Parental influences on immigrant students' achievement-related motivation and achievement: A meta-analysis

Abstract

This meta-analysis of 14 studies investigated the overall effects of parental influence indicators (i.e., parental psychological engagement, behavioral involvement, and socioeconomic status (SES)/educational level) on the achievement-related motivation of 5453 immigrant students. The meta-analysis further examined immigrant students' motivation as a mediator of the relationship between parental influences and student achievement. Potential moderators of the effects were also considered. The findings showed that parental influence indicators (i.e., psychological engagement, r = .22 CI[0.16, 0.27], behavioral involvement, r = .23 CI[0.14, 0.32], and SES/educational level, r = .07 CI[0.02, 0.11]) had the overall small effect on immigrant students' achievement-related motivation. School level had a small moderation effect on the relationship between parental psychological engagement and achievement-related motivation. Immigrant students' achievement-related motivation had a small mediation effect in the relationship between parental influences and student achievement (r = .10 CI[0.06, 0.14]). Parents' psychological engagement and behavioral involvement exerted a stronger effect than parental SES/education level, highlighting the importance of proximal parental influences on immigrant children's achievement-related motivation and achievement.