The effects of family influence on motivation and achievement of low-socio-economic Latino and African-American elementary school students

This researcher investigated the causal linkages between and among family structure, family processes in the home environment, reading and mathematics self-concepts, and attendance and tardiness upon the reading and mathematics achievement of students in a low-performing urban elementary school. Two-hundred ten third through sixth grade students participated in the study (62% Latino; 38% African American; 75 males; 135 females).; Home environment was defined as those predictor variables of parental psychological support, pressure, help, press for intellectual development, and monitoring/time management. Walberg's Educational Productivity Model (1986) was used to analyze the interconnections among the study's variables. Campbell's Differential Socialization Paradigm (1997) was the theoretical framework to analyze gender differences. Students responded to Likert scale questionnaires that were analyzed by principal component factor analysis (PCA), hierarchical regression analysis, and PLSPath Analysis.; This researcher revealed the importance of help and support from parents as a means of improving both reading and mathematics achievement and self-concepts. However, a high level of mothers' support for males was related to more incidences of tardiness. Low levels of parental pressure were found to increase achievement and decrease the rates of absence and tardiness. Females from one-parent families were at-risk for greater rates of tardiness. Reading achievement clearly predicted students' success in mathematics.; Considering the study's findings, recommendations were made for more comprehensive programs to encourage minority parents to increase their levels of support and help to their children. It was also suggested that instruction should be made available in English and Spanish to parents in low-performing schools to reinforce their own reading and mathematics skills to enable them to help and support their children's instructional needs more effectively. The indicators for instruction at the school pointed to raising self-esteem while providing instruction at the level where every child can be successful. To counteract the negative effects of tardiness on reading achievement, language arts instruction should be scheduled for later in the school day. The connection between absences, tardiness, and achievement underscored the need for intervention and incentives to increase school attendance for males and females.