mother of Alice, Year 4)

Trying to ﬁnd information on the internet for a school project. - (Mother of Annabel, Year 5)

[We used BBC] Bitesize do a story…, Maths and English. He got the questions wrong and needed help with that. - (Mother of Jacob, Year 5)

Looking up something for her homework. She used the same site that she'd used at school. - (Mother of Tracey, Year 4)

Set up an account on the Build a Bear site to join. Mum told her how to put in the email address but she did it [by herself]. - (Mother of Ruth, Year 4)

Her geography homework was to find five places in the world that are special to [her], say why they are special and research facts about them. I helped her find suitable facts on Wikipedia, she then took the pictures

and facts and pasted them into Word. I helped with sending it over the home network to the printer. - (Mother of Rachel, Year 8)

I helped her with spellings, ideas, the wording of things. She would do the technical things. - (Mother of Elizabeth, Year 5)

QUESTION: Who helps the child more on the internet? Why?

Reasons given by parents on why the fathers get involved less were related to fathers being at home less due to work demands or the parents being separated. (4 out of 12 children in the family interview sample lived with their mother only). It can also be due to fathers’ lack of interest in and knowledge about computers.

His father has longer working hours. - (Mother of Richard, Year 5)

Her father works long hours. I work part-time so I’m around more. - (Mother of Callum, Year 7)

I’m around a bit more than her step-dad. - (Mother of Rosanna, Year 5)

Her father doesn't live here. - (Mother of Emily, Year 6)

The father doesn't have contact. - (Mother of Rachel, Year 8)

Her dad isn't really into computers. - (Mother of Annabel, Year 5)

He doesn't know how to use a computer or have time to. - (Mother of Ja- cob, Year 5)

He's computer illiterate. He knows how to turn it on, but that's about it. Because my husband's a trades person, and I'm more administration, that sort of thing, so I'm presuming that's why and I've got more of an interest in it – he hasn't. I think he has just learnt how to use Facebook now, so I hope he wants to go on it a bit more now. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5) One mother also gives reasons why she doesn’t help her daughter:

Dad helps her online, I don't really... I'm not so conﬁdent, but he [father] works with computers so he is more technical. I don't feel that I can help her as much. There isn't anything that I could do that she couldn't. She knows more than me. - (Mother of Elizabeth, Year 5) Another mother describes how she and her husband share the responsibility of helping their son:

Any technical help is provided by his father. I help more with content. - (Mother of Richard, Year 5)

QUESTION: What about other activities not related to the internet? Does the father help get involved more in other activities?

[Callum] would do the homework and then [one of us], usually me, would check it over. His father will help more with hobbies than schoolwork. - (Mother of Callum, Year 7)

Maths help. - (Mother of Rosanna, Year 5)

Her step-dad would help with maths homework and piano [practice]. - (Mother of Rosanna, Year 5)

Her dad hears her read. - (Mother of Annabel, Year 5)

Both of us help him with his homework, bike riding, caring for pets. - (Mother of Jacob, Year 5)

His father helps with reading, homework and maths. They also go and play golf together, and we both watch him motorcycling. His dad does more golf with him, I do more motorcycling. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5)

QUESTION: How do you feel about your parents getting involved (or not) when you use the internet for HOMEWORK? (tick all that apply) Results:

Satisfaction with Parents help with the Internet for Home- All All% work

I'm happy when my mum helps me 1384 55%

I'm happy when my dad helps me 1193 47%

None of these 553 22%

I wish my mum would help me more 407 16%

I don't like it when my mum helps me 386 15%

I wish my dad would help me more 384 15%

My mum doesn't help me, but I don't mind 362 14%

My dad doesn't help me, but I don't mind 331 13%

I don't like it when my dad helps me 305 12%

The majority of children said they were happy when their parents get involved when Parents Help with Internet for Homework they use the internet for homework. Only 15% of children don’t like it when their Happy when mum helps 55% mother helps them, and 12% don’t like it when their father helps them. Happy when dad helps me 47% Over half say they are happy when their None of these 22% mother helps (55%) and just under half are I wish mum would help more happy when their father helps them (47%). 16% I don't like it when mum helps One in six children would like either their 15% mother (16%) or their father (15%) to help I wish dad would help more 15% them more. Mum doesn't help but I don't mind 14% Other children say their mothers (14%) or fathers (13%) don’t help them but that they Dad doesn't help but I don't mind 13% don’t mind. I don't like it when dad helps 12%

0% 30% 60% %Children

Of those who said they were happy when Parents Help with Internet for Homework parents help for HOMEWORK - 54% were happy with Mum’s help and 46% were happy with Dad’s help. Mums help more and children prefer mum’s help somewhat more, but the results show Dad Mum that Dads help is also important. Almost the 46% 54% same number of children say they’d like their Dad to help more (15%) as those who say they’d like their Mum to help more (16%)

QUESTION: How do you feel about your parents getting involved (or not) when you use the internet for FUN? (tick all that apply)

