The Role of Family Process on Academic Educational Achievements in the United States: Evidence from a longitudinal study

This paper’s main objective is to understand how the family process affects youth’s educational outcomes in the U.S. Previous research does not have a conclusive understanding regarding parental influence and educational achievement. Some studies determine that some parental influence is connected with positive academic achievement, while others conclude that it is not associated with young adults’ academic achievement. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, an event history analysis was conducted to address how family process measures (family routines and parental monitoring) during adolescence change the rates and timing of the completion of a bachelor’s degree. Although mothers’ monitoring does not have a significant relationship with having an academic degree, higher father monitoring was positively associated with having the degree. Family routines provide a complex result. Average family routines are associated with a higher likelihood of academic achievements, while low and high family routines have the same outcomes. The research’s findings imply the role of fathers and the multidimensional nature of the family process, suggesting that the family process is essential in determining rates and timing of academic achievements in the U.S.