Academic Performance of Adolescents: An Outcome of Parental Encouragement

Earlier in a child's educational process parent involvement begins, the more powerful the effects will be. Educators frequently point out the critical role of the home and family environment in determining children's school success. Parental encouragement has great significance in developing psychological as well as academic behaviour of a child. Present study was conducted to assess the impact of parental encouragement on academic achievement of adolescents. The sample comprised of all the adolescents of 13-15 years admitted in four selected Government Senior Secondary Schools of rural and urban areas of Hisar. The adolescents were tested to assess the level of their academic achievement and parental encouragement received by them. Findings disclosed that half of the respondents were average and only one-third were good in academics and majority of the respondents had received high level of parental encouragement. The study also revealed significant differences in academic achievement of adolescent's on the basis of academic class, paternal occupation and parental encouragement received by them. Higher level of parental encouragement contributed towards enhancement of academic performance of adolescents. Non-significant differences were found for academic achievement of adolescents from various categories of age of the respondents, their gender, residential area, maternal age, paternal age, maternal education, paternal education and maternal occupation. There was no significant difference in academic achievement of boys and girls as well as in rural and urban area's adolescents.