Examining the Possible Relationship Between Helicopter Parenting, Academic Self Efficacy, and Perceived Academic Control in a University Context

Self-efficacy refers to how people feel about their ability to perform a task effectively (Shunk, 1991). A particular dimension of self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, is an important predictor of a student’s academic success, resilience, and ability to perform academic tasks with ease (Cassidy, 2015; Honicke & Broadbent, 2015; Telef & Ergün, 2013). Past research has demonstrated academic self-efficacy is influenced by parent-child relationships (Fan & Williams, 2010). However, research assessing the relationship between parenting and self-efficacy has been carried out with young children and adolescents and has assessed traditional parenting styles and not helicopter parenting – a style of parenting thought to be commonly seen in university students. In the present study, 170 undergraduate students (133 women and 36 men) completed a survey assessing academic self-efficacy, perceived academic self-control, and perceptions of their relationship with a primary caregiver. It was hypothesized students would experience helicopter parenting, and that this would be related to poorer academic self-efficacy and perceived academic control. Students at Grenfell Campus reported low levels of helicopter parenting and perhaps as a consequence, when helicopter parenting was assessed as a continuous variable, no relationship was found between helicopter parenting and academic self-efficacy or perceived academic control. However, when lower versus higher levels of helicopter parenting were assessed, several subscales interacted with who the primary caregiver was, showing differences in perceived academic control. Results suggest university students’ relationships with their parents particularly their fathers, may impact how they perceive their ability to control their academic outcome