THE INTERPLAY OF PARENTING AND PEER NORMS ON CHILDREN'S ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT DURING ADOLESCENCE

Abstract

The present study examined peer norms of school engagement as a moderator on the link between positive parenting and early adolescents' academic engagement. Over the seventh and eighth grade, 934 American and Chinese adolescents (mean age = 12.65, SD = .38) completed self-report measures of peer norms of school engagement, parental autonomy support, psychological control, parent-child relationship quality, and academic engagement over one year, forming three waves of data collected. Multiple regression analyses revealed that in both countries, the effects of positive parenting on academic engagement one year later were reinforced when adolescents perceived high levels of school engagement amongst their classmates, but were non-significant at perceived low levels. Moreover, peer norms had consistent main effects on academic engagement while parenting did not. This study highlights the importance of the interplay between parenting and peer norms in facilitating early adolescents' academic engagement, and particular importance should be placed on peer norms as the impact of positive parenting on academic engagement is contingent on it.