Family−school conflict and self-regulation among diverse women in higher education

• Published in: Journal of applied research in higher education 2023-01, Vol.15 (1), p.51-65
• Main Authors: Koh, Jinyoung, Farruggia, Susan P., Perez, Nicole, Palbusa, Julienne
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; African American Students; Asian American Students; Asian Americans; Behavior; Black college students; College Freshmen; College Students; Colleges & universities; Cultural differences; Cultural Influences; Culture; Educational Research; Emotional regulation; Emotional Response; Emotions; Families & family life; Family Influence; Family School Relationship; Females; Help Seeking; Higher education; Hispanic American Students; Hispanic students; Immigrants; Minority & ethnic groups; Self Control; Socialization; Student Behavior; Student retention; Success; System theory; Time Management; White people; White Students
• ISSN: 2050-7003; 1758-1184
• DOI: 10.1108/JARHE-01-2021-0039

PurposeThis study investigated whether family−school conflict, directly and indirectly, predicts behavioral regulatory strategies (via emotion regulation) among women in higher education. The authors aim to hypothesize that the direct and indirect effects would vary by race/ethnicity.Design/methodology/approachParticipants were 1,872 incoming first-year female students from a large, racially/ethnically diverse urban public university. They were classified into four racial/ethnic groups: 22% Asian American (n = 403), 11% Black (n = 209), 46% Latina (n = 865), and 21% White (n = 395). Data were collected from institutional records and an online student pre-matriculation survey. Multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to explore the structural relations among key variables.FindingsFamily−school conflict was negatively associated with help-seeking in all racial/ethnic groups, whereas family−school conflict was negatively associated with time management only for Latina students. In addition, family−school conflict indirectly predicted time management and help-seeking through increased emotion regulation, particularly among Latina students.Originality/valueIn considering racial heterogeneity, the results showed the importance of analyzing racial/ethnic groups separately to obtain more accurate information on self-regulation mechanisms in family−school conflict contexts.