Not One-Size-Fits-All: Variations in Parental Academic Socialization Across Race and Caregiver Identity

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Thursday 7:45am
  In Poster Session: Building Just and Equitable Education Systems

Abstract

This study examined how race/ethnicity and primary caregiver identity shape college students’ perceptions of parental academic socialization across four dimensions: Active Involvement, Competitiveness, High Academic Demands, and Emotional Autonomy Support and Responsiveness. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Expectancy-Value Theory, data from 445 undergraduates revealed significant differences by caregiver type and racial background. Students with non-parent caregivers (guardians) perceived lower support, while Black and Asian students reported greater competitiveness and academic pressure than their White peers. The findings highlight the importance of culturally responsive approaches to understanding how families support academic development and challenge generalized notions of parental involvement.

Authors

• Aniyah Davis-Hilton, University of Maryland - Baltimore County

• Besjane Krasniqi, University of Maryland - Baltimore County

• Susan Sonnenschein, University of Maryland - Baltimore County