Parental Discipline and Parents’ Desire for Children's School Success

Abstract

Purpose – This chapter presents a new model for the classification of parental discipline styles (PDS), constructed in an attempt to understand the relationship between parenting and children's school success. The model includes six PDSs, based on four criteria: making demands, enforcement, punishment, and responsiveness to children's requests.

Methodology – Methodology includes quantitative research based on self-report questionnaire.

Finding – The findings indicate that (1) PDS has a crucial effect on a child's academic achievement even after controlling for parents’ and children's demographic characteristics; (2) The progressive authoritative style has the greatest effect on academic achievement, whereas the punitive style has the smallest effect; and (3) punishment has a negative effect on academic achievement, whereas responsiveness to children's requests has the greatest positive effect.

Originality/value – PDS is distinguished from the broader concept parenting style in its reference to the daily behaviors that comprise the exercise of discipline.

Practical implications – Awareness of the salience of discipline for improving academic achievement can influence patterns of parenting in general, and PDS in particular.

Social implications – PDS indicates the quality of the education and socialization being transmitted. It has a crucial impact on children's school success that is crucial for occupational and economic success.

Citation

Pasternak, R. (2012), "Parental Discipline and Parents’ Desire for Children's School Success", Lee Blair, S. (Ed.) Economic Stress and the Family (Contemporary Perspectives in Family Research, Vol. 6), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 123-146. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1530-3535(2012)0000006008