Value Development Underlies the Benefits of Parents' Involvement in Children's Learning: A Longitudinal Investigation in the United States and China

Abstract

This research examined whether the benefits of parents' involvement in children's learning are due in part to value development among children. Four times over the seventh and eighth grades, 825 American and Chinese children (mean age = 12.73 years) reported on their parents' involvement in their learning and their perceptions of the value their parents place on school achievement as well as the value they themselves place on it. Children's academic functioning was assessed via children's reports and school records. Value development partially explained the effects of parents' involvement on children's academic functioning in the United States and China. For example, the more children reported their parents as involved, the more they perceived them as placing value on achievement six months later; such perceptions in turn predicted the subsequent value children placed on achievement, which foreshadowed enhanced grades.

Keywords: achievement; engagement; parent involvement; socialization; value transmission.

Figure 1

Hypothesized value development pathways underlying the effect of parental involvement on children’s academic functioning. Note. The perception-acceptance pathway is reflected in paths a, b, and d; the experience pathway is reflected in paths c and d.

Figure 2

Value development pathways underlying the effect of parents’ involvement on children’s grades. Note. For child sex, 1 = boys, 2 = girls; for child residence with parents, 1 = not residing with both parents, 2 = residing with both parents. Letters (i.e., a, b, c1, c2, and d) represent links comprising the two value development pathways denoted in Figure 1. For ease of presentation, within-wave co-variances are not shown. Based on the chi-square difference tests, all paths comprising the indirect pathways were constrained to be equal between the United States and China. American standardized estimates are above; Chinese standardized estimates are below. Solid lines are significant (p < .05); dashed lines are not. * p < .05. ** p < .01. *** p < .001.