Gender differences in effects of father/mother parenting on mathematics achievement growth: a bioecological model of human development

Abstract

This study aims to investigate gender differences in effective parenting strategies for adolescent mathematics achievement growth, taking into account socioeconomic status (SES), based on a bioecological model. Latent growth curve modeling examines longitudinal data (n = 4163) from the Taiwan Education Panel Survey. The analysis reveals that girls’ performance fits to a quadratic development model; boys’ performance better fits to a linear model. At early adolescence, mothers’ monitoring is the only common effective parenting strategy for both genders. At later adolescence, fathers need to monitor boys but to play a peripheral role (e.g., school participation and rescued discussion)for girls; mothers play direct roles (e.g., listening and persuasion) for boys, but a rational or light-minded role (e.g., discussion and letting-conflict-go) for girls. SES matters mostly in early adolescence. The findings generally support the bioecological model in terms of differential model fit and effective parenting strategies between genders.