Good Homes, Good Students

Do good homes make good students? According to research released by the University of Utah’s Center for Academic Advising, there is a direct correlation between achievement in high school and the atmosphere of the home.

Students who underachieve in school generally criticize their parents as being overly permissive or hostile. This is in sharp contrast to a positive view of parental influence expressed by successful students.

There is an apparent difference between the way male and female students viewed their parents’ attitudes. Both fathers and mothers of the successful male students were often seen as “more controlling,” and successful girls saw their mothers as being “accepting, more child-centered, and more positively involved.”

The research also confirmed that underachieving students tend to be socially rebellious, self-centered, pleasure-oriented, and unambitious; they also have difficulty working in a controlled situation that demands cooperation.

No significant differences between achieving and underachieving students were noted in the marital status of parents, parental occupation and education, size of family, or order of birth.