Parents help with the Internet for Fun All All%

I'm happy when my mum helps me 992 39%

I'm happy when my dad helps me 895 35%

None of these 677 27%

I don't like it when my mum helps me 553 22%

I don't like it when my dad helps me 459 18%

My mum doesn't help me, but I don't mind 447 18%

My dad doesn't help me, but I don't mind 419 17%

I wish my mum would help me more 302 12%

I wish my dad would help me more 288 11%

The majority of children are happy when their parents get involved when Parents help with the Internet for Fun they use the internet for homework, but this number is smaller than when it comes to using the internet for fun. Happy when mum helps 39% 39% of children are happy when their Happy when dad helps mothers help them and 35% when 35% their fathers help them. None of these 27% Around two in ten children don’t like it Don't like it when mum helps 22% when their mother (22%) or father (18%) helps them. Don't like it when dad helps 18% Just over one in ten say they would Mum doesn't help but I don't mind 18% like more involvement from either their mother (12%) or their father (11%). Dad doesn't help but I don't mind 17% Other children who don’t get help, say I wish mum would help more 12% they don’t mind if their mother (18%) or their father (17%) doesn’t help I wish dad would help more 11% them. 0% 20% 40% %Children

Of those who said they were happy when parents help for FUN - 53% were happy with Mum’s help and 47% were happy with Dad’s help. Parents help with the Internet for FUN Parents help less with fun activities and children want less help with fun activities.

Children want their independence in Mum some kinds of online activities and their Dad 53% parents are happy to give it to them, 47% but children may also think they are more capable than their parents at fun activities like games, and therefore don’t need their parents help with these.

What do children learn from parents?

QUESTION: Describe a time when your mum or dad helped you when you were using the internet. What did they help you with and how did they help you?

Results 985 children gave examples of how their parents helped them with the Internet. The following is a selection representing the range of responses.

Examples of responses from children whose parents helped them with homework or projects for school:

Mum helped me on the internet when I was reasearching for my money, money, money topic. She helped me because she explained all the information and helped me to understand it. (Emily, Year 6)

ﬁnding safe websites (Alice, Year 4)

she sorted out the computer because it was broke. (Rachel, Year 8)

A few months ago, i had a French test at school, so my mum sat with me and seqarched the internet for a good French website for kids. She wrote down all the main words and phrases to remember, then she tested me on it. I passed my test with ﬂying colours, and I think it was all because of her help.

A project about recylcing

Doing a personal project for homework. They helped me by checking my work and sitting with me whili I am gathering information

they helped me by typing in Google what exactly i need for my project. For example: i typed in Google, 'Sumo wrestlers versing in Sumo in Ja- pan. ' My parents helped me type 'Sumo wrestling' in a brief way.

when i was doing a history project my mum helped me reserch for information.

When I was searching for information On Sea Horses For My School Pro- ject. My Mum Found out some Safe Childrens Sites.

Both my parents helped me when I was doing my science homework and I had to ﬁnd info

by helping me with homework about teeth

I was needing to write my homework, about drugs. I had to write the af- fects of different drugs. My mum showed me a really good site and when I handed in my homework I got a sticker for it. My mum helps me a lot.

ehhhhhhhhhh, mum helped me look up stuff for my homework presenta- tion on charlotte bronte dad helped too when i was at his house

my mum helps me in the morning with wwe.com and my dad helps me in the afternoon with my homework on my compter and we go on the internet.

well i was dong homework and there was a bit of info i ddnt understand and my dad helped me understand it and it made me ﬁnish my homework quicker

Other categories:

The range of responses were very similar to those for the previous question.

18% of examples refer to help with finding information, research or using search engines, such as Google.

8% of children mentioned help with learning how to use the internet or internet skills. 6% of children gave examples about parents helping them learn how to use the computer or computer skills.

4% of children referred to parents getting involved in playing online or computer games with them.

4% of children mentioned help with using SuperClubsPLUS or GoldStarCafe. 13% of replies refer to mothers only, and 9% (84) to fathers only.

QUESTION: Tell us an example of a new skill that that you learnt with your parent when using the internet. Results

915 children gave examples of how they learned with their parents. The following is a selection representing the range of responses. Below are examples of responses from children who said their parents helped them use the internet and taught them specific Internet skills:

When I was getting board typing all the time my mum told me about the favourites. But I don't always go on favourites.

how to controll and answer things that come up.

keyboard shortcut, highlight everything.

Conecting the internet

Finding an internet explor

handling internet sites and how to go about them

How the internet works, phone lines richest man in the world

how to sign out of the internet

How to stay safe on the internet

how to use the internet and how to get in the different websites

I ave learned how to prevent a pop-up block on the internet.

I learnt how to open new tabs on the internet with the keyboard, instead of the mouse.

I've learnt a new thing with my dad when he told me that if the internets is not working,go to the tiny computer on the corner and type in the password thing.

if the internet cant show i click 'refresh'

My Dad ﬁrst showed me how to use the internet

My mum taught me new things that she learnt on the internet when she gets home she tells me and teaches me what she has learnt.

that the internet can be expensive

To to go to web pages and generaly use the internet.

