The Impact of Marital Discord of Parents on Taiwanese Adolescents` Academic Achievement: The Mediating and Moderating Effect of Maternal Parenting Practice.

Abstract

Previous studies point out that family experience is strongly linked to adolescents` adjustment in school and has a central status in the field of educational sociology. However, the mechanism that operates between parental marital discord and Taiwanese adolescent children`s future academic achievement is not clear. The purposes of this study were to examine the impact of parental marital conflict on adolescents` academic achievement and to determine if maternal parenting practices mediated or moderated the impact. Drawing on response~ from 931 pairs of Taiwanese mothers and adolescent children, a longitudinal data collection approach using panel design provided repeated measurement of marital discord. Over the course of two years, adolescents reported on their academic achievements and their perceptions of maternal parenting practices while mothers completed questionnaires evaluating marital discord. The results of this study supported a spilled-over effect (partial mediation) model but failed to support a compensation (moderation) model. Overall, marital discord not only had a direct negative effect on adolescent academic achievement but also demonstrated an indirect impact through less desirable and adverse parenting practices with adolescent children.