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The interplay between maternal homework involvement, task-avoidance, and achievement among adolescents.
Mari Tunkkari1, Kaisa Aunola1, Riikka Hirvonen2
1Department of Psychology.
Summary
Maternal homework involvement, especially psychological control and mother-initiated monitoring, negatively impacts adolescent academic achievement and increases task avoidance. Supporting optimal learning requires mothers to be aware of their involvement practices.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Maternal involvement in homework is crucial for adolescent academic success.
- Understanding the nuances of maternal involvement (quantity, quality, initiative) is key.
- Task avoidance in homework is a significant barrier to learning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the associations between maternal homework involvement and adolescent task avoidance.
- To investigate the impact of maternal involvement on academic achievement.
- To explore the mediating role of task avoidance in the relationship between maternal involvement and achievement.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of Finnish mothers and adolescents transitioning to lower secondary school.
- Mothers reported on homework involvement (quantity, quality, initiative).
- Adolescent task avoidance and academic achievement were measured.
Main Results:
- High maternal psychological control and mother-initiated monitoring were linked to lower academic achievement and higher task avoidance.
- Poor prior academic achievement predicted higher task avoidance, mediated by maternal psychological control and mother-initiated monitoring.
- Specific aspects of maternal involvement significantly influence adolescent academic outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Maternal psychological control and mother-initiated monitoring can hinder adolescent academic achievement.
- Interventions should focus on helping mothers adopt autonomy-supportive and adolescent-initiated involvement practices.
- Optimizing maternal involvement is essential for fostering adolescent learning and motivation.
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