Effects of family functioning and parenting style on early entrants' academic performance and program completion

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to examine the predictive nature of parenting style and overall family environment on the academic performance and program completion of early college entrants. Furthermore, gender and family form were examined as possible moderators to these relationships. A total of 88 early college entrants participated in this study. Results indicate that gender and family form had no measurable effect on grade point average or on program completion among early college entrants. Parenting style combined with overall family environment was not predictive of program completion or changes in academic performance. However, further analyses revealed that an authoritative parenting style was related to increases in grade point average among those students who showed an increase in grade point average during the program. © The Author(s) 2013.