Influence of parents' self-feelings and expectations on children's academic performance

The authors examined the degree to which parents' negative self-feelings af fect the relationship between their educational attainment and the educatio nal expectations they have for their adolescent children, as perceived by t heir children. In turn, they investigated the degree to which parents' nega tive self-feelings affect the relationship between their educational expect ations for their adolescent children and the current academic achievement o f those children. Results provide preliminary indications that parents' exp ectations for their children and the transmission of those expectations may be modified by how parents feel about themselves. Those modifying effects are explained in terms of both parents' and students' motivations and behav iors.