Parents' and teachers' academic influences, behavioral engagement, and first- and fifth-grade achievement

Sch Psychol. 2019 Sep;34(5):492-502. doi: 10.1037/spq0000297. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Abstract

Parents and teachers-primary socializers across elementary grades-offer potentially differential support mechanisms for children's healthy functioning across developmental periods. Utilizing child, parent, teacher, and observational data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Department Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (n = 1,031), we employed a longitudinal path model to examine indirect associations between parents' and teachers' academic influences (i.e., direct parental involvement, the student-teacher relationship, instructional support) and achievement (reading and math) through behavioral engagement at 1st and 5th grades. Results indicated indirect associations linking direct parental involvement (positively, 1st grade only), student-teacher conflict (negatively, both grades), and instructional support (positively, both grades) to achievement via behavioral engagement, after accounting for the co-occurrence of parents' and teachers' academic influences and other child characteristics. School psychologists may opt for interventions focusing on parents' and teachers' academic influence to indirectly effect achievement by promoting elementary school behavioral engagement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

MeSH terms

  • Academic Success*
  • Child
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Parenting*
  • School Teachers*
  • Social Support*
  • Students*