Examining bidirectional relations between parental involvement and school adjustment

This study utilized a two-wave longitudinal design with an 8-month interval to explore the bidirectional relations between parental involvement and school adjustment. The participants were children (mean age: 70.39 months at Time 1 and 76.98 months at Time 2), mothers, and kindergarten and primary school teachers from 324 and 247 Hong Kong families at Time 1 and Time 2, respectively. At both time points (Time 1: approximately three months before the children finished kindergarten; and Time 2: 3 months after they entered primary school), the mothers and teachers reported on parental involvement and the teachers rated the children’s school adjustment, while children completed a child assessment session to test their cognitive skills. The results revealed that the mothers’ involvement in language and cognitive activities during kindergarten predicted better school adjustment after school transition. The mothers were also more involved at their children’s primary schools when their children demonstrated lower cognitive skills in kindergarten. The findings highlight the importance of examining the bidirectional relations between parental involvement and children’s school adjustment. Implications for parent education will be discussed. Copyright © 2018 ACEID.