1 Educational Psychology- EDPE 300

Research Paper- Parenting styles and their influence on childrens academic achievement

Presented to Dr. Gus Appignanesi Written by Catherine Hughes- 260519806

Tuesday March 11th, 2014 McGill University Montreal, Quebec

2 Essay Abstract This paper describes the various parenting styles and their impact on the observed trends in behavior in children and their academic achievement. Each parenting style is described in detail with its pros and cons outlined. This paper then evaluates and compares various studies that have been conducted on the topic of parenting style and student achievement. The authors of the various studies concede that parenting styles can have an impact on student achievement. Finally, this essay then goes into depth on other factors influencing childrens academic success. These include not only the parenting style but also other family influences and dynamics, such as parental involvement in the child`s schooling, communication between home and school and collaboration between parent and teacher.

3 Research Paper- Final Draft Introduction Parents are one of the most influential figures in their childrens lives. From the time they are born, children look up to their parents and during the first few years, they rely on them to satisfy their basic needs including, physical, emotional and intellectual. Ultimately, children are shaped by the parents approach to parenting. Parenting styles play an important role in the attitude, character and personality of the growing child. Studies indicate that parenting styles also play an important role in student achievement. Academic performance is influenced by the parenting style being implemented at home. Several other factors such as socioeconomic class, ethnicity, age, gender and parental involvement are also influential to academic performance but it has been proven that the home environment does in fact have a significant impact on a childs success at school; the parents and their approach to childrearing. Although the evidence to substantiate this claim is mixed (not all studies found significant data to support their thesis and some researchers also attribute academic performance to other prevalent factors), certain parenting styles have been linked to increased academic performance in children and adolescents while others have been linked to decreased academic performance. This paper will examine different studies presenting findings of positive and negative correlations between various parenting styles and childrens academic performances. This paper will also evaluate childrens general attitudes and tendencies when being parented using a particular style.

4 Parenting styles There are three recognized types of parenting styles. There is the Authoritarian Parenting, the Authoritative Parenting, and the Permissive/Indulgent Parenting. These styles are also described as: The Brick Wall, The Jellyfish, and The Backbone according to parenting expert Barbara Coloroso. A brief description of each parenting style follows. The Authoritarian or Brick Wall parenting style is rigid, with many rules. It relies heavily on conformity and punishment. This approach to parenting teaches children what to think rather then teaching them how to think. It also generally results in obedient children often lacking in social skills, low selfesteem and happiness. At the other end of the parenting spectrum is The Permissive/Indulgent or Jellyfish parenting style. This approach provides no real sense of structure to children. It does not provide children with specific guidelines for conduct and tends to not address bad behavior with the appropriate consequences. This approach makes for parents who are known to be push overs and who do not like to be seen as the bad guy. The permissive parenting style will often be seen in children lacking in self-discipline, having difficulty with authority and lower academic performance. Lastly, there is Authoritative Parenting or The Backbone parenting style. This style of parenting is a nice equilibrium of flexibility and structure. It requires parents to set clear ground rules, and reasonable guidelines for behavior while also giving age appropriate decision-making and responsibility to the child. Backbone parents tend to set high standards in their expectations but these are fair. With this parenting style, there are consequences and the actions leading up to these are well known by the child. Consequences for

5 poor behaviors and poor decisions are consistent and predictable. Authoritative parents also tend to be warm and nurturing, treating their children with kindness, respect and affection, making for very confident children, not afraid to take certain risks both in and out of the classroom. Other influences Everyone enters the world of parenting with different beliefs, values, and expectations. Most parents have developed their own parenting styles long before becoming parents. For the most part, their parenting approach is simply engrained in them from their own parental influences and personal life experiences. One might ask how and why do parents adopt a certain type of parenting style. Parental behavior can be influenced by three central elements; the childs attitude, culture, and genetics. The childs attitude and the way the child treats the parents will greatly affect the parenting style used. A childs personality traits also play a big role on the parents responsive attitudes. Finally, there is a correlation between the childs level of obedience and the parents level of authority. Cultures can have different beliefs and different expectations from a parental style point of view. For example Caucasian American and Asian American expectations can greatly differ from one another. If the two are examined closely, one finds that the Asian American methods of parenting are generally much more authoritarian; they tend to have higher expectations, sterner rules, and less maternal bonding and affection. As a result, the child grows up quite anxious and where schoolwork is concerned, expectations and pressures to succeed high are high, thus increasing again a childs

