Parental involvement in afterschool programs and children's academic and socioemotional outcomes

Thesis (M.A., Child Development (Theory and Research))--California State University, Sacramento, 2014.Previous literature on parent involvement as well as afterschool programs has found positive relations to children???s developmental outcomes. However, there is little empirical research that has considered parents??? involvement in children???s afterschool programs. The purpose of the current study is to extend the current research to address the influence of parental involvement in afterschool programs. Participants were comprised of parents or primary caregivers of children who were currently enrolled in the target afterschool program at the time of data collection. Fifty-four participants completed self-report surveys regarding their involvement in children???s afterschool programs. In addition, participants rated items based on children???s emotional and behavioral outcomes as well as children???s overall academic performance during the last report card period. A combination of correlations and regressions were conducted to test the hypotheses. Results indicated a significant negative association between parent-child communication and children???s total difficulties, hyperactive tendencies, and conduct problems. Additionally, findings illustrated parent-child communication as positively associated with participants??? reports of children???s overall academic performance.Child Development (Theory and Research