Student Motivation and Parent Involvement in High-Socio Economic Families

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

Date

2017-12

Department

Program

Masters of Education

Citation of Original Publication

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Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between parent involvement and student motivation and grades of students of relatively high socio-economic status. The study had three hypotheses; the first was that students’ grades and motivations would be significantly related (ho1: r(motivation, grades)=0) and the second and third were that students’ motivation levels and grades would differ depending upon who provided them with the most school-related support. Participating students were enrolled in a small private school in Los Angeles. The data were collected through two mostly parallel surveys. One survey was completed by a parent and the other was completed by the student. The researcher found a significant correlation between combined student and parent ratings of motivation and grades (r= .724, p<.000) but no significant differences between parent student motivation and grades across groups with different main providers of support. Among recommendations for future research are the inclusion of a larger and more diverse sample, and a longer time for the study and clarification of items that assessed the type and amount of help given to high SES students by varied caregivers.