Parental involvement in student learning and academic outcomes

Parental Involvement

Cripps, K. & Zyromski, B. (2009). Adolescents' psychological well-being and perceived parental involvement: Implications for parental involvement in middle schools. RMLE Online 33(4).

In "Adolescents' Psychological Well-Being and Perceived Parental Involvement: Implications for Parental Involvement in Middle Schools," Cripps & Zyromski (2009) perform an analysis of prior literature on appropriate styles and levels of parental involvement with their middle school-aged children. The review of literature has methodological limitations in that specific variables are not controlled for, and several of the studies cited did not yield verifiable or statistically significant results. However, the agglomerate research does reveal trends that have useful implications for parents, teachers, and school administrators.

The purpose of the Cripps & Zyromski (2009) article is stated as being to "discuss possible applications…to increase parental involvement in middle schools by developing home and school relationships," (p. 2). There are two core research questions guiding the Cripps & Zyromski (2009) study: the first is the relationship between perceived parental involvement on psychological well-being; the second is which parenting style correlates with psychological well-being. Rooted in the premise that "perceived parental involvement positively or negatively affects adolescents' sense of psychological well being," the authors evaluate literature on parenting styles and their impact on variables like self-esteem, self-concept, and peer relationships (Cripps & Zyromski, 2009, p. 1). Perceived parental involvement is generally measured in terms of adolescent perceptions of their parents, rather than on teacher or parent perceptions. Attachment and other variables are also addressed, but in less depth than the core variables of parenting styles and perceived involvement.

The authors conclude that the authoritative/democratic parenting style has the strongest positive correlation with middle school-age adolescents. In particular, the authoritative/democratic style "influences children during and after adolescence in the areas of adolescent development, self-evaluation, self-esteem and adjustment, as well as intrinsic motivation to learn in a positive manner," (Cripps & Zyromski, 2009, p. 11). Specific factors such as "warmth" and "behavioral control" have positive correlations with the "adjustment" of young adolescents (Cripps & Zyromski, 2009, p. 7). An authoritative/democratic parenting style has also been shown to be effective throughout adolescence and as the teen becomes a young adult (Cripps & Zyromski, 2009). The authors point out that there are some practical implications for the research. For instance, the research can be used to promote middle school programs or curricula that foster parental involvement.

However, the Cripps & Zyromski (2009) article does not include quantifiable variables such as actual academic performance. The parenting style and perceived parental involvement may have an actual impact on school performance. An ERIC article entitled "Parent Involvement at the Middle School Level," (n.d.) states, "when parents are actively involved in their children's education, they do better in school," (Section 3). Shellenbarger (2009) expands on the relationship between parental involvement and school performance by pointing out the type of parental involvement that is most effective. "Middle-school students posted the best results in school when their parents stepped back a bit and moved into more of a 'coaching role,' teaching them to value education, relate it to daily life and set high goals for themselves," (Shellenbarger, 2009, para. 3).

The concept of the "coaching role" does in fact correspond to the authoritative/democratic style of parenting. Cripps & Zyromski (2009) point out how an authoritative/democratic parenting style is associated with a higher level of "intrinsic motivation for learning" versus other parenting styles (p. 7). Research seems to collectively point out that parents of middle school students should ideally promote independence but within a structured and consistent home environment. Specific parenting strategies for promoting middle school student success include "encouraging children to set goals and follow their dreams; discussing learning strategies, and preparing and making plans for the future," (Shellenbarger, 2009, para. 5). Such parenting strategies can be mirrored and encouraged by school administrators and educators.

Reflection