THE IMPORTANCE OF PARENTS TO STUDENTS’ ENGLISH LEARNING: THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTING STYLES

Abstract

This study explores the impact of parenting styles on the English learning engagement of non-English major students and examines the mediating role of individual self-control. The research utilized an online survey distributed to 500 non-English major students at SUniversity, with 429 valid responses analysed. The Chinese edition of the Short Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran (S-EMBU-C), the English Learning Engagement Scale, and the Self-Control Scale were employed to measure parenting styles, learning engagement, andself-control, respectively. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the relationships among these variables. The results revealed that positive parenting styles significantly enhance English learning engagement, while negative parenting styles diminish it. Moreover, individual self-control was found to mediate the relationship between parenting styles and learning engagement, suggesting that students with stronger self-control are more engaged in their English learning. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of positive parenting in fostering students' learning engagement and highlights self-control as a critical factor in this process. These findings contribute to the understanding of how familial influences and individual traits combine to impact academic performance in non-English major students.