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Parenting practices and their relations to students’ school outcomes : the mediation effects of self-efficacy and task value
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Type
Thesis
Author
Khin, Maung Aye
Supervisor
Liu, Woon Chia
Liau, Albert
Abstract
Parenting and children’s academic outcomes are among the most important concerns for parents not only in Singapore but all over the world. In this study, key components of parenting were explored and their effects on learning outcomes of the student were tested and verified, using a nationally representative sample of more than 4000 grade 9 students from 39 secondary schools in Singapore. The learning outcomes comprised of students’ perceived metacognitive self-regulation, attitude towards homework, individual and group engagement, classroom misbehaviour, and academic achievement. These variables were selected because they had been found to be closely related to academic performance.
Scientific research on parenting and its consequences started in early 20th century. Baumrind’s three-fold typology of parenting styles might be the most influential research work on parenting. Authoritative parenting was endorsed by many researchers including Steinberg and his colleagues. Grolnick, Deci and Ryan also proposed parenting dimensions that could satisfy the three basic human needs in accordance with the Self-Determination Theory. Noting the shortfall of Western theories to cater to Asian culture, three components of parenting practices suited for students in Singapore were identified and tested in this study, using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Guided by Eccles’ social-cognitive expectancy-value model of achievement motivation, two measures of student’s motivational beliefs – self-efficacy and task value – were used as mediators in trying to explain the relationships between parenting and learning outcomes. Multi-level Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique was used to explore the direct and indirect effects of parenting components on students’ learning outcome variables.
From the analyses of the structural models using two sets of samples in learning of Mathematics (N=2094) and English (N=1941), parental autonomy support, parental monitoring of children’s activities, and parental involvement in learning emerged as three clear factors. When studying the effects of each component of parenting on the learning outcomes, children’s motivational beliefs were found to mediate the effects of parental autonomy support and parental involvement in learning. However, the effects of parental monitoring of children’s activities were found only to be directly affecting students’ learning outcomes.
Results from the study suggests that the influence of parenting has a moderate effect on metacognitive self-regulation, attitude towards homework, and both individual and group engagement in learning. The effects on classroom misbehaviour and academic achievement were very small, except for a moderate direct effect of parental monitoring of children’s activities on classroom misbehaviour. The effects of parenting on learning outcomes seem to be consistent for the two set of samples. The findings from this study have helped to address the gap in parenting research in the Asian context especially for children and parents in Singapore.
Scientific research on parenting and its consequences started in early 20th century. Baumrind’s three-fold typology of parenting styles might be the most influential research work on parenting. Authoritative parenting was endorsed by many researchers including Steinberg and his colleagues. Grolnick, Deci and Ryan also proposed parenting dimensions that could satisfy the three basic human needs in accordance with the Self-Determination Theory. Noting the shortfall of Western theories to cater to Asian culture, three components of parenting practices suited for students in Singapore were identified and tested in this study, using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Guided by Eccles’ social-cognitive expectancy-value model of achievement motivation, two measures of student’s motivational beliefs – self-efficacy and task value – were used as mediators in trying to explain the relationships between parenting and learning outcomes. Multi-level Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique was used to explore the direct and indirect effects of parenting components on students’ learning outcome variables.
From the analyses of the structural models using two sets of samples in learning of Mathematics (N=2094) and English (N=1941), parental autonomy support, parental monitoring of children’s activities, and parental involvement in learning emerged as three clear factors. When studying the effects of each component of parenting on the learning outcomes, children’s motivational beliefs were found to mediate the effects of parental autonomy support and parental involvement in learning. However, the effects of parental monitoring of children’s activities were found only to be directly affecting students’ learning outcomes.
Results from the study suggests that the influence of parenting has a moderate effect on metacognitive self-regulation, attitude towards homework, and both individual and group engagement in learning. The effects on classroom misbehaviour and academic achievement were very small, except for a moderate direct effect of parental monitoring of children’s activities on classroom misbehaviour. The effects of parenting on learning outcomes seem to be consistent for the two set of samples. The findings from this study have helped to address the gap in parenting research in the Asian context especially for children and parents in Singapore.
Date Issued
2014
Call Number
LC225.33.S55 Khi
Date Submitted
2014