American Educational Research Journal
Volume 38, Issue 3, 2001, Pages 547-582

Cause or Effect? A Longitudinal Study of Immigrant Latino Parents' Aspirations and Expectations, and Their Children's School Performance (Article)

Goldenberg C.* , Gallimore R. , Reese L. , Garnier H.
  • a California State University, Long Beach, CA, United States, College of Education, California State Univ., Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840-2201, United States
  • b University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
  • c University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States, College of Education, California State University, Long Beach, CA, United States
  • d University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

How much formal schooling for their children do immigrant Latino parents aspire to and expect? Do parents' aspirations or expectations influence children's school achievement? Do aspirations or expectations diminish the longer parents are in the U.S. or if they experience discrimination? Using quantitative and qualitative methods, we address these questions in a longitudinal study (kindergarten to sixth grade) of 81 Latino children and their immigrant parents. We find that (a) parents' educational aspirations are high and invariant throughout the elementary years; however, expectations fluctuate; (b) children's school performance influences parents' expectations, but expectations do not influence performance; and (c) immigrant Latino parents attribute high instrumental value to formal schooling, and neither time spent in the U.S. nor perceived discrimination diminishes this belief.

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Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0035624242&doi=10.3102%2f00028312038003547&partnerID=40&md5=7af7d972ecc9e127f703386cf120da0c
DOI: 10.3102/00028312038003547
ISSN: 00028312
Cited by: 172
Original Language: English