Family management practice, school achievement, and problem behavior in African American adolescents: Mediating processes

Abstract

The association of mothers' report of family management practices (e.g., family routine and parental achievement expectations) with school achievement, school engagement, and problem behavior was assessed among African American mothers and adolescents. Findings revealed that family routine was positively associated with school achievement and adolescents' school attendance, attention to schoolwork, and sense of challenge, and was negatively related to problem behavior in school. Mothers' expectations were positively related to youngsters' school attendance. Students' attendance and attention were also positively associated with school achievement and negatively associated with problem behavior, and mediated the relation of family routine with school achievement and problem behavior. Adolescent perceptions of parental expectations were positively related to students' school achievement. The implications of the findings for addressing achievement and behavioral problems through school programming are discussed.