6 level of anxiety. The student is often disappointed, even with average work because of the intensity of the parenting style. Cultural expectations also influence parenting styles. Studies show that Caucasian Americans generally adopt the Authoritative parenting style. Asian Americans tend to adopt the Authoritarian parenting style. Todays schools are culturally diverse with a great variety of cultures in any given classroom. This often results in a culture shock and a sense of confusion when a student encounters a culture with very different behavioral expectations than his own. This is why, it is strongly recommended that a teachers make all classroom rules explicit and the following consequences very clear to every student, in the first few weeks of school. This will ensure a uniformity in the school environment and the rules of conduct; there will be identical expectations for all students, regardless of their cultural background or the parenting style adopted by their parents. Studies have shown that genetics also influence the type of parenting style a parent will adopt when they become adults. J-R Harris, in his book The Nurture Assumption, covers why children turn out the way they do. This book looks at the characteristics of behavior that are passed through genes. Barbara Coloroso in her delightful and insightful book, Kids are Worth It argues that children need opportunities to make decisions and to experience ageappropriate consequences to the choices they make. She stages that in order for children to learn successful decision-making techniques, they require one or two adults, which whom they develop a secure relationship, to facilitate fulfillment of these needs. Also, in her opinion the right style of parental support accommodated

7 with the right environment is key raising kids. This specialist in child development suggests that only one of the three parenting styles is the most efficient. This is nonetheless what she refers to The Backbone approach to parenting. The Backbone style is essentially like a backbone. It provides supports, yet it is flexible enough for the body to move smoothly. This style of parenting is a wellbalanced combination of providing support to the child, while putting in reasonable boundaries around inappropriate behaviors. This style of parenting also allows children to do a little bit of learning by trial and error. This in result makes for kids that are able to make their own educated decisions but they can also follow rules, guidelines and boundaries, even when the rules are not explicitly black and white. When it comes to academics, children from a young age, as early as in kindergarten, must be able to follow rules and guidelines. They must also be able to go on their own and work independently and in groups with their class mates. Studies on the topic The following studies describe the impact of parenting styles on childrens academics. Research suggests that having at least one authoritative parent can make a big difference in the childs development and academic successes (Fletcher et al. 1999). It is most important to remember that results of these studies were mostly correlational and not causative. The studies could find positive and negative relationships between parenting style and child behavior, but they could not attribute the parenting style as the cause and the child behavior as the effect. Overall, it all comes down to the disposition and personality of the child.

8 Specialist Dr. T. Barry Brazelton also identifies six irreducible needs of every child. He argues that these six needs affect a childs brain development, personality, and emotional development. He then goes on to describe how these needs will affect academic performances in latter school years. They are as follows. 1. The need for ongoing nurturing relationships (provided by 1-2 adults) 2. The need for physical protection, safety and regulation. 3. The need for experience tailored to individual differences the need for regular one-on-one interactions between the child and the caregiver. 4. The need for developmentally- appropriate experiences (specifically developed for the individual child). 5. The need for limit setting, structure and clear expectations. 6. The need for stable supportive communities and cultural continuity (including an unbroken child-adult relationship). These six criteria are essentially the description of The Backbone parenting style. Brazelton also mentions that this is a parenting style that can be mastered over the years. It is not easy to change attitudes, habits, and ways as a new born comes into your life. Over the years, this style can be developed but it is best to start discussing this approach with your partner and making part of your household, as soon as the decision to start a family is consolidated Research shows that each parenting style come with their own pros and cons. The link to academic success seems to become more evident in these descriptions although in these general statements and trends there are always exceptions. Firstly, the authoritarian

9 parenting style is strict parenting, demanding and not responsive, they tend to have high expectations, dont include the child in the decision making, often use the phrase because I said so,.. and like to use punishment rather than discuss the situation or the issue. As a result. the child will tend to be less socially competent because he or she is always told what to do instead being put in a decisionmaking situation. The child may develop insecurities and display anti-social behaviors as a result. This parenting style can however have some positive consequences in some cultures. The second parenting style, the authoritative parent tends to be demanding yet responsive, has high expectations, has mutual respect between child and parent, and most importantly provides balance between control and independence. Lastly, the indulgent parenting style is not demanding, there are very few expectations, is involved with minimal boundaries, very few rules are enforced; ultimately there is little control over the child. Consequently, the child may tend to be more impulsive and more involved in substance use, expect things to go this or her way with little or no control on behavior. Though, children raised by this method of parenting do seem to be emotionally secure, they grow up quite independent, and usually mature quickly. Other factors such as physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect can also take a toll on not only the childs academic performance but also can result in serious health consequences. This can lead into alcohol and drug abuse, cognitive impairment, depression and anxiety, poor self-esteem, and several others health issues.

