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File number :
CS-CEFC-35e

Bibliographic reference :
Flouri, E. (2006). Parental Interest in Children’s Education, Children’s Self-Esteem and Locus of Control, and Later Educational Attainment: Twenty-six Year Follow-up of the 1970 British Birth Cohort. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 76, 41-55.

Abstract :

Parental involvement in children’s education has been acknowledged as a positive influence on their educational pathways. The same is true for their self-esteem and locus of control. Some students believe that their performance depends on their actions (internal locus of control), while others believe that their performance is  beyond their control (external locus of control).

Goal and Hypotheses
The main goal of this British study was to assess the long-term effect of parental interest in children’s education on their educational attainment at age 26.

Two research hypotheses were put forward: (1) mothers’ interest in their children’s education, fathers’ interest in their children’s education, and children’s self-esteem and locus of control have independent and positive effects on children’s educational attainment; and (2) parental interest in children’s education will have an effect on children’s educational attainment through its positive influence on children’s self-esteem and locus of control.

Methodology
To conduct this study adequately, the author of this study used data from a vast longitudinal study (British Cohort Study-1970) involving 17,000 children born in Great Britain in 1970 (England, Scotland and Wales). Several of these children’s characteristics were assessed at age 5, 10, 16, 26 and 30. Only the topics with complete, available data on the variables under study were selected, for a total of 2904 topics.

Identification of the highest educational attainment was based on the National Vocational Qualification categories. Parental interest was assessed by teachers when the children were ten. At the same age, the children completed scales for measuring self-esteem and locus of control.

The possible effect of certain confounding variables was controlled, including family variables (mothers’ educational attainment, parents’ social class at birth, experience of socio-economic disadvantage in childhood assessed when the children were five, and family structure assessed when the children were ten) and individual variables (birth weight, cognitive ability and emotional/behavioural problems assessed when the children were five).

Main Results
Children whose parents showed great interest in their education when they were ten achieved higher educational attainment at age 26 than children whose parents showed little interest. They also had more self-esteem and a more developed internal locus of control at age ten.

The influence of parents’ interest in their children’s education varied according to parental gender. Mothers’ interest was associated with the educational attainment of girls as much as boys, while fathers’ interest was linked to the educational attainment of girls only. However, it was found that fathers’ interest could influence boys’ educational attainment through their positive influence on mothers’ interest.

The results also revealed that the internal locus of control was positively correlated to educational attainment at age 26. This was not the case for self-esteem, which seemed nonetheless to influence educational attainment through its positive effect on the locus of control.

Lastly, it was impossible to conclude that the positive effect of parental interest on self-esteem and locus of control accounted for the link between parental interest in children’s education and educational attainment.



Links :
This journal is also available in electronic format. Publisher’s Website address: http://www.bps.org.uk/home-page.cfm"

Key Words :
Parental Involvement, Parental Interest, Self-esteem, Internal Locus of Control, External Locus of Control, Educational Pathway, Educational Attainment, British Cohort Study-1970, Longitudinal Study, Newsletter11

Monitored Countries :
Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)