Influence of family variables on parental perception of their children's academic performance

Previous literature on academic achievement has shown that there are a large number of family variables that constitute a key factor in school success. However, there is a lack of studies in Spain, as well as in Europe in general, to analyze this relationship from a broad concept of academic achievement that is not limited to the average grade obtained by the student in a school year. The aim of the present study was to analyze the associations between the perception held by families regarding the academic performance of their children and certain family variables (type of family, person completing the questionnaire and parents' level of studies) in a sample of 407 Spanish families. The data were collected using an ad hoc questionnaire with optimal psychometric properties, in which school performance is defined on the basis of the level of satisfaction, study environment, work and effort, report card evaluation, expectations, academic motivation and a general assessment of the child's performance. The findings obtained confirm that there are significant differences in the perception of academic performance, with nuclear families, those who complete the questionnaire jointly, or parents with a higher level of education having a significantly more positive perception in this regard. Based on the results obtained, in accordance with the evidence of previous international research, we conclude the need to deepen the relationship between the family context and academic performance from broad and innovative perspectives in relation to these variables that have a high degree of significance.