Parents' interest in their child's education and children's outcomes in adolescence and adulthood: Does gender matter?. (2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Campbell, Alice K.; Povey, Jenny; Hancock, Kirsten J.; Mitrou, Francis; Haynes, Michele
• Is Part Of: International journal of educational research. Volume 85(2017)
• Page Start: 131
• Page End: 147
• Publication Date: 2017
• Subjects: Parent engagement -- Parent interest -- Educational outcomes -- Gender -- LSAC; Education -- Evaluation -- Periodicals; Curriculum evaluation -- Periodicals; Education -- Periodicals; Program Evaluation -- Periodicals; Éducation -- Évaluation -- Périodiques; Programmes d'études -- Evaluation -- Périodiques; Éducation -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Curriculum evaluation; Education -- Evaluation; Periodicals; 370.72
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijer.2017.07.010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0883-0355

Abstract

Highlights: Grandparents' interest related to educational attainment of mothers and fathers. Mothers' and fathers' interest important for self-evaluations of sons and daughters. Parents' interest more important for self-concept of opposite-gender children. Abstract: There has been a dearth of research utilising interactional models of parent and child gender to investigate whether there are gender-specific effects in relationships between parent engagement and children's cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes. This study drew upon data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, and used adolescents' reports of the interest shown by their parents in their education as well as parents' retrospective reports of the interest shown by their own parents when they were growing up. We found no evidence of gender-specific effects for the outcomes of academic achievement, educational expectations or educational attainment in adulthood. Mothers' and fathers' interest was associated with the self-concept of their children, and these associations were stronger in opposite-gender children.