Checking In or Checking Out? Investigating the Parent Involvement Reactive Hypothesis

Ralph McNeal

The Journal of Educational Research, 2012, vol. 105, issue 2, 79-89

Abstract: There are many conflicting findings regarding the relationship between parent involvement and student performance. Some findings support a positive relationship between involvement and achievement, whereas others support a negative relationship. The most common explanation for the negative findings, in which parent involvement is associated with lower levels of academic achievement, has been termed the reactive hypothesis (e.g., Catsambis, 1998; Epstein, 1988). The reactive hypothesis claims that any negative correlation or relationship between parent involvement and academic achievement stems from a reactive parent involvement strategy whereby a student having academic or behavioral difficulties at school leads to greater levels of parent involvement (i.e., checking in). Using the National Longitudinal Education Study, the author used a 3-panel, cross-lagged regression model to empirically investigate this claim. The analysis reveals little to no empirical support for the reactive hypothesis. In fact, reduced achievement and increased truancy are not met with greater levels of parental involvement, but rather with reduced levels of parent involvement.

Date: 2012
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DOI: 10.1080/00220671.2010.519410

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