Parental Influence on Adolescent Academic Outcomes: Socio-

Economic and Relational Aspects of Family Context

Kathy L. Bell, UNCG

Katie Jodl, University of Michigan

Deborah Land, University of Virginia

Parents’ Influence

• Socio-economic factors (e.g., Hauser & Featherman, 1977)

• Parenting style ( Steinberg, Dornbusch, and colleages)– Moderation of peer influence (Mounts &

Steinberg, 1995)

• Quality of Parental Relationships

Research Questions

• Is the quality of maternal relationships related to:– adolescents’ perceptions of their academic

engagement?– objective measures of adolescents’ academic

performance?

• Concurrently and longitudinally

• Do peer relationships have the same or different influences?

Sample

• 69 male teens, 61 female teens

• Mean age 15.85 (SD = .73)

• 58% European American, 41% African American, 1 % other

• 49% living in mother-headed single-parent households

• Median family income: $25,000

• Median mothers’ education: some training beyond high school

Relationships

• Current parental relationships: Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (Armsden & Greenberg, 1989)

• Close friendships: Peer reports on the close friendship scale of the Adolescent Self-Perception Profile (Harter, 1985)

Perceptions

• Satisfaction with school: Quality of School Life Scale (Epstein & McPartland, 1978)

• Academic self-concept: Adolescent Self-Perception Profile (Harter, 1985)

Academic Performance

• Grades: From schools

• School risk: Self-reported dropouts, expulsions, and suspensions.

Time 1 Demographics_____________________________________

GPA Risk

Family Income .47*** -.25**

(n) 117 126

Mothers’ Education .48*** -.15#

(n) 115 123

_____________________________________note. *** p < .001. ** p < .01. # p < .10.

Time 1 Relationships_____________________________________

Maternal Relationships

Perceptions

Attitudes r(115) = .27**

Academic S-C r(125) = .16#

Friendship

GPA r(103) = .24*

___________________________________note. ** p < .01. * p < .05. # p < .10.

Time 1

• Grades -- Adjusted R2 = .29***– family income, mothers’ education level, ethnicity,

close friendship

• School Risk -- Adjusted R2 = .09**– adolescents’ gender, family income, mothers’

education level, ethnicity

_____________________________________note. *** p < .001. ** p < .01.

Stability_____________________________________

Perceptions r n

Attitudes .49*** 116

Academic S-C .56*** 120

Academic performance

Grades .52*** 85

School risk .41*** 116

_____________________________________note. *** p < .001.

Change to Time 2

• Grades: academic self-concept

F (2,78) = 20.89

adjusted R2 = .33***

• School Risk: satisfaction with school

F (2,108) = 13.36

adjusted R2 = .18***

Question 1

• Concurrently -- Is the quality of maternal relationships related to:– adolescents’ perceptions of their academic

engagement? YES– objective measures of adolescents’ academic

performance? NOT DIRECTLY

Question 2

• Longitudinally -- Is the quality of maternal relationships related to:– adolescents’ perceptions of their academic

engagement? TREND– objective measures of adolescents’ academic

performance? NOT DIRECTLY

Question 3

• Do peer relationships have the same or different influences? DIFFERENT

Conclusions

• Quality of Maternal Relationships

• Sample Characteristics

• Multiple Aspects of Academic Experience