Autonomy and Control as Moderators for the Association between Parent Involvement and Educational Aspirations Among Latino Adolescents

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between parent academic involvement and educational aspirations among Latino adolescents. Additionally, this study examined the moderating effect of varying parenting practices, autonomy-granting and psychological, on the association between involvement and educational aspirations. Sex differences were analyzed as well as an additional academic outcome, academic achievement. Sample data were collected from the Youth and Family Project at Texas Tech (2003-2004). Overall findings demonstrated a consistent positive association between academic involvement and both educational aspirations and academic achievement among males and females. Parent autonomy-granting was significant among males and females, while psychological control was negatively associated with academic achievement among females, alone. The moderation results revealed that parent autonomy-granting moderates the relationship between academic involvement and educational aspirations among Latino males.