Mikaela Reyes

The bus drops me off at an unfamiliar stop. Despite the dull-colored apartment buildings from the other side of the street, there seems to be no other evidence of living species in sight for about a half-mile radius. The Copenhagen early nighttime is dawning, the harsh, cold winds are penetrating through my pink, fluffy down jacket, and I am trapped in a bus stop, unsure if I am shivering from the cold or from fright.

My phone rings and I jump for a moment, before I realize what made the sound. Santos calling… I pick up.

“Nandito na ako! Saan na po kayo? (I’m here. Where are you?) I croak with a tinge of terror in my voice.

“Punta ka sa may parking lot sa Netto.” (Come by the parking lot at Netto.)

As I approach, I make out a man standing alone. He’s lucky the winds aren’t irritatingly blowing away at his hair; he has none. I recognize that shiny head and I instantly run to him for a hug.

“Uy!” he exclaims, overwhelmed at my enthusiasm. “Are you guys okay?” he greets in his funny Filipino accent.

“Okay, po. Let’s go?” I reply quickly, wanting so badly to take refuge from the growing cold.

He flashes a smile and it makes me feel warmer already.

Santos is about 25 years my senior, and I treat him like my dad away from home. He is a part of the 10% of Filipinos who live abroad, the 10,450,000 who flock foreign lands in search of opportunities elsewhere.

Santos is married to Merla. He is a handyman, while she works behind a ticket counter. They say they are making much more money than they could ever imagine, especially comparing to the meager amounts they received in the Philippines.

I met Merla while randomly walking down the streets of Copenhagen. I was surprised I heard non-English phrases I recognized as I passed by a group of huddled women. I stopped, backtracked, and asked, “Filipino po kayo?” (Are you guys Filipino?), already knowing they would respond positively. After a few exchanges, Merla invites me to a birthday party in their apartment that week. That characteristic Filipino hospitality never goes away.

The party today is the third event they’ve invited me to. I am grateful I was brave enough to greet them that day. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have all this food to salivate over.

Adobo, an immersion of meats and spices, browned in a vinegar and soy sauce marinade. Kare-kare, slow-cooked oxtail stew complimented with a thick, savory peanut sauce and a side of strong-tasting shrimp paste. Sinigang, a sour soup mix of vegetables and meat, with tamarind pulp for tartness.

“Salamat, Ate Merla. Salamat sa pagkain!” (Thank you, Ate Merla. Thank you for the food!)

The aroma of Merla’s cooking are the first sensations that greet me when I enter the apartment, and I have not stopped staring at the steam rising out of the plump forms of meat. After having mostly oatmeal and potatoes for far too long, my mouth craves for the taste of home.

We say our prayers before meals, and dive in. As utensils clash with plates, and Tagalog words are exchanged, I look at the faces around me, and can’t help but smile. It is this familiar feeling of home I always search for, despite being physically distant from it.

All our bellies are bursting with satisfaction, and we are sitting around the couches. They’ve assimilated to the Danish culture of digesting after meals with coffee and tea to make ample room for dessert. I hold my green tea with two hands. Santos and I are sitting beside each other and I ask him if he ever wants to go back home. It is the question I am always most curious to ask.

“Of course! Mas masaya sa Pilipinas. Sana balang araw makakabalik rin ako. Kaso ngayon, may dalawa pa akong anak na kailangan ng edukasyon. Kaya ikaw, pagbutihin mo yung edukasyon mo.” (Of course! It’s more fun in the Philippines. Hopefully one day I can go back. But, you know, I have two kids that need an education. Do well with your education, okay?)

“Oo naman, Kuya.” (Of course.) There is a long way to go before we are able to give people like Santos all the more reason to go back home.

“Malayo ang mararating mo. Sure ako diyan. Basta pag magbibisita kami sa Pilipinas, i-invite mo pa kami sa bahay mo, ah.” (You’re going to go far. I’m sure about that. But don’t forget, that whenever we visit, you’ll still invite us to your place!) He chuckles silently.

