Diversity and complexity in the theoretical and empirical study of parental involvement during adolescence and emerging adulthood

Trends in past research note parental involvement in education tends to decline as students get older. This targeted review draws on the bioecological model of human development and parental role construction to understand how parent involvement changes across developmental periods. Three distinct issues were identified from research on the effectiveness of parental involvement in secondary and higher education. First, in early adolescence and the middle school context, we explore whether too much involvement is possibly harmful rather than beneficial. Second, in mid- to late adolescence and the high school context, we explore racial/ethnic differences in level of involvement and the longitudinal effects of involvement on academic achievement. Third, in emerging adulthood, we reexamine the definition of parental involvement as it relates to the college context. Implications for the consideration of parental role construction in relation to these three issues and developmental periods are discussed.