Four family process factors predicting academic achievement in sixth and seventh grade

Headnote

Four family process factors--parental expectations, parental interest, parental involvement, and family communication--were assessed for their impact on the grades and achievement test scores of 300 students in 6th and 7th grade, using a longitudinal study. The family process factors having the most influence were parental expectations of the students' capabilities in specific disciplines, and they were especially influential on mathematics achievement. Expectations in specific disciplines were more important than general academic expectations. Other parental and family factors proved to be weak influences--level of parental interest in the students' grades and classes, frequency of coming to school for events ,or meetings, or level of communication and agreement within the family.

Research on family determinants of children's school achievement has identified a wide range of factors having an effect (see Hess & Holloway, 1984; Scott-Jones, 1984). Song and Hattie (1984 divided family factors into three categories which are convenient: family structure, social status, and family process factors.

Family structure includes variables such as two-parent versus one- parent family, number of children, and birth order of the subject. Its effect on student achievement has been repeatedly studied, usually finding moderately weak relationships (e.g., Kurdek & Sinclair, 1988; Marjoribanks, 1979, 1981).

Social status is measured by father's occupation, mother's occupation, and family income. In all research it has been found to predict children's school achievement (e.g., Marjoribanks, 1979; Sewell, Hauser, & Featherman, 1976).

Family process factors are our concern here. They can be divided into four distinct types. First is parental expectations about education. Parental expectations have been found to predict children's school success quite-strongly, if they are realistic expectations and not just hopeful anticipations or dreams (Seginer, 1985). They correlate positively with higher levels of motivation to complete cognitive tasks (Entwisle & Baker, 1983). Eccles compared parents' reports of their expectations for children with the children's perceptions of parental expectations and found the latter to be almost as strong as the former in predicting school success (1983:132).

Second is parental interest in school, including such facets as interest in specific classes, help with homework and projects, providing study helps, and guidance in school decisions (Scott-Jones, 1984; Campbell & Mandel, 1990).

Third is parental involvement in school, including going to school for conferences and events, making contact...