Do mothers and fathers perceive their child’s academic potential in a similar way?

Abstract

The mothers and fathers (n = 43) of third- and sixth-grade children were asked to assess their child’s academic potential in comparison with the child’s earlier competence and with that of her/his peers. In the interpersonal domain, the mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions of their child’s academic potential were related to each other, especially in mathematics, already when the child was in the third grade. Conversely, in the intrapersonal domain, the mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions were more consistent when assessing the sixth-grade than the third-grade children’s academic potential. These findings suggest that the normative feedback received from school tends to unify parental perceptions of their child’s academic potential as the child proceeds through school, even when the parents assess their child’s individual advancement.

Keywords:

• mothers
• fathers
• child’s academic potential (perceptions of)
• grade level