The relations between perceived parenting styles and academic achievement in Hong Kong: The mediating role of students' goal orientations

This study examined the relations between perceived parenting styles, goal orientations, and academic achievement among Chinese students. A survey was conducted among 339 university students in Hong Kong to collect information on their perceptions of parenting styles, goal orientations, and grade point averages. Using structural equation modeling, the results suggested that perceived authoritative parenting was related to Chinese students' mastery goals and performance-approach goals, which in turn contributes positively to their academic achievement. Perceived authoritarian parenting was found to be positively associated with academic achievement by shaping Chinese students' performance-approach goals and negatively with academic achievement by shaping Chinese students' performance-avoidance goals. Cultural factors and considerations are addressed to clarify the findings of the study. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.