10 Although all of these factors affect parenting styles and then end up affecting childrens academic success, there is also another key factor affecting childrens academic success : parental involvement in the childs education. This includes: parental involvement and participation in school activities, educational activities at home, assisting with homework, regular communication with the teacher and others. This can result with more motivated students, higher grades, better behaviors, better social skills and increased aspirations to higher education. Parental involvement has been proven to be beneficial through all stages of a childs education; elementary school, adolescence and even adulthood, because as proven by research (Coleman), educators and schools have much less influence on students then environmental factors at home. This makes parenting style and parental involvement such crucial elements of a students educational experience. Additionally, socioeconomic status can also have a slight influence on academic achievement. Trends show that there is a positive correlation between SES and academic achievement. One might ask why, and research indicates that children of affluent backgrounds are more often exposed to greater intellectually stimulating experiences. Contradicting studies have also shown that parents from a variety of cultural backgrounds and with differing educational statuses, income or occupational status can provide stimulating home environments that support and encourage the learning and scholarly achievements of their children. It is ultimately what the parents do, rather then their status that is important. Moreover, the role models parents express also affect the childs academic achievement. A protective model which separates home and school explicitly, does not lend itself to

11 collaboration and communication between home and school. Students are possible receiving mixed messages at home and at school. Then there is the partnership model. This allows for the creation of a partnership between parents and teachers in educating the student. An increase in parental involvement leads to an increase in test scores. A similar study was conducted on preschool aged children. The method of study involved the evaluation of behavioral tendencies of preschool aged students with their mothers. There were 344 students ranging from 35 and 75 months of age. Both genders were included in the study. This study illustrated that in terms of mother and teacher ratings of prosocial behaviors, which are behaviors, intended to help other people, girls tended to show more prosocial behavior than boys. The children whose mothers showing authoritative parenting style demonstrated more prosocial behaviors as rated by mothers than the children whose parents are showing more permissive parenting styles. These children (if following the trends) will then be more confident, independent students and should succeed better academically. There was another study conducted by Dr. F. Altay from the Department of Psychology at the University of Pune, on 207 high school students aged between 1517 years old. This study was looking to find a correlation between test anxiety and parenting style. The methodology behind this study was to get the students to write a test and then ask the mothers to also write a test. The students were asked how they felt about taking a test; were they anxious and why? The mothers were then asked how they thought their kids would do on the test. The results of the test

12 indicated statistically significant negative correlations between test anxiety and democratic attitude of parents and acceptance of parents. Statistically significant negative correlations were also observed between worry and similar components of test anxiety and democratic attitudes of mothers as well as fathers. There was no statistically significant correlation between test anxiety and attitudes and expectations of mothers towards their childs academics and gender stereotyped perceptions of mothers regarding academics, several parents were also very unsupportive and encouraging. Conclusion In closing, the most important factors of a childs academic success are the home environment, the parental expectations, and the parental involvement at the school level. Though parental style has been shown to have an impact on academic achievement, teachers and parents must work in collaboration with each other in all areas of a childs educational experience, regardless of the parenting style adopted at home. Although the parenting style was found to be influential in the childs academic success and future attitudes, fears, motives where school is concerned, parent teacher communication is key in working together towards the common goal of educating the student, the child. In his book, Essentials of Psychology, (2011) Douglas Bernstein writes "There is no universally "best" style of parenting," So authoritative parenting, which is so consistently linked with positive outcomes in European American families, is not related to better school performance among African American or Asian American youngsters." Along with parenting style, there are other important factors, which also affect student achievement; all of these must

13 be kept in mind by educators and parents. This collaborative model to educating children will ultimately result in overall student success both in and out of the classroom.

14 Works Cited Altay. F. B. et al. Relationship among the Parenting Styles and the Social Competence and Prosocial Behaviors of the Children Who are Attending to State Private Schools. (2012) Educational Sciences. Theory and Practice. Educational Consultancy and Research Center. EDAM. Bernstein, D. A. (2011). Essentials of psychology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Brazelton, T.B. Parenting styles and their effect on child development. (2008). Chapter 5. p. 48-63. Coleman, T. Understanding the relationships between parents and their children. (2011). Chapter 7. p. 120-139. Coloroso, B. Kids are worth it. HarperCollins Publisher Inc. (1994, 2001,2002) Chapter 2. p.20-42. Class notes and powerpoints Neerja R Thergaonkar et al. Relationship between Test Anxiety and Parenting Style (2007). . J. Indian Asssoc. Child Adolesc. Ment. Health. Prokreala.com Parenting styles (2014) http://www.prokerala.com/kids/parenting/parenting-styles.php American Psychological Association: Diana Blumberg Baumrind Education.com: Parenting Styles NYU Child Study Center: Parenting Styles/Children's Temperaments, The Match University of California, Berkeley: Effects of Authoritative Parental Control on Child Behavior