Using the internet just all of it when i was little i didnt have aclue but they learnt me

When I ﬁrst started using the internet my parents tought me how to use it.

when im stuck on the internet they help me

When my mum tought me how to open a internet page (ctrl+n)

When my parents help me they help me learn different place on the internet.

working the internet by myself

Examples of responses from children whose parents taught them how to type:

fast typing because i understand it a lot more

how to type 10 times faster

how to type fast dad said "just close your eyes and type" it was haerd at ﬁrst then it got easyer

How to type properly.

how to type quick

How to type quicker

How you have to spell and type everything!!!

I learned from my mum how to type really quickly using a site she gave me

i learnt typing faster and knowing where the letters are.

The helped me learned to type with all of my ﬁngers.

they have helped me with my typeing and spelling ﬁnding programes on the computer.

Touch typing

type on the key pad without looking because they helped me practice

Examples of responses from children who learnt how to prepare presentations, spreadsheets or use programmes such as Word or Paint with their parents’ help: Presentations:

how to make a slide show for my homework or other things

making slides on the computer

Changing the page to a portrait on Powerpoint with my dad.

How to put sounds on and make a PowerPoint (dad).

i have learnt new tricks on the powerpoint presentatin

Powerpoint video with dad

Putting music onto powerpoints

Using Powerpoint it\'s helped me to do web pages.

How to get a new page on Microsoft power point.

how to make a power point for school work when i needed one

how to use different computer programs such as power point and that sort of stuff

I leart how to use Power Point at home because that was our homework and i was really stuck. Spreadsheets:

how doo you do microsoft excel properly

Learning microsoft excell tricks

My dad teaches me how to use microsoft powerpoint/excel/word etc. and emails because he knows a lot about that because of his job at Fujiﬁlm. He taught me lots of thins in excels and also some shortcuts (hehe) because he does a lot of spreadsheet at work and home.

My mum helped me learn how to make a spreadsheet.

Word:

Creating tables using Microsoft Word

going on word for homework going on good and fun games

how to like do diffrent things on word for a story

How to make/write a newspaper on word

How to use Microsoft Ofﬁce Word

How to word things better and editing

I didnt know that on Word you can ﬁnd out how man letters you have wrote

I have learned how to type fast and how to use word and save things with my dad. (Mainly)

I have learnt to use Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

I leart how to use Microsoft Word on Windows Vista and how to use Goo- gle.

my dad helps me alot and he showed me how to do my homework using word.

the word documents extras Paint:

how to make a picture on paint

My Mum taught me how to use Paint.

Examples of responses from children whose parents helped them with finding information, using the internet for research or using search engines such as Google:

about diffrent types of animals, how to do a slide show, how to send emails, how to talk on msn, how to search Google, how to play games, how to view videos on youtube, how to rip cds.

Finding images of things if I can't ﬁnd what I am looking for.

Finding information I need when using a search engine.

ﬁnding maths stuff to help me

Finding pictures

How to ﬁnd more information by putting in more detail.

how to ﬁnd something on an advanced search

how to ﬁnd thing on the internet more eisaly and other stuff like that

how to ﬁnd your way around the masive internet

How to search for stuff for homework

I have learned how to ﬁnd things much quicker and narrow things down a little and it makes things alot easier .

Mum tought me how to search the web

research work using a safe search engine

that you can search for images aswell

That you search anything you want(not rude thing though)

they have helped me with my typeing and spelling ﬁnding programes on the computer.

what websistes to go one when i need to ﬁnd something out.

Click the house on the top of the screen and it will take you back to Goo- gle

google map

google searching everything they explain to me t write in stuff which helps me with home-work it's great.!!

How to search images and things on google about world war II

Instead of typing in a question into google, type in the key words then search within results.

that when you go into google and type in for example superclubsplus there are loads of things you can go on and when you go into the address box you will get superclubsplus at once !

When learning all about Google Earth.

Examples of responses from children whose parents taught them how to use ‘copy and paste’:

Copying pictures and ﬁles from the iternet.

Copying, cuting, pasting and tiping

how to paste things using Ctrl + V

I learnt how to copy and paste with keys

My dad taught me how to cut and paste

Pressing CTRL C to copy and CTRL V to paste.

when i was in yr3 my mum taught me how to copy and paste.

when you press control and at the same time press v which meens that i copyed something then contorl c to paste it its so cool

Examples of responses from children who learnt about online safety from their parents:

Do not visit sites that are not safe

How to be safe on the internet.

how to download thing with caution and safety.

How to explore differant sites safely.

How to keep safe because ours is set up for children use

how to search the site safely

I have learned with my mum and SCP: Internet Safety which is very important.

I have learnt to be more careful as to who i am talking to when it comes to the internet and when I should ignore messages that are from people I don't know.

I should be careful on the internet

My Dad Tought Me How To Make Sure Websites Are Safe.

My mum has taught me lots of things about computers. She taught me how to use and install new programs safely.

research work using a safe search engine

to use a new cool safe site

when mum asks me what i am doing so that she knows that i am safe.

I learnt about the online dangers of chat websites!

Examples of responses from children who learnt about using email from their parents:

Don't email anybody you don't know

how to attach a ﬁle to the email

how to chek mail when i am on the internet.

how to do email on our family laptop and how to go on different websites

how to email and use text talk

how to look up emails.

How to send and write emails.

how to set up my email addresses

How to use msn and make an acount and get lots of people to email!!!!!!!

