Why does parents' involvement enhance children's achievement? The role of parent-oriented motivation.

This research examined the idea that children’s parent-oriented motivation underlies the benefits of parents ’ involvement on children’s engagement and ultimately achievement in school. Beginning in the fall of 7th grade, 825 American and Chinese children (mean age 12.73 years) reported on their parents’ involvement in their learning as well as multiple dimensions of their motivation in school every 6 months until the end of 8th grade. Information on children’s self-regulated learning strategies and grades was also obtained. Over time, the more involved parents were in children’s learning, the more motivated children were to do well in school for parent-oriented reasons, which contributed to children’s enhanced self-regulated learning and thereby grades. Although children’s parent-oriented motivation was associ-ated with their controlled and autonomous motivation in school, it uniquely explained the positive effect of parents ’ involvement on children’s grades.