Blog Post #3 – The Role of the Parent: What role does validation in familiar relationships (ie. parental pressure and validation) play in creating a high achieving student?

Research Step 1 – The Role of the Parent: What role does validation in familiar relationships (ie. parental pressure and validation) play in creating a high achieving student?

Parental involvement is necessary in holding a child accountable for their academic performance in school. The different ways in which parents rear their children to try in school make a night and day difference from one to the next. Throughout this post’s investigation, I will attempt to decode the role of the parent in creating the high-achieving student, and whether this seemingly good thing can have consequences on a child’s mental health and well-being.

A meta-analysis from 2020 constructed by Pinquart and Ebeling aimed at identifying the relationship between parental education, and child academic achievement (1). The study found a moderately positive correlation between parental education motivation and high grades in adolescents (1). However, when parental expectations exceeded realistic limits, student motivation and thus grades sharply declined; highlighting the importance of moderate goals set at a reasonable pace (1). Therefore, setting attainable goals is key to ensure long-term academic success (1).

Another meta-analysis, conducted by Fan and Chen in 2000 aimed to explore how child academic achievement was correlated with extrinsic motivators (2). The findings concluded a positive association across the board, proving that children are more extrinsically (to do well for the sake of others) inclined to do well than intrinsically (to do well for themselves) (2). It is important to note that parental encouragement plays more of a role in the academic achievement a child will have than any other inter-disciplinary action the student may make. (2) This further highlights the utter importance of parental reinforcement put forth in a healthy way (2).

Other extensive research conducted on the relationship between parental academic motivation and childhood success concluded that the higher the standards placed on the child, the more likely they are to experience depression, stress/anxiety disorders, and life dissatisfaction (3). Additionally, the insomnia that may emerge as a result of these external pressures can lead to this sleuth of health problems proceeding without any observable end (3). Adverse health effects due to these pressures may sustain over the course of one’s life, especially if they do not have the resources to deal with these problems (3). It is important for the parent to recognize that their students’ academic achievement is only one small portion of their overall identity (3).

So what should parents do in response to their child entering the age where higher grades are more important to achieve (4)? A simple comment like “You worked so hard on that project,” or “Your efforts are unmatched” foster a much more beneficial, intrinsic inclination to pursue academics for the purpose of working toward a higher personal goal, rather than something like “You’re so smart” (4). This proves that validation centred around growth rather than a subjective and societally varying label such as ‘smart’ is so important in fostering sustainable efforts that persist throughout the child’s’ entire life (4). Pressure can only build up for so long, it is worth preaching this notion to parents rather than the strict standards enforced by mainstream media and monetary standards (4).

Socioeconomic status also plays a pivotal role in certain experiences a child may have, positively advantaging them in the long run. A study found that higher socioeconomic grouped parents were more likely to encourage their child to be involved in more extracurricular activities, engage relationships with people of a similar class, and seek help from tutors more often (5). Nonetheless, this is not to say that this factor means everything (5). This conversation is highly nuanced, meaning that parenting style will typically come out as being more effective than resources acquired through wealth and accessibility (5). Emotional support means everything, particularly in the absence of help that can be available to a student at a given time (5).

A longitudinal study examined parents’ own educational and professional achievement on their childs’ future endeavours academically (5). It found that when parents fostered a lifelong learning approach, their children were much more likely to want to do well for themselves (5). This concludes that parental involvement plays one of the biggest roles in ensuring a child is confident and aware of their abilities, doing well for their own good rather than the fallacy of impressing others (5). These students need to academically become inclined to pursue their aspirations, rather than pressure from society, or even worse, their own parents (5).

References

1. Pinquart, Martin, and Markus Ebeling. ‘Parental Educational Expectations and Academic Achievement in Children and Adolescents—a Meta-Analysis’. Educational Psychology Review, vol. 32, no. 2, June 2020, pp. 463–80. Springer Link, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09506-z.
2. ‘Back-to-School Resources for Parents (Plus a Reminder) | Committee …’ Www.Google.Com, https://www.google.com/imgres?q=parental+support&imgurl=https://www.cfchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/blog/august-2018/parental-engagement-supports-SEL-1024×536.jpg&imgrefurl=https://www.cfchildren.org/blog/2018/08/back-to-school-resources-for-parents/&docid=y28iXL7GyRaf4M&tbnid=bA1AJe1m_h4-UM&vet=12ahUKEwiUnoGr7u6JAxUTEDQIHbqrAKQQM3oECBsQAA..i&w=1024&h=536&hcb=2&ved=2ahUKEwiUnoGr7u6JAxUTEDQIHbqrAKQQM3oECBsQAA&sfr=vfe&source=sh/x/im/can/1. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
3. Haspolat, Namık Kemal, and Murat Ağirkan. ‘When Parents Press for Achievement: The Relationship between Academic Stress, Insomnia, Adolescent-Parent Relationships, and Life Satisfaction’. Journal of Child and Family Studies, Oct. 2024. Springer Link, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-024-02921-z.
4. APA PsycNet. https://psycnet.apa.org/home. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
5. ‘PubMed’. PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.