Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Rolande Murray

Abstract

After 4 decades and a large body of research on children's academic success, there is still a need to understand how to increase children's academic performance. Researchers agree that the key component to elementary school children's academic success is parental involvement. However, little is known on how to increase parental involvement and the characteristics of the parents who participate in their children's education. This quantitative study examined 2 parental characteristics, parents' internal attachment patterns and parenting styles, and their relationship with parental involvement and children's academic success. Bowlby's theory of attachment and Baumrind's parenting typologies served as the theoretical framework. Parents who have a child between 7 and 11 years of age (n = 85) from two different western cities completed an online survey via Survey Monkey that consisted of Relationship Scales Questionnaire, Parenting Style Scale, the Parent and School Survey, and a Grade Questionnaire. Linear regression was used to determine if parental involvement mediates the relationship between parents' internal attachment patterns (independent variable Model A) and children's academic success and if parental involvement mediates the relationship between parenting styles (independent variable Model B) and children's academic success. The study found that parental involvement does mediate the relationship between parents' internal attachment patterns and children's academic success. Parental involvement also mediates the relationship between parenting styles and children's academic success. Positive social change includes having a better understanding for increasing academic performance for elementary school children.

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