The Impact of Parent Involvement on a Child's Academic Performance

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
David Topor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Susan P. Keane

Abstract: Parent involvement in a child's education is consistently found to be positively associated with a child's academic performance. However, there has been little investigation of the mechanisms that explain this association. The present study examines two such potential mechanisms, the child's perception of cognitive competence and the quality of the student-teacher relationship, as potential mediators of the relation between parent involvement and a child's academic performance. This study used a sample of 158 seven-year old participants, their mothers, and their teachers. Results indicated a statistically significant association between parent involvement and a child's academic performance. This finding was significant over and above the impact of the child's intelligence. The child's ethnicity was not a moderator of this relation. A multiple mediation model indicated that the child's perception of cognitive competence fully mediated the relation between parent involvement and the child's performance on a standardized achievement test. The quality of the student-teacher relationship fully mediated the relation between parent involvement and teacher ratings of the child's classroom academic performance. Limitations, future research directions, and implications for public policy initiatives were discussed.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 2007
Keywords
Early childhood education, Parent participation, Research, School psychology

Email this document to