I have learnt about writing letters and emails.

I learnt how to use MSN properly and use the webcam and also send emails with my parents permission.

My dad taught me how to use email and other sites.

my mum helped me to lern how to check my emails!!

Examples of responses from children about playing online or computer games with their parents:

about what family games you can play using info from the internet

Both me and my dad play a game online called Runescape, and he taught me a new way to train and make money on it.

Eg: Hannah Montana. I can play lots of fun and exciting games!

HOW TO LOAD A NEW GAME ON THE COMPUTE

How to play cards

how to play games on the internet and still be safe

I learned that there are games you can go on that you still learn on.

i've learnt that dont go on games they make a vires to your computer

installing my games

playing an online game with my dad-deal or no deal

to go on good games not bad

Which are the best games to play.

Examples of responses from children who have been taught how to download or upload content:

how to add and remove programs, download things, change background.

How to download stuff!!!!

how to download stuff.

how to download thing with caution and safety.

how to download Windows Messenger

I learn't how to upload a picture from my camera onto my seperate website.

My mum helped me download games and pictures.

That I should keep safe on the Internet and that I shouldn't download things without permission because it can cause problems with the computer if the downloads are not the right ﬁles.

Examples of responses from children whose parents helped them with homework or projects for school:

how to make good pieces of homework (DAD)

I have leart how to do things on the computer like homework

my dad helps me alot and he showed me how to do my homework using word.

They've helped me improve in searching for stuff for homework.

trying to ﬁnd information from homework

Which are the most useful sites for homework.

Examples of responses from children whose parents showed them how to use ‘Bookmarks’ or ‘Favorites’:

How to add stuff to favourites

How to bookmark things in the bookmark bar.

How to make a bookmark so that you don't have to type in the address!

How to put websites in my favourites.

my dad told me how to save something in favoutites

When I was getting board typing all the time my mun told me about the favourites.

Examples of responses from children whose parents helped them with using SuperClubsPLUS or Goldstarcafe:

Going On SuperClubsPlus

how to get stars on superclubs

how to use paint for superclubs and goldstar cafe

I have learned with my mum and SCP: Internet Safety which is very important.

that when you go into google and type in for example superclubsplus there are loads of things you can go on and when you go into the address box you will get superclubsplus at once !

setting my web page up on goldstarcafe

Examples of responses from children whose parents showed them how to deal with a computer problem:

how to ﬁx computers when they have virus

how to use a computer and when it has a problem they told me how to get rid of it

how to use my virus protecter

If something goes wrong quickly turn off the computer to stop anything such as a virus getting to the computer

Sorting out the internet problems which occur sometimes. And downloading new softwere, like discs and music to me and my friends ipods. Now I can make sure I don\'t get any viruses and if I do I can defragmet the computor to make it quicker and less hassle.

When a problem occurs like a frozen screen or inactive program they have tought me how to close and end the task and also they help me and give me ideas on which sites i should go to when i am srudying etc:

My mum taught me how to shut down a programm when the computer is frozen.

Examples of responses from children who learnt how to use the printer with the help of their parents:

How to use the printer properly.

Howw to print and how to turn it on and of

I learnt how to delete prints even before they started

learn how to use the printer and scaner.

Photocopying in the printer(My printer is a photocopyer

Print screen : to take a screen shot of one program and place it in another

printing quiker

Examples of other things children learnt from their mothers:

becuase my mum makes cards she showed me how 2 use a card program

Being able to use Microsoft Publisher well as my mum uses it regularly

em mum helped me how to do do the newspaper colom thing coz i forgot and she does it at work sometimes but she\'s not a journalist

My Mum told me everything that I see and I don't know about.

my mum told me if you hold alt gr and . you would get ...

not to press on anything i dont know about and to check with my mum ﬁrst

Examples of other things children learnt from their fathers:

Dad taught me how to change my screensaver and my wallpaper.

How to use my graphics program ( thanks to my dad for downloading it and showing me how to work it. )

I had to write a sheet for Dad About Florida

I learnt from my dad how to write an article on a news website.

I learnt to change the desktop on my computer by my Dad.

making a website my dad helped me.

My dad showed me how to use a memory stick.

My dad tought me how to make really cool pictures

When I Was Young My Dad Started a Website very very basic with HTML and CSS no that I have the Hang of Coding I Design the site and help him with it.

when mcaff popups come up my dad told me to leave it or to clike ok.

Better parental involvement

QUESTION: How could your parents better help you use the internet? (tick all that apply)

Results:

Improving parents help with the Internet All All%

Nothing, I'm happy with things as they are 973 38%

If my parents had more time to help me 854 34%

None of these 546 22%

If my parents knew more about computers or the internet 530 21%

If they could explain things better 529 21%

If my parents were more interested in my homework or what I do 436 17%

My dad doesn't help me, but I don't mind 419 17%

I wish my mum would help me more 302 12%

I wish my dad would help me more 288 11%

Chart: Improving Parents Help with the Internet

Improving parents help with the Internet

Happy with things as they are 38% If parents had more time to help me 34% None of these 22% Knowing more about computers or the internet 21% If they could explain things better 21% More interested in my homework or what I do 17% My dad doesn't help but I don't mind 17% I wish my mum would help more 12% I wish my dad would help more 11%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% %Children

We asked children how their parents could better help them use the internet? Only about one in three children said they were happy with things as they are (38%), and 22% had nothing to say on this matter.