I did a multiple regression, including the variables momeduc and dadeduc. This considered whether the education levels of the parents changed the relationship between factors of parental relationships and educational achievement/grades.

rename h1rm1 momeduc rename h1rf1 dadeduc recode momeduc (10 11 12 96 97 98=.) recode dadeduc (10 11 12 96 97 98 99=.)

reg grades interaction reg grades interaction momeduc dadeduc reg grades schoolinteraction reg grades schoolinteraction momeduc dadeduc reg grades expectations reg grades expectations momeduc dadeduc reg grades feelingclose reg grades feelingclose momeduc dadeduc reg grades decisionmaking reg grades decisionmaking momeduc dadeduc

I decided to check out how race affected the association between educational achievement and parental relationships. I saw difference in the variables, which were previously significantly positively related when without the third variable. 

rename h1gi6a white rename h1gi6b black rename h1gi6c native rename h1gi6d asian rename h1gi6e other

recode white (6 8=.) recode black (6 8=.) recode native (6 8=.) recode asian (6 8=.) recode other (6 8=.)

gen ethnicity=. replace ethnicity=1 if white==1 replace ethnicity=2 if black==1 replace ethnicity=3 if native==1 replace ethnicity=4 if asian==1 replace ethnicity=5 if other==1

bys ethnicity: oneway grades schoolinteraction, tab //white F=10.54 P=0 //black F=0.64 P=0.6957 //native F=0.39 P=0.8842 //asian F=3.30 P=0.0044 //other F=3.35 P=0.0038

bys ethnicity: oneway grades interaction, tab //white F=5.23 P=0 //black F=1.82 P=0.0334 //native F=1.26 P=0.2662 //asian F=1.85 P=0.0573 //other F=30.25 P=0.1275

For school interaction, it was significant only for Whites, Asians and others.

pwcorr expectations grades, sig

tab expectationsx gradesx, row chi

When examining the association between grades (categorical response) and expectations of parents for children (categorical explanatory), a chi-square test of independence revealed that those with lowest grades came from the group with least expectations (24.53%). Those with the highest grades came from the group with the most expectations (59.41%). This was statistically significant with a P-value of 0.000 and x^2 value of 104.9396.

tab decisionmakingx gradesx if decisionmakingx==1 | gradesx==1, chi2 tab decisionmakingx gradesx if decisionmakingx==1 | gradesx==2, chi2 tab decisionmakingx gradesx if decisionmakingx==1 | gradesx==3, chi2 tab decisionmakingx gradesx if decisionmakingx==2 | gradesx==1, chi2 tab decisionmakingx gradesx if decisionmakingx==2 | gradesx==2, chi2 tab decisionmakingx gradesx if decisionmakingx==2 | gradesx==3, chi2 tab decisionmakingx gradesx if decisionmakingx==3 | gradesx==1, chi2 tab decisionmakingx gradesx if decisionmakingx==3 | gradesx==2, chi2 tab decisionmakingx gradesx if decisionmakingx==3 | gradesx==3, chi2

oneway grades expectationsx, sidak

I examined the association of grades (quantitative response variable) and expectations of parents (categorical explanatory variable). An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed that those with higher expectations from parents significantly had higher grades (F=51.40, P-value=0.000). Least Expectations: Mean=10.40566, StdDev=3.21, Moderate Expectations: Mean=10.675991, StdDev=2.977314, Most Expectations: Mean=11.982665, StdDev=2.8164699)

Since the P-value is less than 5%, I reject the null hypothesis meaning there is a significant relationship.

TITLE: The Association Between Adolescent’s Parental Relationships and Educational Achievement

AUTHOR: Mikaela Reyes

  INTRODUCTION

            Factors rooted in familial relationships, including family structures and parental relationships, have been said to be correlated to children’s academic achievement. (Vahedi, M. & Nikdel, H., 2014; Christenson, S., Rounds, T. & Gorney, D., 1992; Astone, N., Mclanahan, S., 1991). Parental relationships, specifically, has been said to be positively linked to academic achievement in adolescents, regardless of the measures or definitions of the two variables. (Spera, C., 2005; Wilder, S., 2014). The implication that there is a positive influence of the parent-child relationship on children’s academics has led several educators to consider it as an important factor for alleviating problems in education. (Chen, M. & Fang, X., 2001).

