Annotation from the Connection Collection
You are viewing a record from the Connection Collection, a searchable annotated bibliography database. It links you with research-based information that you can use to connect schools, families, and communities.
| Title: | Family influences on school achievement in low-income, African American children |
| Author: | Halle, T.G., Kurtz-Costes, B., Mahoney, J.L. |
| Year: | 1997 |
| Resource Type: | Journal Article |
| Publication Information: |
Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(3) pp. 527-537 |
| Connection: | School-Family |
| Education Level: | Elementary |
| Literature type: | Research and Evaluation |
Annotation:
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between parental beliefs of their children's academic achievement and their children's academic achievement. Authors examined parents' interaction aimed at fostering math and literacy skill development and the presence of books in homes to determine whether children's self-perceptions were related to their achievement and whether children's perceptions were related to their parents' perceptions. The study found that parents' education-related beliefs were related to achievement-fostering behaviors in the home and that parent perceptions of their children's ability were related to children's academic self-concept and actual achievement scores. In spite of low scores, both children and parents had positive views of the children's abilities and high expectations for future educational success. Most parents believed their children would complete college. Children's math and reading achievement scores were not related to parents' reported instruction in the home. Forty-one economically disadvantaged African American children and their primary caregivers were interviewed. Structured interviews were conducted with parents to assess their beliefs and behaviors regarding academic achievement, expectations for their children's educational attainment, perceptions of their children's achievement relative to peers, the frequency with which they spoke to their children about pre-academic subjects, and to estimate the number of children's books in the home. Children completed measures of academic self-concept and two standardized achievement tests. The study illustrates that providing access to children's books within disadvantaged communities may do more to promote children's academic achievement than other achievement-related behaviors. The study also shows that parent behaviors, beliefs, and lifestyles may help to foster academic success in some disadvantaged children. One limitation of this study is the relatively small sample since it relies on data from one school thus, the findings may not be applicable to all school contexts. In addition, because data are based on self-report, there is some question about their validity.
Suggested Citation Style:
- Halle, T.G., Kurtz-Costes, B., & Mahoney, J.L. (1997). Family influences on school achievement in low-income, African American children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(3), 527-537.