Journal Article

Parents influencing secondary students' university aspirations : A multilevel approach using school-SES

Angela Wang, Sarah Seddon, Lynette Vernon, Yolanda Andrews, Stuart Watson

2016

Overview

Students' university aspirational capacity and expectancies are key factors in predicting future university participation. Aspirations and expectations to attend university are strongly influenced by parent educational socialisation and school culture. This study investigates associations between students' university discussions with parents and their aspirations and expectations for university, and whether this link is particularly salient for students from disadvantaged schools. As well, differences in students' exposure to university are examined. Students (N = 548, 57% female) from Perth's south-west metropolitan region in Western Australia were surveyed. Multilevel analysis revealed that students from low socio-economic status (SES) schools who reported more frequent university discussions with parents had higher aspirations and expectations for university than students from similar SES schools who had fewer university discussions with parents. Furthermore, university discussions with parents predicted higher levels of aspirations for university and this link is stronger for students from lower SES schools. The effect of school-SES for the university expectations model was similar, though of weaker influence. Exposure to university is greater for students in high-SES schools. Therefore, students and parents in low-SES areas may benefit by increasing university exposure to develop knowledge and discussions about university, and support aspirations to grow expectations to attend university. [Author abstract]

• Publisher: Institutes for Educational Research in NSW, SA and WA,Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc
• Subject: Academic Aspiration / Australia / Career Counseling / Children & youth / College Choice / Colleges & universities / Disadvantaged schools / Education / Education, Higher / Educational Attainment / Educational Environment / Educational equalization / Equal Education / Expectation / Factor Analysis / Families & family life / Foreign Countries / Gender Differences / High School Students / Higher education / Identity formation / Influence / Likert Scales / Metropolitan areas / Multilevel models / Occupational aspiration / Parent aspiration / Parent attitudes / Parent child relationship / Parent Influence / Parent Participation / Parent school relationship / Parents / Parents & parenting / School environment / Schools / Secondary education / Secondary school students / Secondary schools / Social aspects / Social capital / Socioeconomic background / Socioeconomic factors / Socioeconomic Status / Socioeconomics / Statistical Analysis / Student Attitudes / Students / Undergraduate Students / Universities and colleges / University bound students