Improving parents help with the Internet All All%

If my parents had more time to help me 854 84%

If my parents knew more about computers or the internet 530 52%

If they could explain things better 529 52%

If my parents were more interested in my homework or what I do 436 43%

My dad doesn't help me, but I don't mind 419 41%

I wish my mum would help me more 302 30%

I wish my dad would help me more 288 28%

Of the 1016 children (table above) who wanted to see an improvement in parental involvement, the majority (84%) said they would like their parents to have more time to help them. About half (52%) thought their parents could help better if they knew more about computers or the Inter- net and if they could explain things better.

A further 43% of the children who wanted improvement said they would like their parents to be more interested in their children’s homework or what their children do.

Improving parents help with the Internet

More time to help me 84% Know more about computers or the internet 21% Explain things better 21% More interest in my homework or what I do 17% Dad doesn't help but I don't mind 17% I wish my mum would help more 12% I wish my dad would help more 11%

0% 30% 60% 90% %Children

Younger children (Year 3) are more likely to think that their parents could better help them if they had more time (43%), and they are less likely to be happy with the way things are (32%).

Parents Speaking - Family Interviews Meet the families

Intensive interviews were carried out by telephone with 12 families who volunteered to take part. Of the children in the family sample, 8 of the 12 were girls. The age range was as follows:

Age Number of Children

9 3

10 7

11 2

Survey 3: Distribution of respondents by age Three families were from Scotland and nine from England. Four were single parent families.

Parent Student Name Gender Age Year Location inter- Family No. viewed 2 parents plus younger 1 Elizabeth Girl 11 5 England Mother sibling 2 Rachel Girl 11 8 England Mother Single parent (mother) Single parent (mother) 3 Emily Girl 10 6 Scotland Mother plus younger sibling 2 parents plus older 4 Rosanna Girl 10 5 England Mother sibling 2 parents plus younger 5 Annabel Girl 10 5 England Mother sibling/s 2 parents plus younger 6 Alice Girl 9 4 England Mother sibling 7 Tracey Girl 9 4 Scotland Mother Single parent (mother)

8 Ruth Girl 9 4 England Mother Single parent (mother) Mother, 2 parents plus one sib- 9 Richard Boy 10 5 England father ling 2 parents plus older 10 Callum Boy 10 7 Scotland Mother sibling 11 Jacob Boy 10 5 England Mother 2 parents plus 3 siblings 2 parents plus older 12 Joe Boy 10 5 England Mother sibling

Family Interview respondents. Note: The children’s names have been changed.

The families came from a variety of walks of life, with parents reporting their occupations as follows:

Civil Servant NHS

Nursery nurse (mother), HGV driver (father)

Administration/ facilities management (mother), civil technician (step-father) Child protection officer for the police

Teacher assistant, painter and decorator Parents run their own building business

Health service/nursing auxiliary

Insurance clerk

Educator Roofer (father), instructor technician in a school (mother)

Self-employed hairdresser and beautician at weekends/ teaching and office assistant at child's school during the week (mother), buildings and maintenance project manager (father)

Mother knows best

The sample was recruited from volunteers and, was not a representative panel except in respect of the balance of single parents (25%) and two parent families (75%), which corresponds to the Office of National Statistics findings of 76% of UK children live in a two-parent and 23% in a one-parent households.

While the survey was too small to give any statistically reliable data, it is interesting to see how this group relates to the thousands of families represented by the two children’s surveys. Once again we find that the mothers take a strong lead.

Most families had had the Internet in their homes for 2 to 4 years or more. The mother was twice as likely as the father to be the one who made the decision to get the Internet. The sample confirmed the mother’s interest in the child’s learning with the most common reason parents gave for having the Internet installed being it “was useful” followed by “for the child’s education”. The mothers were also mostly experienced and capable computer and Internet users. Half the families reported that the mother used the computer and the Internet most.

The mother and the child were equally likely to be the computer and Internet expert in the family, ahead of the fathers Who is the Computer & Internet Expert? and other siblings. Half the mothers claimed that they were the ones who fixed the computer when Sibling something went wrong, compared with 8% only two of the fathers. Mother In all cases, the parents restricted the 33% child’s Internet access - half of them Father through direct supervision and a quarter 25% each by restricting the sites children visit or by using Net Nanny or similar site- blocking software. Three quarters of the mothers said they know mostly everything that their children do on the Internet. Child 33%

With the mothers taking such a strong lead, it is interesting to consider the range of their expe- riences, so we asked for what the mothers mostly used the Internet.

Motherʼs use of the Internet

Posting own content (eg photos videos blogs) 8% Watching videos 17% Check what's going on in the local area 25% Listening to/ downloading music 25% Studying 33% Reading the news/ sport 33% Searching for information other than for work 58% Planning/ booking holidays 58% For work 58% Online shopping 75% Keeping in touch with friends and family 83%

0% 30% 60% 90% % Mothers

The most popular use was keeping in touch with friends and family by email, instant message and Skype. Three quarters of the mothers used the Internet for online shopping and just over half of them used it for work, searching for information and booking holidays. Overall most of their usage was for communication and consumption. Only one mother said she posted her own content (E.g. photos, videos or blogs).

