Peer-reviewed article
Dynamics of Parental School Involvement on Children's Quality of Life-An Interactive Model.
Mocho H, Martins C, Ratinho E, Nunes C ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how parental school involvement affects children's quality of life among 358 Portuguese families. The research found that perceived social support reduces parenting stress, which then decreases parental school involvement. Greater parental involvement was associated with better children's quality of life. The study suggests that parenting stress and parental involvement act as key pathways connecting family support and children's well-being.
Key points
- Perceived social support was linked to lower parenting stress
- Lower parenting stress was associated with increased parental school involvement
- Greater parental school involvement was associated with better children's quality of life
- Parenting stress acted as a risk factor and parental involvement as a protective resource for children's well-being
- Interventions increasing social support and reducing parenting stress may enhance parental engagement
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional study with correlational data from one country (Portugal), so it cannot establish causal relationships or determine whether findings apply to other cultural contexts. The study does not evaluate the effectiveness of any specific intervention.
Abstract
Background/objectives Parental school involvement (PSI) is an adaptive construct that is sensitive to developmental and contextual changes and refers to the active and sustained engagement of parents in school- and home-based activities that support children's educational experiences. Perceived social support can strengthen PSI by reducing parenting stress, while PSI may, in turn, mediate the effects of all the above factors on children's quality of life (QoL). This study examined the direct and indirect associations among perceived social support, parenting stress, PSI, and children's QoL, adopting an integrative framework encompassing multiple psychosocial dimensions. Methods The sample comprised 358 Portuguese parents who completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and validated measures assessing PSI, parenting stress, social support, and children's QoL. Results Preliminary analyses showed that all four variables were strongly and significantly correlated. Path analysis revealed that the model showed satisfactory fit indices. Perceived social support was linked to lower parenting stress, which in turn was associated with reduced PSI. Meanwhile, greater involvement was associated with better children's QoL, indicating an indirect pathway from stress to QoL via involvement. Parenting stress and PSI acted as critical mediating pathways between perceived social support and children's well-being, the former as a risk factor and the latter as a protective resource. Conclusions These findings highlight the central role of PSI in promoting children's QoL and suggest that interventions aimed at increasing social support and reducing parenting stress may enhance parental engagement, with positive implications for family well-being.