Effects Of Parents ’ Work Conditions On Children’s School Achievement: A Study of Dual-Earner Families

The purpose of this study is to analyse direct and indirect relationships between parental (dual-earner families) work conditions ( work conditions, work hours, work tempo), parenting styles (parenting styles and parental involvement), children’s task engagement behaviour and school achievement. This study takes account the demographic changes in Malaysian families as result of urbanization and industrial-economic based. The study was conducted using survey method approach based on human ecology theory and 200 dual-earner families as sample. Using path model analysis, for both models, the study indicates number of consistent relationships between demographic variables, parenting styles, children’s task engagement behaviour and school achievement. Overall, parental work conditions, parental authoritarianism, parental authoritativeness, parental involvement, socioeconomic status and children’s task engagement behaviour had strong effects on children’s school achievement