Journal of Youth and Adolescence
Volume 38, Issue 2, 2009, Pages 257-268

Adolescents' reports of parental engagement and academic achievement in immigrant families (Article)

Plunkett S.W. , Behnke A.O. , Sands T. , Choi B.Y.
  • a Department of Psychology, California State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8255, United States
  • b Department of 4-H, Youth Development, Family and Consumer Sciences, North Carolina State University, NCSU Campus Box 7605, Raleigh, NC 27695-7605, United States
  • c Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, California State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8265, United States
  • d Graduate School of Education, Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6216, United States

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to add to the understanding of the effects of perceived parental engagement on adolescents' academic achievement in immigrant families. Self-report data were collected from 1,245 adolescents in immigrant families from four high schools in Los Angeles County. The sample characteristics follow: 13-16 years old (M = 14.5); 58.9% female, 41.1% male; 57.5% Latino; 40.6% 1st generation youth (i.e., foreign born), 59.4% 2nd generation youth. After controlling for parental educational attainment, parental engagement variables were indirectly related to grades through youths' academic engagement. Multigroup SEM indicated some differences between genders, generational statuses, and ethnicities (Latinos versus others). Adolescents' perceptions of monitoring by mothers and fathers were indirectly related to grades through academic engagement. Perceived educational advice by mothers was indirectly related to grades through academic engagement for non-Latinos, boys, and 2nd generation youth. Perceived mothers' schoolwork help was positively related to adolescents' academic engagement in all the models (except 2nd generation youth), yet fathers' schoolwork help was significant only for girls and 2nd generation youth. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Author Keywords

immigrant families Parent Schoolwork help Adolescent academic achievement Educational advice Monitoring

Index Keywords

Models, Psychological educational status psychological model multicenter study psychological aspect clinical trial human ethnology Hispanic Americans United States student Humans migrant psychology Hispanic Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants female Parent-Child Relations Parenting Article migration Likelihood Functions Students statistical model Los Angeles child parent relation
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-58149516329&doi=10.1007%2fs10964-008-9325-4&partnerID=40&md5=bf807ce8904d2c34fed80e84c63ac6e8
DOI: 10.1007/s10964-008-9325-4
ISSN: 00472891
Cited by: 46
Original Language: English