Parenting Style, Involvement of Parents in School Activities and Adolescents’ Academic Achievement

Abstract

This paper deals with problems of correlations between a parenting style, involvement of parents in school activities and academic achievements of adolescents. The theoretical concepts of Baumrind (1991) and Epstein (2002) were used as theoretical framework. The research was conducted with the aim to determine a correlation between a parenting style, involvement of parents in school activities and success of adolescents in schools. There were 400 parents and 200 adolescents who were examined. A PSDQ questionnaire of parenting styles and dimensions was used (Parenting Styles & Dimensions Questionnaire, Robinson, Mandleco, Olsen, & Hart, 2001) for examining parenting styles. A scale was designed according to the Epstein concept for examining the involvement of parents. The results of the research showed that an authoritative parenting style was characteristic for mothers, which was correlated with a higher involvement in school activities and a greater success of adolescents. An authoritarian parenting style is dominant for fathers and it is correlated with a lack of time necessary for involvement in school activities. The given results indicate a problem concerning involvement of fathers in school activities of children and the indifference of school to establish a partner relationship with parents. School should offer relevant information about effects of various parenting styles on achievements of students within collaborating between school and a family and establishing a partnership between school and a family.