Impact of Maternal Attitudes, Girls' Adjustment, and Cognitive Skills Upon Academic Performance in Middle and High School

Abstract

The role of mothers as socializing agents for their daughters' academic performance is examined in a longitudinal study of 110 girls seen during both middle and high school. Based on a life-course model emphasizing ongoing interactions between individuals and their environments, the following concurrent and longitudinal correlates of math/English grades are examined: (a) maternal attitudes toward math/English, b) girls' ratings of the importance of math/English, (c) mastery and coping, (d) cognitive abilities, and (e) family relations (all measured during middle school). Additionally, girls' attitudes toward and grades obtained in math/English are examined across middle and high school. We find that girls consider English more important than math at both times; ratings of the importance of math became less positive over time. Math grades remained the same over time, while English grades improved. Our life-course model reveals that during middle school, mothers' attitudes for daughters' math and girls' cog...