When students perform poorly, support from parents and schools increases
When students perform poorly in school, both parents and schools increase their support—a pattern observed in 34 countries. A new Working Paper from SOFI shows that parents help more with homework, and schools offer smaller classes and special education. The findings are important for understanding how support measures affect educational gaps.
When children struggle in school, parental engagement increases, shows a new study from SOFI. Photo: Mostphotos
A new SOFI Working Paper in Labour Economics examines how parents and schools adjust their support for students when the students' academic performance changes. Both parents and schools provide more help when students receive poorer results in school. This behavior appears consistent across all 34 countries included in the study.
The authors have investigated how students' academic performance is related to the amount of support they receive from their parents and schools. They analyzed data from primary school students in 34 countries. To determine how academic performance specifically affects the amount of support, the researchers utilized differences that arise based on the time of year students are born. More specifically, they studied the differences that arise due to regulations governing when students should start school.
Worse academic performance leads to more parental support
When students receive poorer results in school, their parents assist more with homework and practice more on math and reading with the students. The increase in parental support when academic results decline is a pattern observed in all surveyed countries. This pattern is also similar for students from different socioeconomic backgrounds and genders. However, parents who have studied for a longer time at university or college tend to increase their support slightly more than other parents when their children's results worsen.
...and to more support from schools.
Schools also provide more help to students with declining results. They do this by placing them in smaller classes and offering special education. As students get older, schools provide more support. This means that students receive significantly more help in upper primary school than in lower primary school.
What does the result mean?
The amount of support that parents and schools provide to students can influence educational gaps in society. The results are also important when evaluating educational policy. An initiative that results in improved student performance may appear less effective than it actually is because parents and schools then reduce their extra help.
The researchers
- J. Lucas Tilley, The Swedish Institute for Social Research, lucas.tilley@sofi.su.se
- Peter Fredriksson, Uppsala universitet, peter.fredriksson@nek.uu.se
- Björn Öckert, IFAU, bjorn.ockert@ifau.uu.se
Last updated: 2024-10-30
Source: MD