Do parents think it’s important to help?

QUESTION: Do you think it is important that parents help their children on the internet? If yes, why/why not?

All parents interviewed thought it was important to help children on the internet. The reasons given include that they feel it is important for their children to learn about this technology because of its relevance in society. They also see it as an vital learning tool. For many parents helping their children use the internet safely is another important factor. Some parents stress that the internet is only one among many things they help their children with, and helping children learn in general is what they see as an essential aspect of parenting.

It's important to teach skills of how to use the computer and internet ef- ﬁciently as it's an essential tool in today's society and education system. Teaching internet safety is increasingly important as they get older and become more independent in their use of the internet, especially when peer pressure to join unsafe social networking sites arises.- (Mother of Rachel, Year 8)

The internet is all around. - (Mother of Annabel, Year 5)

They don't have as much understanding of the internet at that age. - (Mother of Jacob, Year 5)

The safety element concerns me. - (Mother of Tracey, Year 4)

I would like to control what my children look at. - (Mother of Alice, Year 4)

It's important that they are supervised in a controlled environment and safeguarded from accessing any inappropriate sites. - (Mother of Ro- sanna, Year 5)

Getting involved and doing things together enriches a child's learning. Safety online is also important. - (Mother of Emily, Year 6)

To help them learn, develop their skills and keep them safe online. - (Mother of Richard, Year 5)

If the child is looking for help they should be able to get it and not be ig- nored. Parents need to know what their children are doing on the internet,… and that the websites they are on are age appropriate. - (Mother of Callum, Year 7)

It's important to help children with all things, not just the internet. - (Mother of Ruth, Year 4)

‘Cause it encourages them and supports them in their learning. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5)

So you can monitor what they are doing, what sites they are going on. We believe in helping our children with everything. - (Mother of Elizabeth, Year 5)

How much do parents help?

How much parents help their children on the internet depends on a variety of factors:

Technological limitations

[We are] limited by our dial-up connection. I would do more if we had broadband. [But she’s] quite technical already. - (Mother of Emily, Year 6)

Time limitations

[How much I help] varies depending on my work shifts. - (Mother of Tracey, Year 4)

The type of online activity

[When and for how long I help him] depends on whether there is a project for school to complete. - (Mother of Richard, Year 5)

She's quite conﬁdent to use the internet now, but if there is something she doesn't understand then she will ask for help, and once the help is given, she's quite happy. The amount of time helping will vary depending on the task. Her time is limited to an hour [a restriction imposed by her mother]. She has to be in bed by 8.30 so it’s trying to ﬁt everything in. If there was more time, I would like to help more, but there are only so many hours in the day. - (Mother of Rosanna, Year 5)

If she is just using SuperClubs, she doesn't need any help, it's just other areas of the internet. If she has a club or activity after school, she would go on the internet after tea, otherwise she would go on before time. Her skills are already better than mine, so I would like to be able to keep up. I trust her at the moment, but I’m not sure I will when she's a teenager. At the moment I think I give her enough help, but I would like to do more in the future. - (Mother of Alice, Year 4)

I don't help every time he's on [the computer], only sometimes. All depends what he's doing. If he's on Superclubs, then no, I don't help him. He knows what he's doing. He knows where to go and what to do. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5)

If she wants to know anything, she will ask. - (Mother of Annabel, Year 5)

- knowledge (or lack thereof) about the internet/computers

I need help myself ﬁrst before I can help her. I feel left behind, I don't know enough about computers. She is doing a lot at school and I've never had a job related to computers. I'm not conﬁdent. I would need to go on a training course. - (Mother of Elizabeth, Year 5)

What stops parents helping?

QUESTION: What do you think are the reasons why some other parents don't help as much as they'd like to?

We also asked parents why other parents do not to help their children. In their replies they referred to lack of interest, lack of skills or lack of time, but also letting children learn inde- pendently.

The attitude of some other parents is that children should work inde- pendently on homework. - (Mother of Emily, Year 6)

Sometimes they can't be bothered, or their equipment or knowledge re- stricts them. - (Mother of Richard, Year 5)

Parents will have many demands on their time. - (Mother of Rachel, Year 8)

Maybe they don't know enough about it or they can't be bothered... Maybe they haven't got time or they're not the sort of parents that help their children. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5)

Do parents expect to help more of less in future?

QUESTION: In the future, do you think you will help your child more or less on the internet? Why?

Three parents think they will help their child more in the future and nine parents think they will help less. Parents who are planning to help more say this is because their children will need to use the internet more for school as they get older, but also, in the case of one family, because they are hoping to get a faster internet connection and use the internet more.

Parents who think there will be less need to help their children in future say their children will be more independent, more knowledgeable and will have had lessons about using the internet in school. One mother also refers to the need for parents to be more trusting and less control- ling as children get older.