            Some aspects of involvement, however seem to have greater associations to achievement than others. (Desimone, L., 2010). According to Chen and Fang (2001), home supervision has the weakest relationship while parental aspiration or expectation has the strongest. Other family factors used are parent expectations about school, parental involvement in social life, and discipline methods enforced. (Christenson, S., Rounds, T. & Gorney, D., 1992). Achievement also varies, depending on variable measures used. The relationships seem stronger when achievement is measured by grades than if measured by other factors. (Barnard, W., 2004.). Relationships are said to exist, but intensity seems to vary based on types of assessments and variables used to measure these relations. (Wilder, S., 2014).

This study will examine adolescents from “The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health” (Add Health). The objectives of this investigation will involve 1) examining the association between both school and non-school related parental relationships and adolescents’ educational achievement; and 2) comparing the differences between the correlations of different types of parental relationships (school related and non-school related) to educational attainment. Types of parental relationships will include discipline given to children in terms of decision-making, interaction in social life, interaction in school-related activities, academic expectations and perceived closeness of the relationship.

  METHODS Sample

The sample comes from the first wave of “The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health” (Add Health), a nationally representative study of adolescents between grades 7 and 12 from schools in the United States taken in the years 1994 to 1995. The sample included 27,000 adolescents of which 471 were disabled, 1,083 were African Americans from well-educated families, 334 were Chinese, 450 were Cuban and 437 were Puerto Rican. Add Health includes longitudinal survey data on subjects’ social, economic, psychological and physical well-being with contextual data on peer groups, romantic relationships, friendships, school, family, neighborhood and community. The sample was specifically taken from the adolescent in-home interviews subsection.

  Procedures

Four in-home interviews were conducted over 14 years beginning the 1994 to 1995 school year. These were taken in 4 waves, however not all respondents were located and re-interviewed. Wave I, which was where the samples and variables were taken from for this study, includes the first home-interviews and parents’ responses on a family and relationship questionnaire. Qualified adolescents were asked to complete a survey using several modes of data collection such as audio computer-assisted self-interviews (ACASI), record abstracts, computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI), computer-assisted self-interviews (CASI), computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI), coded on-site observations, cognitive assessment tests, face-to-face interviews, paper and pencil interviews (PAPI), self-enumerated questionnaires, on-site questionnaires and telephone interviews. School information was also gathered from administrators (via telephone) and neighborhood information was collected from existing archives.

  Measures

Parental relations was assessed using the “Section 16: Relations with Parents” codebook, wherein respondents were asked about various aspects of their relationship with their parents or parental figures. Questions relating to parental relations were chosen and were categorized into five different categories, with the first four (referring to those stated below) evaluated with yes or no questions and the last evaluated on a five-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Decision making freedom evaluates how much freedom parents give their children in the everyday choices they make (i.e. “Do your parents let you make your own decisions about the people you hang around with?”). Feelings of closeness measured perceived closeness of the relationship between parent and child (i.e. “How close do you feel to your {MOTHER/ADOPTIVEMOTHER/ STEPMOTHER/FOSTER MOTHER/etc.}?”). Interaction with parents assessed how often the parents of the respondents interacted with the children in a number of different activities (i.e. “Have you gone shopping with your {MOTHER/ADOPTIVE MOTHER/STEPMOTHER/ FOSTER MOTHER/etc.} in the past 4 weeks?”). Interactions about school referred to how often respondents’ parents interacted with them concerning school-related activities (i.e. “Have you talked about your school work or grades with your {MOTHER/ADOPTIVE MOTHER/STEPMOTHER/ FOSTER MOTHER/etc.} in the past 4 weeks?”). Lastly, school expectations evaluated the student’s perceived disappointment of their parents if they were to drop out of school early (i.e. “On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is low and 5 is high, how disappointed would she be if you did not graduate from high school?”).

Educational attainment was assessed using the “Section 5: Academics and Education” codebook, which gathers data on the progress of respondents’ schooling. These were evaluated on two fronts: grades (on a four-point scale with 4 having the lowest letter grade) and trouble experienced in school (on a five-point scale with five having the highest frequency). Grades measured the most recent letter grade the students received in a variety of different subjects (i.e. “At the {MOST RECENT GRADING PERIOD/LAST GRADING PERIOD IN THE SPRING}, what was your grade in mathematics?”). Trouble in school evaluated the frequency of trouble students experienced in activities related to school (i.e. Since school started this year, how often have you had trouble paying attention in school?”).

