Educational Aspirations of Male and Female Adolescents From Single-Parent and Two Biological Parent Families: A Comparison of Influential Factors

• NCJ Number: 220779
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 36 Issue: 8 Dated: November 2007 Pages: 1010-1023
• Author(s): Rashmi Garg; Stella Melanson; Elizabeth Levin
• Date Published: November 2007
• Length: 14 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined differences in the educational aspirations of adolescents from two-parent and single-parent families, as well as the influence of background factors (gender, grade, parental education, and socioeconomic status), parental involvement with education, academic self-concept, and peer influence.

Abstract

The findings show that adolescents from single-parent families generally scored significantly lower on educational aspirations and other predictor variables compared with adolescents from two-parent families; however, the influence of other predictor variables for educational aspirations was similar for both single-parent and two-parent families. Academic self-concept had a similar influence on educational aspirations for both single-parent and two-part families. This factor was in turn related to family involvement and background factors. The lower academic self-concept and educational aspirations of adolescents from single-parent families could be due to the lower level of parental home-based and school-based involvement in education, and to a lesser degree, the lower level of socioeconomic status. These findings provide support for the view that although divorce may produce changes in socioeconomic status and temporary emotional distress, if parents remain supportive and involved in their children's education, having a single-parent may not significantly alter adolescents' orientation toward education. Further, having academically oriented peers helps in fostering academic achievement and aspiration. Intervention programs intended to increase educational aspiration should include strategies that boost the academic self-concept of children and adolescents from both single-parent and two-parent families. Study participants were 2,751 Canadian adolescents from two-parent families and 681 from single-parent families. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires that obtained data on demographics, achievement/school work, attitudes toward education and schooling, parental background, and information on family structure. 2 tables, 4 figures, and 47 references