Parenting and Children's School Achievement: A Multiethnic Perspective

• Published in: American educational research journal Vol. 35; no. 1; pp. 123 - 144
• Main Authors: Okagaki, Lynn, Frensch, Peter A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Educational Research Association 1998; SAGE Publications
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Achievement tests; Children; Children & youth; Educational attainment; Educational research; Educational sciences; Elementary school students; Ethnic groups; Ethnicity; Family; Family, age groups; Grade 5; Hispanics; Parental expectations; Parenting; Parents; Parents & parenting; School age children; Sociology of education; Studies; Teaching, Learning, and Human Development; USA; Belief; Ethnic Group; Family Education; Opinion; Parental attitude; Comparative analysis; Performance; Cultural Difference; Homework
• ISSN: 0002-8312; 1935-1011
• DOI: 10.3102/00028312035001123

The present study is an examination of the relations between parenting and the school performance of fourth- and fifth-grade children (mean age = 10 years, 2 months) in 75 Asian-American, 109 Latino, and 91 European-American families. Five aspects of parenting were studied: (a) expectations for children's educational attainment, (b) grade expectations, (c) basic childrearing beliefs (i. e., development of autonomy, development of conformity to external standards, and importance of monitoring children's activities), (d) self-reported behaviors (i. e., creating an academically enriching environment and helping with homework), and (e) perceptions of parental efficacy. School performance was measured by school grades and achievement test scores. Ethnic group differences emerged in parents' expectations for children's educational attainment, grade expectations, childrearing beliefs, perceptions of parental efficacy, and in the relations between these beliefs and children's school achievement. These results provide further evidence of the importance of considering the constellation of parents' beliefs, goals for their children, and the type of help parents can offer children when working with parents to facilitate their children's school experiences.