  IMPLICATIONS

This study will assess the relationships of children with their parents in terms of interactions, decision making freedom and expectations and the correlation with adolescent’s educational achievement in terms of grades and perceived trouble in school. Furthermore, it will compare the differences in children’s educational achievement based on the parental relationship variables used. If children have higher degrees of positive relationships with their parents, especially with interactions relating to school (such as expectations of grade level achievement and involvement in school-related activities), they are less likely to have trouble and more likely to receive higher grades in school. REFERENCES

Astone, N. M., S. (1991). "Family Structure, Parental Practices and High School Completion." American Sociological Review 56(3): 309-320.

            Barnard, W. (2004). "Parent involvement in elementary school and educational attainment." Children and Youth Services Review 26(1): 39 - 62.

            Chen, M. F., X. (2001). "Parental Involvement and Students' Academic Achievement: A Meta-Analysis." Educational Psychology Review 13(1): 1 - 22.

            Christenson, S., Rounds, T., & Gorney, D. (1992). "Family factors and student achievement: An avenue to increase students' success." School Psychology Quarterly 7(3): 178 - 206.

                        Desimone, L. (2010). "Linking Parent Involvement With Student Achievement: Do Race and Income Matter?" The Journal of Educational Research 93(1): 11 - 30.

            Jeynes, W. (2003). "A Meta-Analysis on the Effects of Parental Involvement on Minority Children's Academic Achievement." Education and Urban Society 35(2): 202 - 218.

            Spera, C. (2005). "A Review of the Relationship Among Parenting Practices, Parenting Styles, and Adolescent School Achievement." Educational Psychology Review 17(2): 125 - 146.

            Vahedi, M. N., H. (2011). "Emotional Intelligence, Parental Involvement and Academic Achievement." ScienceDirect 30: 331 - 335.

I looked at the relationship between feelings of closeness with parents and the mean of grades of the children. This shows that the more closeness perceived, the lower the grades.

I also looked at the relationship between feelings of closeness with parents with both the mean of grades of the children AND trouble with behavior in school. The higher the closeness, the lower the grades and the more trouble with behavior. 

I made univariate graphs for all my 7 variables.

histogram decisionmaking, frequency xlabel (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7) addlabel /// xtitle(Decision Making Freedom) ytitle(Frequency) title(Decision Making) name(Decision_Making, replace)

histogram feelingclose, frequency addlabel /// xtitle(Feelings of Closeness to Parents) ytitle(Frequency) title(Feelings of Closeness to Parents) name(Feeling_Close, replace)

histogram interaction, frequency xlabel (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 71) addlabel /// xtitle(Interaction with Parents) ytitle(Frequency) title(Interaction with Parents) name(Interaction, replace)

histogram expectations, frequency xlabel (4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20) addlabel /// xtitle(Expectations of School) ytitle(Frequency) title(Expectations of School) name(Expectations, replace)

histogram schoolinteraction, frequency xlabel (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 28) addlabel /// xtitle(Interaction About School) ytitle(Frequency) title(Interaction About School) name(School_Interaction, replace)

histogram behavior, frequency xlabel (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16) addlabel /// xtitle(Attitude on Behavior) ytitle(Frequency) title(Behavior) name(Behavior, replace)

histogram grades, frequency xlabel(4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16) addlabel /// xtitle(Grades) ytitle(Frequency) title(Grades) name(Grades, replace)

The two that I chose to put were decisionmaking and behavior and I measured these based on frequency.

Decision Making

This is a unimodal graph skewed to the left with a range from 0 - 7 (8) centered at 6. 

Behavior

The steps I took for data management are as follows: 1) Renamed all variables; 2) Recoded variables to set data as missing; 3) Generated new variables by combining certain groups of my old variables; 4) Created categorical variables out of my new variables and organized them in degrees.

