Adolescents' Reports of Parental Engagement and Academic Achievement in Immigrant Families

• NCJ Number: 226028
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 38 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2009 Pages: 257-268
• Author(s): Scott W. Plunkett; Andrew O. Behnke; Tovah Sands; Brian Y. Choi
• Date Published: February 2009
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study used self-report data from 1,245 adolescents in immigrant families from 4 high schools in Los Angeles County in order to determine the effects of perceived parental engagement on adolescents’ academic achievement in immigrant families.

Abstract

The parental engagement variable that was the most predictive of academic outcomes was adolescents’ perception of parental monitoring. Adolescents’ reports of monitoring by both mothers and fathers were indirectly related to grades through academic engagement. Perceived educational advice by mothers was indirectly related to grades through adolescents’ academic engagement variable in all the models; however, educational advice by fathers was not related to the academic variables in the structural equation models. Perceived educational advice from immigrant fathers may be related to academics, but it may not be as important as other perceived fathers’ behaviors, such as monitoring, and/or mothers’ behaviors related to academics. Perceived schoolwork help by mothers was positively and significantly related to adolescents’ academic engagement. The study concludes that all immigrant parents, including those with low educational attainment, can potentially enhance their children’s academic engagement when their children perceive them as monitoring their academic performance. Researchers should continue to investigate the influence of acculturation, parental educational level, and the gender of adolescents on the academic success of adolescents from immigrant families. Grades were measured by adolescents’ self-reports, and academic engagement was assessed with items that measured efforts exerted in school, the importance of grades and education, finishing homework on time, and liking school. The adolescents were also asked about parental monitoring of their social activities and school grades, parents’ help with their schoolwork, and parental educational advice. 3 tables, 4 figures, and 42 references