An explanatory model of maths achievement:Perceived parental involvement and academic motivation.

BACKGROUND: Although numerous studies have tried to explain performance in maths very few have deeply explored the relationship between different variables and how they jointly explain mathematical performance.

METHOD: With a sample of 897 students in 5th and 6th grade in Primary Education and using structural equation modeling (SEM), this study analyzes how the perception of parents’ beliefs is related to children´s beliefs, their involvement in mathematical tasks and their performance.

RESULTS: Perceived parental involvement contributes to the motivation of their children in mathematics. Direct supervision of students’ academic work by parents may increase students’ concerns about the image and rating of their children, but not their academic performance. In fact, maths achievement depends directly and positively on the parents’ expectations and children’s maths self-efficacy and negatively on the parents’ help in tasks and performance goal orientation.

CONCLUSIONS: Perceived parental involvement contributes to children’s motivation in maths essentially conveying confidence in their abilities and showing interest in their progress and schoolwork.