//renaming variables //relations with parents //outside of school //decision making rename h1wp1 rwp_os_dm_curfew rename h1wp2 rwp_os_dm_hang rename h1wp3 rwp_os_dm_wear rename h1wp4 rwp_os_dm_tv rename h1wp5 rwp_os_dm_tvprograms rename h1wp6 rwp_os_dm_bed rename h1wp7 rwp_os_dm_eat //feelingclose rename h1wp9 rwp_os_fc_closetomom rename h1wp10 rwp_os_fc_carefrommom rename h1wp13 rwp_os_fc_closetodad rename h1wp14 rwp_os_fc_carefromdad //interaction rename h1wp8 rwp_os_in_mealsinroom rename h1wp17a rwp_os_in_shoppingmom rename h1wp17b rwp_os_in_sportmom rename h1wp17c rwp_os_in_churchmom rename h1wp17d rwp_os_in_partymom rename h1wp17e rwp_os_in_eventmom rename h1wp17f rwp_os_in_problemmom rename h1wp17g rwp_os_in_argumentmom rename h1wp18a rwp_os_in_shoppingdad rename h1wp18b rwp_os_in_sportsdad rename h1wp18c rwp_os_in_churchdad rename h1wp18d rwp_os_in_partydad rename h1wp18e rwp_os_in_eventdad rename h1wp18f rwp_os_in_problemdad rename h1wp18g rwp_os_in_argumentdad

//about school //expectations rename h1wp11 rwp_is_ex_gradcollegemom rename h1wp12 rwp_is_ex_gradhsmom rename h1wp15 rwp_is_ex_gradcollegedad rename h1wp16 rwp_is_ex_gradhsdad //interaction rename h1wp17h rwp_is_in_gradesmom rename h1wp17i rwp_is_in_projectmom rename h1wp17j rwp_is_in_thingsmom rename h1wp18h rwp_is_in_gradesdad rename h1wp18i rwp_is_in_projectdad rename h1wp18j rwp_is_in_thingsdad

//academics and education //behavior rename h1ed15 aae_teachers rename h1ed16 aae_attention rename h1ed17 aae_homework rename h1ed18 aae_students //grades rename h1ed11 aae_english rename h1ed12 aae_math rename h1ed13 aae_history rename h1ed14 aae_science

//data management: setting data to missing recode rwp_os_dm_curfew (6/9=.) recode rwp_os_dm_hang (6/9=.) recode rwp_os_dm_wear (6/9=.) recode rwp_os_dm_tv (6/9=.) recode rwp_os_dm_tvprograms (6/9=.) recode rwp_os_dm_bed (6/9=.) recode rwp_os_dm_eat (6/9=.)

recode rwp_os_fc_closetomom (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_fc_carefrommom (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_fc_closetodad (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_fc_carefromdad (6/8=.)

recode rwp_os_in_mealsinroom (96/98=.) recode rwp_os_in_shoppingmom (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_in_sportmom (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_in_churchmom (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_in_partymom (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_in_eventmom (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_in_problemmom (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_in_argumentmom (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_in_shoppingdad (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_in_sportsdad (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_in_churchdad (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_in_partydad (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_in_eventdad (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_in_problemdad (6/8=.) recode rwp_os_in_argumentdad (6/8=.)

recode rwp_is_ex_gradcollegemom (6/9=.) recode rwp_is_ex_gradhsmom (6/9=.) recode rwp_is_ex_gradcollegedad (6/9=.) recode rwp_is_ex_gradhsdad (6/9=.)

recode rwp_is_in_gradesmom (6/8=.) recode rwp_is_in_projectmom (6/8=.) recode rwp_is_in_thingsmom (6/8=.) recode rwp_is_in_gradesdad (6/8=.) recode rwp_is_in_projectdad (6/8=.) recode rwp_is_in_thingsdad (6/8=.)

recode aae_english (5 6=.) (96/98=.) recode aae_math (5 6=.) (96/98=.) recode aae_history (5 6=.) (96/98=.) recode aae_science (5 6=.) (96/98=.)

recode aae_teachers (6/8=.) recode aae_attention (6/8=.) recode aae_homework (6/8=.) recode aae_students (6/8=.)

