Parental Involvement in Math Homework: Mediating Roles of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

OpenAlex English

Parental involvement in homework plays a critical role in shaping students’ motivational resources and academic outcomes, yet the mechanisms underlying these relationships remain insufficiently understood. Addressing this gap, the present study examined the mediating roles of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and homework self-efficacy in the relationship between parental homework involvement (support and control) and students’ homework completion and academic achievement. Data were collected from 629 middle and high school students using validated self-report instruments, including the Perceived Parental Homework Involvement Scale, the Students’ Motivation for Homework Scale, and the Mathematics Homework Self-Efficacy Scale. Homework completion was assessed with a single-item measure, and academic achievement was indexed using students’ mathematics report card grades. Structural equation modelling was employed to test the hypothesized mediation model, and multi-group analyses were conducted to examine the moderating effect of school level. The results indicated that perceived parental support was positively associated with intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy, whereas perceived parental control was primarily related to extrinsic motivation. Parental support indirectly predicted both homework completion and academic achievement through motivational variables, with self-efficacy emerging as the strongest predictor of academic outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of need-supportive parental involvement in fostering students’ motivational processes and academic success.