Help more in future:

There will be more homework. - (Mother of Richard, Year 5)

As she gets older she will need to use the internet more for research for school. - (Mother of Rosanna, Year 5)

Because we hope to get broadband. - (Mother of Emily, Year 6) Help less in future:

This is because he will become more independent and wouldn't ask for as much help. With our 17 year old son, you couldn't be sitting with him all the time. There has to be a lot of trust that the rules taught to him when he’s younger are still followed, but other than checking the computer's history, you can't be certain what they are on. - (Mother of Cal- lum, Year 7)

She will need less help as she gets older because she will be more independent. Would like [my own] skills to keep up with hers. - (Mother of Alice, Year 4)

She will do so much as school, [she’ll be] more independent. - (Mother of Annabel, Year 5)

He will become more knowledgeable and not need help. - (Mother of Ja- cob, Year 5)

[She’ll be] more independent in the future. She likes to do things on her own. - (Mother of Tracey, Year 4)

They have lessons at school and she will be conﬁdent enough by herself. - (Mother of Ruth, Year 4)

She will become more independent and her skills will increase. - (Mother of Rachel, Year 8)

She will get more knowledgeable. The school is a computing school. She won't need our help, just for us to show an interest. - (Mother of Eliza- beth, Year 5)

I’ll help him as much as he needs my help. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5)

What support do parents need?

QUESTION: What kind of knowledge or support do you think would help you? What would help parents support their children when using the internet?

Parents who don’t think they need more knowledge or support to be able to help their child:

We have a good support system already with his older brother and father helping. His brother and I help ﬁrst, [and then] his father if there is something we can’t help with.- (Mother of Richard, Year 5)

I know enough for what she needs to do. I would like to know more, but there's no point because I don't need it. - (Mother of Ruth, Year 4)

Not as much Joe, but for [my older son] – yeah. But then he's old enough, he knows more than me, so he doesn't ask for help anyway. And I know enough to help Jordan. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5)

Parents who would like to know more:

Knowing more about sites and security features, signs and what they mean. Things to look for - warning signs associated with unsafe sites. A home-based learning package would help as I have no childcare and can’t attend courses. - (Mother of Emily, Year 6)

A computing class or have someone teach me one-to-one about everything to do with computing. - (Mother of Callum, Year 7)

Computer courses with practical basic knowledge, especially how to check the history and warning signs to look out for, [also] useful websites for children. - (Mother of Alice, Year 4)

It depends on the projects he was doing. - (Mother of Jacob, Year 5)

To know more about the computer and the working of them, more technical knowledge. - (Mother of Tracey, Year 4)

More conﬁdence to look sites up. As soon as something goes wrong, I panic. - (Mother of Elizabeth, Year 5)

QUESTION: What knowledge or support do you think would beneﬁt other parents who aren't able to help their children on the internet?

Parents’ recommendations included courses that could be done online or at the local college, being able to use school facilities, TV programmes for parents about children’s internet use and easier instructions for using a computer.

Courses or information that could be accessed from home rather than having to enrol on courses and commit themselves. - (Mother of Rachel, Year 8)

Making better use of school's facilities outside of school hours. - (Mother of Emily, Year 6)

They used to do free computer courses. I don't know if they still do them, but I know that I did them... Pathways. You can always self-help, can't you? Self-learn... You just go on and start exploring. People are scared of them as well, some people are scared of technology. Yeah, I've seen programmes on TV, especially these abbreviations that the child uses. Yeah, so I do think that those sort of things are, you know, good for parents to know. (Interviewer: Abbreviations for what?) If they're talking in chat

rooms and things like that, there's certain abbreviations, like 'parent over shoulder' and things like that ... POS... makes you more aware of what's going on. If they don't want you to see something, they'll either minimise it quick or put something like that. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5)

If the instructions for using a computer were better. - (Mother of Callum, Year 7)

More technical or skills based help. - (Mother of Richard, Year 5)

Where can parents turn for support?

QUESTION: Would you know where to ﬁnd this help?

Most of the parents interviewed would know where to access help if they needed it themselves. This included college courses, their child’s school, their work place or family members.

Local college. - (Mother of Alice, Year 4)

Local college courses are available and support is available at the library. - (Mother of Emily, Year 6)

Local CLC [City Learning Centre] runs courses for parents and the general public. - (Mother of Rachel, Year 8)

The local college… I did go to a ‘Computers for the Terriﬁed’ course, but the things that we were shown weren't really relevant to me – painting programs. I would have been more interested in learning how to draft a letter or upload photographs. - (Mother of Callum, Year 7)

Locally there are quite a few courses I could go on and things I could do at home to help me. We are near a college. I could attend a course… [But I’m quite] pushed for time, and that's why I’m not considering a course at the moment. - (Mother of Elizabeth, Year 5)

School. - (Mother of Ruth, Year 4)

The school webpage, or IT courses are available through the NHS [where the mother works]. - (Mother of Richard, Year 5)

I would ask at school [where she works]. - (Mother of Annabel, Year 5)

The Health service provides some courses [where she works]. - (Mother of Tracey, Year 4)

Yeah, you go to Help, or ask my son… I’d ask someone in the IT department at work. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5)

QUESTION: Who do you think should provide this information?

