Modelling parenting styles, moral intelligence, academic self-efficacy and learning motivation among adolescents in grades 7–11

ABSTRACT

The current study investigated the associations between three maternal and paternal parenting styles, moral intelligence, academic self-efficacy and learning motivation in three serial mediation models. Omani adolescents enrolled in 7th to 11th grades (N = 296) responded to an online survey containing demographic items and scales measuring the variables noted above. Results of Path Analysis indicated that the three models had a good overall fit. In detail, the three paternal styles (authoritative, authoritarian and permissive) had direct associations with moral intelligence and indirect associations with learning motivation. However, only two maternal parenting styles (i.e., authoritative and authoritarian) correlated directly with learning motivation and these two styles did not associate with moral intelligence. All effects were in the hypothesized direction except the effect of authoritative maternal and paternal styles. Moral intelligence had a positive direct correlation with students’ academic self-efficacy and learning motivation. Moral intelligence also mediated the negative associations between three types of fathers’ parenting styles and students’ motivation. Academic self-efficacy had a positive association with students’ motivation. These findings provided useful insights about the various association between external factors (e.g., parenting styles), internal factors (i.e., moral intelligence and self-efficacy) and students’ motivation among adolescents in middle and high schools.

KEYWORDS:

• Learning motivation
• paternal and maternal parenting styles
• moral intelligence
• academic self-efficacy
• adolescents

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Amal Alhadabi

Amal Alhadabi (ABD) is a doctoral student at Kent State University, in Evaluation and Measurement. Currently, she is working as a research assistant at Center for Teaching and Learning at Kent State University. Her main research areas are growth models, motivation, Structure Equation modeling, Hierarchical Linear Modeling, scale construction and psychometric assessment. 

Said Aldhafri

Said Aldhafri,Ph.D, is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology. He has (co-) authored 32 referred journal articles and four books. His research focuses on motivation, parenting styles, self-construal and identity in cross-cultural contexts. He is the PI and co-pi in many national and international projects. 

Hussain Alkharusi

Hussain Alkharusi. Ph.D, is an associate professor of measurement an evaluation in the College of Education/ Sultan Qaboos University. Currently, he is the Dean of Admissions and Registration. He teaches courses in educational assessment and statistics. His research interests include teachers’ beliefs and practices in educational assessment

Ibrahim Al-Harthy

Ibrahim Al-Harthy, Ph.D is an Assistant Professor and the HOD of the Department of Psychology, college of education, Sultan Qaboos University. His major is educational psychology. His research focuses on cognitive processes in a learning context. He has authored and co-authored tens of research articles that are published regionally and internationally. 

Marwa Alrajhi

Marwa Alrajhi, MA, is a research assistant in the Student Counselling Centre, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. She has MA degree in psychological evaluation and measurement. Her research interest is students' self-concept, personality, and scale construction and validation. She has authored and (co-) authored 9 referred journal articles. She has won two research awards.

Hafidha AlBarashdi

Hafidha Al-Barashdi, PhD in Information Studies. Currently works as Assistant Manager in the Research Council, Oman. She has published more than 22 research papers. She presented (8) research papers at international conferences. Her research interests related to the study of social and educational issues, especially the issues of Omani youth.