Parenting as a Moderator of Links between Socioeconomic Factors and Academic Outcomes in Early Adolescence

• In Event: Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Topic - Education, Schooling

Abstract

Household income can have a profound impact on adolescents’ academic achievement due to a lack of resources (Xuan, 2019). At the same time, parental behaviors make important contributions to children’s academic achievement across all socioeconomic levels (Duan, 2018). Indeed, harsh discipline and poor parental monitoring are related to lower end of term grades in middle school students (Wang, 2017). Developmentally appropriate parenting may be especially difficult for parents who are struggling financially (Conrad, 2019), suggesting that the relationship between income and academic outcomes may differ at different levels of parenting behavior. In addition to end of term grades and test scores, academic competencies are an important contributor to academic achievement and can be targeted for intervention. However, little is known about the combined roles of household income and parenting in children’s academic competencies. The current study examines the relationship between household income and academic competencies in early adolescence, together with a possible moderating role of parenting behaviors.
The sample included 288 middle school students (Mage = 12.09; 54% female; 46% Black, 38% White, 10% Hispanic, 6% other) participating in an ongoing school-based study of adolescent health. Parents reported household income, highest education completed, child sex and race. Parents also completed the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (Elger, 2007); the subscales of involvement, corporal punishment and monitoring will be used in this project. Teachers assessed student academic skills (e.g. Reading/Language Arts) and academic enablers (e.g. Motivation) using the Academic Competencies and Evaluation Scales (DiPerna, 1999).
After controlling for child sex and race (white/non-white) and parent education, multiple regression analyses determined that higher household income (β = .21, p<.01) and parental monitoring (β = .13, p<.05) were related to greater academic skills. Parent involvement and corporal punishment were not associated with academic skills or enablers. Regarding demographic characteristics, females had greater academic skills (β = .17, p<.01) and enablers (β = .38, p<.001) compared to males. White students, compared to non-white students, had higher academic skills (β = .14, p<.05). Parenting did not moderate relationships between household income and academic outcomes.
Results show that higher household income has a positive relationship with middle school students’ academic skills in core subjects, possibly due to greater access to academic resources at home and at school. Similarly, children whose parents closely monitor their behavior may receive more academic support at home, which can translate to better academic skills at school. However, different levels of monitoring do not moderate associations between income and academic outcomes. Future studies should examine the roles of nonlinear effects of household income as well as other socioeconomic factors (e.g. neighborhood environment, family structure) in conjunction with parenting in child academic outcomes.

Authors

• Catheryn Orihuela, University of Alabama, Birmingham
  Presenting Author

• Sylvie Mrug, University of Alabama at Birmingham
  Non-Presenting Author

• Retta Evans, University of Alabama at Birmingham
  Non-Presenting Author