The role of perceived parental socialization practices in school adjustment among Norwegian upper secondary school students

• Published in: British journal of educational psychology 2009-09, Vol.79 (3), p.529-546
• Main Authors: Studsrød, Ingunn, Bru, Edvin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Achievement; Adaptation, Psychological; Adjustment; Adolescent; Adolescents; Age Differences; Biological and medical sciences; Child Rearing; Correlation; Developmental psychology; Educational psychology; Female; Foreign Countries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General Education; Humans; Internal-External Control; Male; Motivation; Norway; Parent attitudes; Parent Influence; Parenting; Parenting - psychology; Parenting style; Parenting Styles; Perceptions; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; School adjustment; Secondary School Students; Secondary schools; Social Alienation; Social Support; Socialization; Student Adjustment; Student Behavior; Student Dropouts - psychology; Students - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vocational Education
• ISSN: 0007-0998; 2044-8279
• DOI: 10.1348/000709908X381771

Background Lack of adjustment or school failure is a concern to educators, educational and school psychologists as well as parents, but few studies have focused on school adjustment during late adolescence. Moreover, studies have yet to explore associations between parenting and school adjustment among upper secondary school students. Aim The primary objective of this study is to explore the relative and unique influence of parental support, behavioural control and psychological control (overprotection and autonomy granting) in school adjustment among upper secondary school students. Sample The sample consisted of 564 students (15–18 years of age) in vocational and general educational courses from one upper secondary school in western Norway. Method The study was conducted as a survey. All data were based on adolescent reports, except for absence data, which were provided by the school. Results The results showed that perceived parental practices accounted for moderate, but statistically significant amounts of variance in different aspects of school adjustment. Conclusions The findings indicate that perceived parental socialization practices are only moderately associated with school adjustment among upper secondary school students. This probably reflects the fact that the influence of specific parenting practices declines as children and young adolescents mature into late adolescent students.