The Effect of School-Specific Parenting Processes on Academic Achievement in Adolescence and Young Adulthood

There is inconsistency in the current literature regarding the association between dimensions of parenting processes and academic achievement for adolescents. Further, few studies have extended such an association into young adulthood. In this study, we examined the effect of three dimensions of parenting processes, including school-specific involvement, general parental support, and parental expectations, on academic achievement in adolescence and in young adulthood. Using a large, nationally representative, and longitudinal sample, we found that results from regression analyses suggested that all three dimensions of parenting processes had a significant effect on adolescents' academic success. In particular, school-specific involvement had a stronger effect than general parental support and parental expectations. Further, parenting processes were indirectly associated with academic achievement later in young adulthood, partially through academic achievement in adolescence. Implications of the findings are also discussed.