Parent Involvement, Academic Achievement and the Role of Student Attitudes and Behaviors as Mediators

Ralph B Mcneal Jr

doi:10.13189/ujer.2014.020805

Abstract

Previous research shows inconsistent relationships between parent involvement and academic achievement and often asks why such inconsistencies occur. The research proposes a theoretical model that separates parent involvement into those practices linking parents to children and those practices linking parents to other adults in the school environment. The researcher hypothesizes that parent-child (i.e. discussion and monitoring) and parent-school (i.e. educational support strategies and Parent Teacher Organization involvement) practices will differentially affect student attitudes (educational expectations), behaviors (absenteeism, homework, truancy), and achievement (math and science). Using a national survey conducted in the United States of schools and students, the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS: 88), the research estimates a series of hierarchical models to test the direct and indirect effects of parent involvement on student attitudinal, behavioral and academic outcomes. Findings confirm that parent-child and parent-school involvement practices differentially influence student attitudes and behaviors, thereby indirectly affecting student achievement – to varying degrees.

Highlights

Parent involvement continues to be the focus of much academic research, policy formation, and public debate
It is fair to say that discussion’s effect on educational expectations (.2626, p
In almost every circumstance, including the indirect effects of parent involvement on achievement via educational expectations, absenteeism, homework, and truancy reveals linkages that are far greater in magnitude than if we focus solely on direct relationships between involvement and academic achievement

Summary

Introduction

Parent involvement continues to be the focus of much academic research, policy formation, and public debate. It is possible that some forms of parent involvement beneficially affect other student outcomes that might be associated with academic achievement such as educational expectations, absenteeism, and truancy. If we can better understand how parent-child and parent-school involvement affects adolescents, we will be better situated to design parent involvement interventions that maximize the benefits for youth and adolescents To answer these two questions, the researcher investigates the effects of parent involvement on a wider range of outcomes than previously studied, including attitudes (i.e. educational expectations), behaviors (i.e. absenteeism, truancy, and hours homework), and achievement (i.e. reading, mathematics, and science). Most international comparisons continue to show America’s declining performance in math and science relative to other industrialized nations, and parent involvement may yet prove to be an important policy consideration that helps reverse this trend Prior to answering these questions, there are three issues that need to be addressed. What is the structure and nature of parent involvement? Second, how might parent involvement affect student attitudes, behaviors, and achievement? Third, why might these effects be differentially distributed across form of parent involvement and type of outcome being studied?

Nature of Parent Involvement

Results

Discussion