Parent–child attachment, academic performance and the process of high-school dropout: a narrative review

Abstract

Poor academic performance is a strong predictor of school dropout. Researchers have tried to disentangle variables influencing academic performance. However, studies on preschool and early care variables are seldom examined when explaining the school dropout process. We reviewed the literature on the relationship between caregiver-child attachment and academic performance, including attachment studies from preschool years, seeking out potential contributions to academic performance and the dropout process. The review was organized according to a model of four main mediating hypotheses: the attachment-teaching hypothesis, the social network hypothesis, the attachment-cooperation hypothesis, and the attachment self-regulation hypothesis. The results of the review are summed up in a model. There is some support for all four hypotheses. The review indicates that attachment and early care contribute substantially to dropout and graduation processes. Mediation effects should be given far more attention in future research.

The Cross-Lagged Relations Between Teacher-Student Relatedness and Reading Achievement of Academically At-Risk Students

“…Having a secure base is essential for a child to explore his or her environment with confidence and courage, and achieve optimal functioning (Bowlby, 1973, 1988). Early attachment experiences shape children’s mental models of relationships that guide their actions and emotions in forming relationships with new social partners (Ramsdal, Bergvik, & Wynn, 2015); as children grow older, they either modify these mental models or generate new mental models of other forms of relationships (Berlin, Cassidy, & Appleyard, 2008). In schools, students’ mental model of teacher-student relationships influence their interaction with and responses to their teachers (Hughes et al, 2012); teachers, in turn, are also influenced by their own mental models in interacting with students (Spilt, Koomen, & Thijs, 2011).…”

“…The very factors that place students at risk for continued poor performance may also serve as additional barriers for the development of a caring relationship between teachers and students in early adolescence (see, for example, Mihalas, Morse, Allsopp, & Alvarez McHatton, 2009; Morse, 1994). Many academically at-risk students experience insecure attachment with adult caregivers at home (Ramsdal et al, 2015), with some of them having limited exposure to productive relationships (Lowenthal, 2004; Mihalas et al, 2009). These students may find it difficult to internalize care received from other adults and to build productive relationships with such adults (Baker, 1999; Lowenthal, 2004).…”

Hispanic Parents’ Involvement and Teachers’ Empowerment as Pathways to Hispanic English Learners’ Academic Performance

“…Step 1 (survey development). To better understand areas of focus for each survey (i.e., parent, teacher, and student), we examined relevant literature on family/home environment research (e.g., Peterson, Cobas, Bush, Supple, & Wilson, 2005;Ramsdal, Bergvik, & Wynn, 2015;Sad & Gurbuzturk, 2013;Urdan, Solek, & Schoenfelder, 2007), effective bilingual teaching practices (e.g., Tong, Irby, Lara-Alecio, & Koch, 2014;Tong, Lara-Alecio, Irby, & Mathes, 2011), and dual language program models (e.g., Collier & Thomas, 2004;Gomez, Freeman, & Freeman, 2005 Step 2 (survey piloting). This step involved the piloting of the survey with two focus groups, one in Spanish and one in English, in an effort to do the final calibration of the instrument with elementary children from third through fifth grade.…”

Potential Factors to Enhance Students' STEM College Learning and Career Orientation

“…When children make their educational and career decisions, they respect their parents' feedback as well as rely on emotional and financial support from their parents. Research indicates that parents' positive support such as encouragement and guidance would enhance children's self-determination on achieving educational goals (Urdan et al, 2007;Ramsdal et al, 2015;Zhang et al, 2019) and career goals (Urdan et al, 2007;Zhang et al, 2019). In addition, research indicates that if parents maintain positive attitudes about their children's educational and career endeavors, then children are more likely to actively continue their educational and career paths (Zhang et al, 2019).…”

“…Step 1: For the development of the survey, we examined literature on: (a) home learning environment research (e.g., Peterson et al, 2005;Urdan et al, 2007;Sad and Gurbuzturk, 2013;Ramsdal et al, 2015); (b) parental involvement (e.g., Chavira et al, 2016;Holmes et al, 2018) Kim, 2016;Mupira and Ramnarain, 2018). By further examining these studies, we could develop items addressing educational experiences in home and classroom environments as viewed and experienced by the students during home and/or classroom activities.…”