//data management: grades order switch //higher numbers means higher grades recode aae_english (4=1) (3=2) (2=3) (1=4) recode aae_math (4=1) (3=2) (2=3) (1=4) recode aae_history (4=1) (3=2) (2=3) (1=4) recode aae_science (4=1) (3=2) (2=3) (1=4)

//data management: behavior trouble in school //higher numbers means less trouble in behavior recode aae_teachers (0=5) (1=4) (2=3) (3=2) (4=1) recode aae_attention (0=5) (1=4) (2=3) (3=2) (4=1) recode aae_homework (0=5) (1=4) (2=3) (3=2) (4=1) recode aae_students (0=5) (1=4) (2=3) (3=2) (4=1)

//data management: generating new (aggregate) variables

gen decisionmaking=rwp_os_dm_curfew + rwp_os_dm_hang + rwp_os_dm_wear + rwp_os_dm_tv /// + rwp_os_dm_tvprograms + rwp_os_dm_bed + rwp_os_dm_eat

gen feelingclose=rwp_os_fc_closetomom + rwp_os_fc_carefrommom + rwp_os_fc_closetodad + rwp_os_fc_carefromdad

gen interaction=rwp_os_in_mealsinroom + rwp_os_in_shoppingmom + rwp_os_in_sportmom + /// rwp_os_in_churchmom + rwp_os_in_partymom + rwp_os_in_problemmom + rwp_os_in_argumentmom /// + rwp_os_in_shoppingdad + rwp_os_in_sportsdad + rwp_os_in_churchdad + rwp_os_in_partydad /// + rwp_os_in_eventdad + rwp_os_in_problemdad + rwp_os_in_argumentdad

gen expectations=rwp_is_ex_gradcollegemom + rwp_is_ex_gradhsmom + /// rwp_is_ex_gradcollegedad + rwp_is_ex_gradhsdad

gen schoolinteraction=rwp_is_in_gradesmom + rwp_is_in_projectmom + rwp_is_in_thingsmom /// + rwp_is_in_gradesdad + rwp_is_in_projectdad + rwp_is_in_thingsdad

gen behavior=aae_teachers + aae_attention + aae_homework + aae_students

gen grades=aae_english + aae_math + aae_history + aae_science

//data management: subsetting

gen decisionmakingx=decisionmaking replace decisionmakingx=1 if decisionmaking==0 | decisionmaking==1 | decisionmaking==2 replace decisionmakingx=2 if decisionmaking==3 | decisionmaking==4 | decisionmaking==5 replace decisionmakingx=3 if decisionmaking==6 | decisionmaking==7 label define decisionmaking 1 "Least freedom in decision making" 2 "Moderate freedom in decision making" 3 "Most freedom in decision making" label values decisionmakingx decisionmaking label variable decisionmakingx "Degree of Decision Making Freedom"

gen feelingclosex=feelingclose replace feelingclosex=1 if feelingclose>=1 & feelingclose <=16 replace feelingclosex=2 if feelingclose>=17 & feelingclose <=19 replace feelingclosex=3 if feelingclose==20 label define feelingclose 1 "Least closeness" 2 "Moderate closeness" 3 "Most closeness" label values feelingclosex feelingclose label variable feelingclosex "Degree of Closeness to Parents"

gen interactionx=interaction replace interactionx=1 if interaction>=0 & interaction <=6 replace interactionx=2 if interaction>=7 & interaction <=11 replace interactionx=3 if interaction>=12 label define interaction 1 "Least interaction" 2 "Moderate interaction" 3 "Most interaction" label values interactionx interaction label variable interactionx "Degree of Interaction with Parents"

gen expectationsx=expectations replace expectationsx=1 if expectations>=0 & expectations <=17 replace expectationsx=2 if expectations>=18 & expectations <=19 replace expectationsx=3 if expectations>=20 label define expectations 1 "Least expectations" 2 "Moderate expectations" 3 "Most expectations" label values expectationsx expectations label variable expectationsx "Degree of Expectations about School from Parents"

gen schoolinteractionx=schoolinteraction replace schoolinteractionx=1 if schoolinteraction>=0 & schoolinteraction <=1 replace schoolinteractionx=2 if schoolinteraction>=2 & schoolinteraction <=4 replace schoolinteractionx=3 if schoolinteraction>=5 label define schoolinteraction 1 "Least interaction" 2 "Moderate interaction" 3 "Most interaction" label values schoolinteractionx schoolinteraction label variable schoolinteractionx "Degree of Interaction about School Work from Parents"

gen behaviorx=behavior replace behaviorx=1 if behavior>=0 & behavior <=2 replace behaviorx=2 if behavior>=3 & behavior <=6 replace behaviorx=3 if behavior>=7 label define behavior 1 "Least trouble" 2 "Moderate trouble" 3 "Most trouble" label values behaviorx behavior label variable behaviorx "Degree of Trouble in School"

