Supportive and Controlling Parental Involvement as Predictors of Children’s Academic Achievement: Relations to Children’s ADHD Symptoms and Parenting Stress

Abstract

This study investigated the role of parenting stress, the parental involvement style, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in predicting academic achievement in 8- to 12-year-old children. Guided by the Family–School Relationships Model path analysis was used to compare the effects of a controlling versus supportive style of parental involvement in relation to children's learning. Results revealed that high levels of parenting stress were associated with the use of more controlling strategies regarding children’s academics, whereas lower stress was associated with a more supportive style of involvement. Controlling parental involvement was associated with more parent-rated symptoms of ADHD and lower academic achievement in children, while supportive involvement was associated with fewer parent-rated ADHD symptoms and higher achievement. The relation between both styles of parental involvement and academic achievement was accounted for by children’s inattention, but not hyperactivity/impulsivity, in the home. These findings demonstrate the combined risk of parenting stress, controlling parental involvement, and children’s inattentive behaviors for poor achievement in children.