Parental Involvement and the Socioeconomic Gap in Science Learning Outcomes: Evidence From 18 Countries

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: The Role of Family and Community in Student Mastery of K–12 Content

Abstract

This study examines whether parental involvement mediates the link between SES and cognitive achievement, self-efficacy, and intrinsic motivation in science. The sample consists of students and their parents from 18 countries which participated in PISA 2015 (N=81,768). Multi-group CFA established metric invariance, allowing for meaningful comparisons of the regression slopes across the regions. Multi-group SEM found that prior involvement in informal science activities (e.g. watching science programs when the child was 10 years old) was associated with better cognitive and affective outcomes in almost all countries. Prior involvement also accounted for a substantial part of the SES-outcome links. However, current school-related involvement (e.g. checking on school performance) predicted lower cognitive achievement. Possible explanations and implications of these findings are discussed.

Authors

• Anindito Aditomo, Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education

• Nina Jude, DIPF| Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education