We asked parents who should provide information and advice to help them, and other parents, use the internet with their children and gave them a list of possible options: government, internet service providers, television programmes and schools. All of these were relevant to the parents interviewed.

The government, schools and communities should provide it. - (Mother of Emily, Year 6)

Government? I don't think this will happen. ISPs? I don't see this happen- ing. TV programmes? No. Schools providing courses would be a good idea. - (Mother of Callum, Year 7)

Government, ISPs and TV programmes. - (Mother of Rosanna, Year 5)

Advice from school, but it's more up to the parent to ﬁnd these things. - (Mother of Alice, Year 4)

School and TV programmes. - (Mother of Jacob, Year 5)

Schools and government. - (Mother of Tracey, Year 4)

ISPs? Tiscali do send emails about parental controls. The government could possibly do something, but it's really up to the parents to ﬁnd it. - (Mother of Ruth, Year 4)

Schools should provide more about internet safety awareness. - (Mother of Rachel, Year 8)

I suppose the government really. All of those. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5)

Schools and the TV. - (Mother of Elizabeth, Year 5)

QUESTION: What is your child's school doing to encourage parents and children to use the internet together?

The following children attend the same primary school, which provides information and events for parents:

They run courses occasionally, information evenings. - (Mother of Anna- bel, Year 5)

At the school that she goes to, courses are provided for parents who need support with maths, literacy and ICT. - (Mother of Rosanna, Year 5)

They have done internet safety awareness sessions which was poorly attended… It was helpful, [they gave] common sense advice on locating the computer in a downstairs living room rather than in a bedroom. - (Mother of Alice, Year 4)

They did a show for parents about internet safety. They run courses for parents by the local college to teach the basics. - (Mother of Ruth, Year 4)

They do basic computer courses at Jordan’s school... They're probably very basic, but for someone who has no knowledge at all of computers, it would help them immensely. - (Mother of Joe, Year 5) Examples from other schools:

SuperClubsPLUS – [the school sends] letters home about it. Homework… No other programmes. - (Mother of Emily, Year 6)

They sent home a ‘Be safe on the net’ booklet… There was an evening on internet safety… Teacher support. The school website provides good re- sources and information. - (Mother of Richard, Year 5)

QUESTION: What else would you like your child's school to do to encourage parents and children to use the internet together?

Suggestions included more courses, information leaflets, recommendations for activities and websites, as well as internet safety advice:

A home learning package would be a good idea so parents and children can learn together. [It would be] optional for those parents who are interested. - (Mother of Emily, Year 6)

Provide courses. - (Mother of Callum, Year 7)

Suggestions on a leaﬂet for the beneﬁt of those who cannot attend meet- ings. Recommended activities to do together and useful websites for children. - (Mother of Alice, Year 4)

Internet safety awareness, practical advice on how to help constructively. - (Mother of Rachel, Year 8)

Run course so parents can increase their conﬁdence, … a meeting just to show the parents what the children can do [on the internet]. Parents don't realise how capable children are. - (Mother of Elizabeth, Year 5)

IM Research Services Research Advisory Panel Intuitive Media is advised by an eminent Intuitive Media Research Services is a divi- panel of education researchers including: sion of Intuitive Media Limited, provider of Protected Learning Communities for children Prof. Ben (C) Fletcher, Head of the School of and teachers Psychology, University of Hertfordshire IM Research Services works with govern- Prof. Karen Pine, Reader in Developmental ment, media and marketing agencies, includ- Psychology, School of Psychology, Univer- ing, for example: DCFS – the UK govern- sity of Hertfordshire ment Department for Children Schools and Prof. Martyn Wild, Teacher Education, Families, BECTA – the British Education and Latrobe University, Melbourne Communications Technology Agency, De- partment for International Development, Prof. Stephen Heppell, CEO, Heppell.net BBC, Ipsos-Mori, National Academy for Gifted & Talented Youth and New Media Age. Credits

Our research partners and clients have one Becta Sponsored the research project thing in common – an interest in this popula- Robert Hart, Director of Research for Intui- tion of young web-savvy digital-natives and tive Media, lead the research initiative. their teachers. What do they do? What do they think? What do they need? What do Professor Karen Pine, Professor of Devel- they want? opmental Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Hertfordshire, contributed to Recent research, which has generated research design. valuable intelligence to support policy- making, includes: Dr. Magdalena Bober - Research Consult- ant, contributed to research design, analysis children’s use of ICT at home and school and reporting. use of mobile phones and content buy- Jane Weston, Lead Mediator for Intuitive ing Media, helped with design, promotion and use of social networking implementation of the research surveys to the children, their teachers and interviewed use of computer games their parents. needs for personalized learning Ben McGregor, Project Manager for Intuitive understanding of global issues Media, coordinated the project. taste in films, games, music and books pocket money spending habits Contact teachers use of broadcast and online Robert Hart, media Director of Research. children’s hopes and dreams for the future Intuitive Media Research Services Rutland Mill, Coombs Road, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1AQ, UK. Tel.: +44 (0) 1 629 814 936 Mobile: +44 (0) 7976 630 423 Email: [email protected] www.intuitivemedia.com www.superclubsplus.com www.goldstarcafe.net

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