School adjustment among Spanish adolescents: influence of parental socialization / El ajuste escolar en los adolescentes españoles: influencia de la socialización parental

Abstract

The values and attitudes toward education that parents transmit to their children considerably affect their school adjustment. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationships between academic adjustment in Spanish adolescents and parental socialization styles. Participants in the study were 487 adolescents (53.9% females) between 12 and 14 years old (M = 13.13, SD = 0.79). Based on their responses on a parental socialization scale, families were classified according to the classic four parenting styles typology (authoritative, indulgent, authoritarian or neglectful). Academic performance, number of school years repeated, academic self-concept and disruptive school behaviour were evaluated as adjustment criteria. Unlike the findings from studies conducted in other cultural contexts, results of the present study indicated that the best academic adjustment corresponded to adolescents from indulgent families, highlighting the importance of parental involvement, support, affection and dialogue for the optimal academic adjustment of children in the Spanish cultural context.