Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Mediational Model of School Involvement, Knowledge about a Child’s School Life, and Parental Efficacy among South Korean Mothers

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Child and Family Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The goal of the current school-parent support policy in South Korea is to revive the parental role as agent and partner in child education by strengthening parental efficacy through increasing parental knowledge about the child’s school life. In this study, we tested this mediational model by comparing 743 employed mothers versus 540 stay-at-home mothers within each school level. School involvement among stay-at-home mothers of all children significantly predicted their parental efficacy and their knowledge about the child’s school mediated this link completely for mothers of elementary and high school children and partially for mothers of middle school children. School involvement had no impact on parental efficacy among employed mothers. Policy implications of the findings were discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ardelt, M., & Eccles, J. S. (2001). Effects of mothers’ parental efficacy beliefs and promotive parenting strategies on inner-city youth. Journal of Family Issues, 22(8), 944–972.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker, D. P., & Stevenson, H. W. (1986). Mothers’ strategies for children’s school achievement: Managing the transition to high school. Sociology of Education, 59, 156–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1989). Regulation of cognitive processes through perceived self-efficacy. Developmental Psychology, 25(5), 729–735.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: the exercise of control. New York, NY: W. H. Freeman and Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distintion in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173–1182.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Byun, Y. E. (2009). A study of practical meaning in the Korean moms’ education for their children. Journal of Adolescent Welfare, 11(4), 51–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chin, M., Lee, H., & Kim, E. (2012). A study of introductory plan for the system of parent-participation leave. Center for Family-School Partnership Policy Research at Seoul National University.

  • Choi, H.-S., & Chung, O.-B. (2001). Development of a parental efficacy scale for mothers. Korean Journal of Child Studies, 22(3), 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Choi, S. G., Kim, H. J., & Chun, S. M. (2011). Parental child education and school participation study. Seoul, Korea: Korean Educational Development Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, P. K., & Karraker, K. H. (2000). Parenting self-efficacy among mothers of school-age children: Conceptualization, measurement, and correlates. Family Relations, 49(1), 13–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crouter, A. C., MacDermid, S. M., McHale, S. M., & Perry-Jenkins, M. (1990). Parental monitoring and perceptions of children’s school performance and conduct in dual and single-earner families. Developmental Psychology, 26, 649–657.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia Coll, C., Akiba, D., Palacios, N., Bailey, B., Silver, R., DiMartino, L., et al. (2002). Parental involvement in children’s education: Lessons from three immigrant groups. Parenting: Science and Practice, 2, 303–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, N. E., & Taylor, L. C. (2004). Parental school involvement and children’s academic achievement: Pragmatics and issues. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(4), 161–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, N. E., & Tyson, D. F. (2009). Parental involvement in middle school: A meta-analytic assessment of the strategies that promote achievement. Developmental Psychology, 45(3), 740–763.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., Bassler, O. C., & Brissie, J. S. (1992). Explorations in parent-school relations. Journal of Educational Research, 85(5), 287–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, Y. H. (2001). Mother’s involvement and children’s school adjustment in poor families. Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association, 39(1), 179–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, S. T. (2011). Schools say ‘Jump,’ and moms ask ‘How high?’ Retrieved from http://joongang.joinsmsn.com.

  • Korean children unhappiest in OECD despite material wealth. (2012). Retrieved from http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/05/07/2012050700775.html.

  • Lee, K. (2011). Suggestions for vitalizing parental involvement. Paper presented at the 3rd Parent Policy Research Center Forum, Seoul, Korea.

  • Lee, H. (2012). Necessity and method of linkage between family policy and parents support policy. Journal of Korean Home Management Association, 30(5), 149–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, H., & Chin, M. (2012). Experiences of school participation and the need for school-participation leave for employed parents. Journal of Korean Home Economics Association, 50(6), 119–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, H., Kim, S., & Lee, S. (2011). A case study on the family-friendly firm workers’ flexibility needs. Journal of Korea Family Resource Management Association, 15(2), 63–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, K., Lee, H., Chung, G. H., & Choi, I. (2013). 2012 Survey of parental home education and school involvement. Seoul, Korea: Seoul National University Parent Policy Research Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MEST). (2012a). 2012 Annual policy plan for supporting parents. Retrieved from http://www.mest.go.kr.

  • Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MEST). (2012b). 2012 National school violence survey results data table. Retrieved from http://www.mest.go.kr/web/60876/ko/board/view.do?bbsId=291andboardSeq=28751andmode=view.

  • Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MEST). (2013). Toward enhancing parenting capacity and vitalization of parental involvement: A proposal for implementing a parent support policy. Seoul, Korea: Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nokali, N. E., Bachman, H. J., & Votruba-Drzal, E. (2010). Parent involvement and children’s academic and social development in elementary school. Child Development, 81(3), 988–1005.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Obama and Duncan on South Korea. (2011). What can they be thinking? Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leonie-haimson/obama-and-duncan-on-south-korea_b_845916.html.

  • Oyserman, D., Brickman, D., & Rhodes, M. (2007). School success, possible selves, and parent school involvement. Family Relations, 56, 479–489.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pomerantz, E. M., Moorman, E. A., & Litwack, S. D. (2007). The how, whom and why of parents’ involvement in children’s academic lives: More is not always better. Review of Educational Research, 77(3), 373–410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rha, J.-H. (2005). A suggestion for new parental roles according to children’s developmental stages: The changing parental roles and practices. Korean Journal of Human Ecology, 14(3), 411–421.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schulz, W., Ainley, J., Fraillon, J., Kerr, D., and Losito, B. (2009). ICCS 2009 international report: Civic knowledge, attitudes, and engagement among lower secondary students in 38 countries. Retrieved from http://www.theewc.org/uploads/files/ICCS_2009_International_Report.pdf.

  • Shumow, L., & Lomax, R. (2009). Parental efficacy: Predictor of parenting behavior and adolescent outcomes. Parenting: Science and Practice, 2(2), 127–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stacer, M. J., and Perrucci, R. (2012). Parental involvement with children at school, home, and community. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, published online on Sept 2012. doi 10.1007/s10834-012-9335-y.

  • Waizenhofer, R. N., Buchanan, C. M., & Jackson-Newsom, J. (2004). Mothers’ and fathers’ knowledge of adolescents’ daily activities: Its sources and its links with adolescent adjustment. Journal of Family Psychology, 18, 348–360.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, H. B., Mayer, E., Kreider, H., Vaughan, M., Dearing, E., Hencke, R., et al. (2003). Making it work: Low-income working mothers’ involvement in their children’s education. American Educational Research Journal, 40, 879–901.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoon, J.-H. (2008). A study on social extension and complicated construction of ‘mothering’: Focusing on parents’ experiences of volunteering in elementary school. Unpublished master’s thesis: Department of Women’s Studies, The Graduate School Ewha Women’s University.

Download references

Acknowledgments

Support for this research came from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NFR-2011-413-350-20110028) in partnership with the Ministry of Education in South Korea.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child Development and Family Studies, Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Grace H. Chung, Jungmin Lee & Kangyi Lee

  2. Parent-School Support Policy Research Center, College of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanakro, Gwanakgu, Seoul, 151-742, Republic of Korea

    Hyunah Lee

Authors
  1. Grace H. Chung
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hyunah Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jungmin Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kangyi Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hyunah Lee.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chung, G.H., Lee, H., Lee, J. et al. A Mediational Model of School Involvement, Knowledge about a Child’s School Life, and Parental Efficacy among South Korean Mothers. J Child Fam Stud 24, 899–908 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-9900-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-9900-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation