Is All Parental “Noninvolvement” Equal? Barriers to Involvement and Their Relationship to Latino Academic Achievement

Abstract

High parental involvement has consistently been shown to enhance academic achievement among Latino youth. Still, some youth continue to thrive academically despite low parental involvement. The Theory of Rationality suggests that the impact of even potentially negative behaviors depends on how the behavior is interpreted. To test the application of this theory to parental “noninvolvement” among Latinos, we assessed how adolescent rationales about their parents’ noninvolvement in their schooling affected grade point average (GPA). Results showed that parental lack of transportation and feeling unwelcomed at school as reasons for noninvolvement were significantly and negatively related to GPA, and conflict with work schedule was significantly and positively related to GPA. Other reasons for noninvolvement were not significantly associated with GPA. Findings indicate that the meaning adolescents attribute to parental behavior may be a stronger predictor of academic achievement than the amount of involvement alone.