Parental involvement of chronically ill mothers and its impact on the child's education

This study examined how maternal chronic illnesses may affect children's academic functioning through parental involvement. Levels of maternal demands of illness were measured in order to see if they affect the levels of parental involvement and children's grades. Four research questions are addressed in this study. Do the maternal demands of illness affect children's educational achievement? Do the maternal demands of illness impact the extent of parental involvement? Does parental involvement of mothers with chronic illness influence their children's academic achievement? Does positive parental involvement mediate or moderate the impact of maternal chronic illness on children's educational performance?;One hundred fifty mothers diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, Myelodysplasic Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia and with a child in middle school or high school (aged 10-18) participating in this study were recruited from national organizations, clinics, and social support groups serving patients with chronic illnesses. Participants completed a 184-item questionnaire that was composed of measures of (1) parent demographic information, (2) parent medical information, (3) child demographic information, (4) Demands of Illness Inventory (DOII), (5) parental self-efficacy, (6) parental educational aspirations, (7) grade expectations, (8) school contact and participation, (9) Parent Involvement in School Interview, (10) home supervision, and (11) children's educational outcomes. Each participant was compensated ten dollars for completing the questionnaire.;Overall, the results suggest that the majority of students of mothers with chronic illness were able to function adequately in terms of academic achievement. However, children's academic functioning may be at risk when their mothers experienced high levels of illness demands as a result of their chronic illness. Children's grades were found negatively related to levels of demands of illness their mothers experienced. This study also revealed that levels of demands of illness imposed on the mothers with chronic illness and disruption in normal family functioning were negatively related to parental self-efficacy in helping their children succeed in education. Moreover, this study found that parental self-efficacy mediated the effects of maternal demands of illness on children's academic achievement. Children of chronically ill mothers with higher academic efficacy tended to do better academically than those of mothers with lower levels of efficacy. Finally, among different forms of parental involvement, parental educational aspirations and grade expectations were positively related to children's educational performance in terms of grades.