Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2001 The elr ationship between parental educational level and academic success of college freshmen Yasan Gooding Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Educational Psychology Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, and the Higher Education and Teaching Commons Recommended Citation Gooding, Yasan, "The er lationship between parental educational level and academic success of college freshmen " (2001). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 429. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/429 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. 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Robinson Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2001 UMI Number: 3003243 ® UMI UMI Microform 3003243 Copyright 2001 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ii Graduate College Iowa State University This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation of Yasan Gooding has met the dissertation requirements of Iowa State University Signature was redacted for privacy. Co-Majet Professor Signature was redacted for privacy. Co-Major Professor Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Major Program Signature was redacted for privacy. For thejSraduate College iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES v LIST OF FIGURES vi ABSTRACT vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the Problem 5 Purpose of the Study 6 Objectives 6 Hypotheses 7 Significance of the Study 8 Population 8 Sample 9 The CIRP Questionnaire 9 Assumptions 10 Limitations 11 Definition of Terms 12 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 14 Parental Educational Attainment and Student Academic Achievement 14 Parental Influence and Student Achievement 26 Family Structure and Academic Achievement 33 Socioeconomic Status and Family Structure 49 Socioeconomic Status and Student Development 60 Socioeconomic Status and Cognitive Development 61 Socioeconomic Status and Academic Achievement 62 Blacks, Socioeconomic Status, and Academic Achievement 96 Non-Black Minorities, Socioeconomic Status, and Academic Achievement 98 Internationals, Socioeconomic Status, and Academic Achievement 98 Socioeconomic Status, Other Influences, and Academic Achievement 102 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 103 Introduction 103 Population of the Study 103 Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) 104 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS 107 Hypotheses 108 Data Analysis 108 iv Analysis of variance 112 Grade point average 112 ACT scores 113 Income range 115 Findings 117 CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 120 Discussion 120 ANOVA 120 Crosstabulation 124 Conclusion 125 Implications of the Study 125 Recommendations for Practice and Further Research 129 APPENDIX: COOPERATIVE INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAM (CIRP) 131 QUESTIONNAIRE REFERENCES 136 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 156 V LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Mean, standard deviation, and minimum and maximum values for 109 parents' education levels and the dependent variables Table 2. ANOVA for grade point average 113 Table 3. ANOVA for ACT score 114 Table 4. ANOVA for income range 115 Table 5. Crosstabulation for parent educational attainment and marital 116 status vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Parental educational level and student grade point average 121 Figure 2. Student ACT scores and parental educational level 123 Figure 3. Parental educational level and income 124 vii ABSTRACT This study determined the difference in the level of academic potential/achievement across five populations of freshmen during an academic school year at Iowa State University. It examined students whose parents' highest education was: (1) high school diploma, (2) one or two years of college, (3) two-year associate or technical degree, (4) four-year degree, and (5) graduate or professional degree. Other factors that might impinge on student academic achievement are: poverty, socioeconomic status, and family structure/or marital status. The study investigated whether students whose parents attained higher levels of education beyond the high school diploma were more successful academically than students whose parents did not. Eleven factors were used to analyze the relationship between parent educational level, and student academic achievement and performance. The findings of the study indicated that parent educational level, family structure/marital status, and income range have a positive influence on their student's academic potential and achievement. Students whose parents had higher educational levels performed higher on standardized tests than parents with lower educational levels. The results from this research showed that socioeconomic factors weigh heavily on the potential and academic achievement of first-time freshmen at Iowa State University. 1 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Summer is ending, and students A and B are recent high school graduates who are preparing to attend the same university. These prospective freshmen may be considered equal as they plan for higher education, but are they? Student A's parents did not attend college. While getting their daughter ready for school they are not sure how or what to pack. They search through the university's admission packet for a list of clothes, toiletries and school supplies. When everything is purchased, the family still feels apprehensive because they have no idea about what to expect in a college environment in terms of academic requirements and the different student support services available to their daughter. They have no previous experience and there is no measure because their child will be the first person in their family to attend college. She will be a first generation college student. On the other hand, student B's parents attended college. Upon acceptance to the university, they buy her a footlocker and pack it with books about study methods, prepaid phone cards, microwave meals, towels and sheets—items they know she will need. They even buy a computer with an e-mail account, a mini refrigerator and microwave. In addition, they open a local checking account in which they can deposit money when she needs it. Their child may have an advantage over the first generation student. 2 This study compared the potential success of these hypothetical students. Does a parent's previous college experience or educational attainment have a correlation to the academic success or grade-point average of their children who attend college? The United States presents many dynamics of family development that take place based on cultural background, environment, and ethnicity, income and parents' educational attainment. Because backgrounds vary to a large degree across families, our nation's educational system—primary, secondary, and post- secondary—faces many unique challenges as it commits to providing equal opportunities to all students regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or origin. These factors will heavily impact a student's educational opportunities. Today, there are approximately 4 million babies bom each year in the United States. One out of eight will be born to a teenage mother, one out of four will be born to a mother with less than a high school diploma, and nearly one out of three will have parents who live in poverty. In addition, one out of four will have an unmarried mother. These factors are linked in one way or another to children who experience