More is not always better: Profiles of perceived frequency of parental involvement among Chinese students and associations with resilience and academic achievement

Abstract

This study adopted a person-centered approach to explore heterogeneous patterns of home-based parental involvement frequency among elementary, middle, and high school students, and examined how such patterns were associated with resilience and academic achievement. The sample comprised 105,641 Chinese students, with analyses conducted using latent profile analyses (LPAs) and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The results revealed consistent profile emergence across all cohorts- four profiles distinctly described the students' perceived patterns of parental involvement. These encompassed three universally identified profiles: “low involvement in life and study,” “moderate involvement in life and study,” and “high involvement in life but low in study.” For the 8th and 11th graders, the fourth profile was denoted as “high involvement in life and study,” while for 4th graders, it was termed “moderate involvement in life but moderately low in study.” MANCOVA results revealed statistically significant differences in students' resilience and academic achievement across profiles after controlling students' gender and family socioeconomic status (SES). The findings of this research highlight that parents' more frequent involvement in students' everyday lives, coupled with less frequent involvement in their study matters, may effectively foster academic success and enhance the development of resilient traits.

Educational relevance statement

This study sheds light on the impact of diverse frequency of parental involvement profiles on the academic achievement and resilience of Chinese students across different grade levels. The findings highlight students who perceive their parents as a ‘high involvement in life but low in study’ are associated with greater academic achievement and resilience. These insights emphasized the need for teachers, parents, and policymakers to consider the nature, frequency, and domains of parental involvement, offering significant implications for teaching strategies, parenting practices, and educational policy development, particularly in the Chinese context.