gen gradesx=grades replace gradesx=1 if grades>=0 & grades <=7 replace gradesx=2 if grades>=8 & grades <=11 replace gradesx=3 if grades>=12 label define grades 1 "Lowest grades" 2 "Moderate grades" 3 "Highest grades" label values gradesx grades label variable gradesx "Grades"

tab1 decisionmakingx

tab1 feelingclosex

tab1 interactionx

CODE:

clear

cd "P:\QAC\qac201\STUDENTS\section4\moreyes\project"

use aid ///

h1wp1-h1wp16 ///

h1wp17a-h1wp17k ///

h1wp18a-h1wp18k ///

h1ed5 ///

h1ed6a-h1ed6m ///

h1ed7-h1ed10 ///

h1ed11-h1ed14 ///

using "P:\QAC\qac201\Studies\AddHealth\Data\addhealth_pds", clear

save projectmika

DESCRIPTION:

The frequency tables indicate that 7 or those without a mom or dad remain consistent all throughout with 131 participants having no mom or dad. The same goes for 9 or not applicable. The three other variables vary accordingly. These answers can be congregated in the future to work as the same variables falling under "decision-making" given by parents. 

The variables remain abstruse and in the future, I will name them accordingly to describe the variables more accurately. 

The topic that I initially hoped to explore was the correlation between parental relationships to the child's eventual educational attainment.

Based on my citations, I found that the proper wording for my searches altered. Instead of parental relations and educational attainment, I found that the most effective searches were parental involvement or parent-child interactionand educational achievement. My codebook now contains a modified version of questions that most correlates with the two new optimum searches.

-------

Astone, N. M., S. (1991). "Family Structure, Parental Practices and High School Completion." American Sociological Review 56(3): 309-320.

Barnard, W. (2004). "Parent involvement in elementary school and educational attainment." Children and Youth Services Review 26(1): 39 - 62.

Chen, M. F., X. (2001). "Parental Involvement and Students' Academic Achievement: A Meta-Analysis." Educational Psychology Review 13(1): 1 - 22.

Christenson, S., Rounds, T., & Gorney, D. (1992). "Family factors and student achievement: An avenue to increase students' success." School Psychology Quarterly 7(3): 178 - 206.

Desforges, C. A., A. (2003). The Impact of Parental Involvement, Parental Support and Family Education on Pupil Achievement and Adjustment: A Literature Review, Queen's Printer.

Desimone, L. (2010). "Linking Parent Involvement With Student Achievement: Do Race and Income Matter?" The Journal of Educational Research 93(1): 11 - 30.

Jeynes, W. (2003). "A Meta-Analysis on the Effects of Parental Involvement on Minority Children's Academic Achievement." Education and Urban Society 35(2): 202 - 218.

Spera, C. (2005). "A Review of the Relationship Among Parenting Practices, Parenting Styles, and Adolescent School Achievement." Educational Psychology Review 17(2): 125 - 146.

Vahedi, M. N., H. (2011). "Emotional Intelligence, Parental Involvement and Academic Achievement." ScienceDirect 30: 331 - 335.

Wilder, S. (2014). "Effects of parental involement on academic achievement: a meta-synthesis." Educational Review 66(3): 377 - 397.

Based on my citations and further research, I have noted a few common themes:

- Educational attainment is most affected when parents involve themselves in a way that relates to work in school rather than in involvement in life in general

- Socioeconomic factors of the family and the parent as well as the parents' educational level affect the child's attainment in school. Effects vary in different cultures and races as well.

- Educational attainment/levels can be measured in a variety of different ways specifically schooling level achieved or achievement tests per level

- Parental involvement declines in or about the adolescent stage

- Parental involvement in early years has a significant long-term effect (based on lower rates of high school dropouts, increased on-time high school completion and highest grade completed)

-------

I'm now hoping to explore the correlation of two factors based on my findings: correlation of educational attainment to both parental involvement in the life of children and parental involvement in school/educational work.

Because of this, for the "parental involvement side," I have added questions to my codebook such as "in the past week, did you and your parents go shopping/play a sport/attend a religious event" indicating parents' involvement in the child's life. I have also added questions such as, "in the past week, did you and your parent talk about your school work or grades?" indicating parental involvement in the child's education.