Effects of parental involvement on mathematics achievement at eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades

Abstract

Researchers, policy makers, and educators have recently drawn attention to parental involvement as an important predictor of mathematics achievement among U.S. students. Despite evidence proclaiming parental involvement's positive effect on younger students' academic achievement, inconsistencies in sparse research on older students seem the norm. The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of parental involvement on older children as they progress from eighth to twelfth grade in a specific area of achievement, mathematics achievement. Data from a large nationally representative sample of students and their parents who participated in the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 base-year, first follow-up, and second follow-up were analyzed using latent structural equations analyses. The results suggest that parental involvement in students' academic lives is indeed a powerful influence on student mathematics achievement at eighth, tenth, and twelfth grade. Findings also suggest that conscious efforts to improve parent/child communication concerning school related matters and increased efforts to communicate parental aspirations for their child's future educational attainment can act as a useful tool to help increase mathematics achievement at the secondary school level.