Parents' Involvement in Children's Learning in the United States and China: Implications for Children's Academic and Emotional Adjustment

Abstract

This research examined parents' involvement in children's learning in the United States and China. Beginning in seventh grade, 825 American and Chinese children (mean age=12.74years) reported on their parents' involvement in their learning as well as their parents' psychological control and autonomy support every 6months until the end of 8th grade. Information on children's academic and emotional adjustment was obtained. American (vs. Chinese) parents' involvement was associated less with their control and more with their autonomy support. Despite these different associations, parents' heightened involvement predicted children's enhanced engagement and achievement similarly in the United States and China. However, it predicted enhanced perceptions of competence and positive emotional functioning more strongly in the United States than China. © 2011 The Authors. Child Development © 2011 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.