The family plays a central role in a child's sociocultural environment as it represents an integral whole and serves as a model in terms of behavior, discipline, and attitudes, positioning it as a key factor in shaping their life (Mendoza et al., 2019). In this context, the family not only transmits norms, values, rights, and duties but also fulfills the essential function of preparing the individual to assume their role in society in an appropriate and effective manner. Thus, the family becomes the closest and most relevant dimension in each person's life. According to Mendoza et al. (2019), it is within this nucleus that individuals begin their socialization process, acquire fundamental tools, and prepare to interact and participate in other social systems, such as school, thereby contributing to their integration into the community.
Parenting and the Socialization Process
Parents are the primary agents of socialization during the early years of a child's life, a process distinct from other types of socialization due to familial ties that create deep emotional bonds between caregivers and children (Vega, 2020). Accordingly, Vega (2020) emphasizes that socialization is an essential component of parenting, as it lays the foundation for the individual's emotional and social development.
Fostering security, emotional stability, and the development of healthy self-esteem are key benefits of proper socialization starting in childhood (Vega, 2020). These aspects largely depend on interactions among family members, which act as a determining factor in transmitting norms, values, and attitudes. Consequently, in line with Vega (2020), both parents and schools significantly influence shaping children's personalities, preparing them to function as active agents in society.
Parents, as the head of the family, play a central role in creating spaces for socialization that adapt to changes in the social environment (Vega, 2020). These spaces provide children with emotional resources and support, enabling them to integrate effectively into educational, political, cultural, and religious contexts (Vega, 2020). Furthermore, frequent interaction with primary caregivers, educators, relatives, and friends helps build a protective environment that promotes parenting based on tolerance, love, and emotional stability (Salvia & Tuñón, 2011). According to Salvia & Tuñón (2011), this support framework ensures children have the necessary conditions to socialize and develop a basic structure of trust, essential for their overall development.
Parental Involvement in the Learning Process
The family plays a crucial role in educational formation, as the constantly changing environment requires adapting educational processes to meet current needs (Pedraza et al., 2017). Within the family, children begin to develop communication skills and establish relationships with their immediate environment, primarily composed of their parents and siblings (Vega, 2020). Siblings serve as role models for behavior, beliefs, and values, while parents not only fulfill the children’s basic needs but also foster their emotional well-being and psychological development. Additionally, Vega (2020) points out that the family socializes norms, instills values, and helps children become autonomous and independent individuals.
In this sense, the family collaborates with educators from the onset of schooling, serving as essential support for the learning process (Vega, 2020). Since the family is the child's first school, it acts as a foundation that can either boost success or contribute to failure, providing the groundwork for future learning (Vega, 2020). In summary, Pedraza et al. (2017) highlight that the family and the school form an indispensable partnership. While the family offers intuitive and in-depth knowledge of children, the school provides scientific tools and pedagogical techniques for acquiring knowledge within a comprehensive educational process.
Academic Performance
Students' academic performance is deeply influenced by emotional and affective balance, which is directly connected to the family environment (Mendoza et al., 2019). According to Mendoza et al. (2019), the family plays a crucial role in individual formation, as lived experiences and developed attitudes significantly contribute to shaping personality, strengthening not only academic and professional training but also interpersonal relationships within the family unit.
On the other hand, academic performance reflects the knowledge that students acquire during their education and their ability to respond to various factors influencing their development (Vega, 2020). This performance is evaluated through resources implemented by teachers, such as lessons, assignments, or interviews, which measure the level of knowledge attained. In this context, both teachers and students become key elements in the educational process, with the classroom serving as the primary setting (Vega, 2020). Moreover, Sinisterra (2019) notes that academic performance can be classified as high or low based on students' achievements.
From this perspective, academic performance is viewed as the highest outcome achieved by a student in the teaching-learning process, understood as a multifactorial dimension (Vega, 2020). Factors influencing this performance include motivation to study, interest, individual commitment, and, notably, family-related elements. In this regard, Vega (2020) stresses the importance of the educational community—including administrators, teachers, students, and parents—being able to identify any conflicts that may hinder students’ academic development.
Effects of Parental Style on Academic Performance
Parenting practices play a fundamental role in how parents educate and raise their children (Vegas, 2020). However, according to Vegas (2020), many of these practices are inadequate in the parent-child relationship, influenced by parental characteristics such as personality, social and cultural factors, and the value placed on education and preparing children for life.
A study conducted by Ortiz and Moreno (2016) found significant differences in students' academic performance depending on the parenting style adopted by their parents. This is because parents who share an authoritarian style have children mostly with good and excellent achievements, similar to the democratic style, and the biggest difference is with the negligent style. These findings suggest that when both parents share the same parenting style, their children develop a consistent cognitive pattern with both positive and negative consequences, depending on the style adopted. Conversely, in students whose parents have divergent parenting styles, academic performance varies widely—from excellent to poor—affected not only by the discrepancy in parenting styles but also by the interaction of other variables. It is worth noting that the negligent style has the most significant negative impact on children's academic performance.
In conclusion, parenting style is a determining factor in students' academic performance. Among the various approaches, the democratic style is the most beneficial, as it not only promotes good academic outcomes but also fosters comprehensive and healthy development in all areas of children's lives.
Factors Influencing Academic Performance
Institutional Factors
These external factors significantly affect academic performance by interacting with students (Vega, 2020). They include elements such as the methodology used by the educational institution, the student-teacher ratio, scheduled hours, class sizes, availability of resources like library books, academic pathways chosen by students, and the overall institutional environment. According to Vega (2020), some of these variables can be optimized in an educational context, such as adjusting schedules or reducing the number of students per class, which positively impacts learning quality.
Pedagogical Factors
This category includes the theoretical and practical components that enable effective transmission of curriculum content (Ramírez et al., 2020). Their development depends on accumulated educational experience and methodological innovation (Ramírez et al., 2020). These factors are directly related to the teacher's role, teaching methods, evaluation strategies, and teaching materials used (Vega, 2020). Additionally, according to Vega (2020), aspects like student motivation and the time dedicated to preparing activities and lessons directly influence student participation and understanding.
Psychosocial Factors
Psychosocial factors include those related to the student's personality and emotions, such as self-esteem, confidence, emotional state, and the perception of the value of studying (Vega, 2020). These elements are also influenced by the significance the teacher conveys in the learning process. According to Vega (2020), a student's commitment to their academic activities, combined with their skills and attitudes, helps them value their academic achievements and recognize their efforts as a driving force to reach new goals.
Sociodemographic Factors
This category relates to the social and cultural demands that students face, considering external elements tied to their family and social contexts (Ramírez et al., 2020). Factors such as place of residence, parents' educational level, socioeconomic status, and type of educational institution have a direct impact on academic performance (Vega, 2020). Furthermore, Vega (2020) highlights cultural aspects, such as gender inequalities that undermine women's positions and underestimate their intellectual capacity, as an additional challenge influencing academic success or failure.
References
Mendoza, K., Montoya, Y. A., Montánchez, M. L., Montañez, J. M., & Bautista, M. J. (2019). Efectos de las Prácticas de Crianza Sobre el Rendimiento Académico y su Contribución a la Terapia Psicológica. Sociedad Venezolana De Farmacología Clínica Y Terapéutica. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.redalyc.org/journal/559/55962867016/html/
Ortiz, M. de la L., & Moreno, O. (2016). Estilos Parentales: Implicaciones Sobre el Rendimiento Escolar en Alumnos de Educación Media. Revista Digital Internacional De Psicología Y Ciencia Social. Recuperado 24 de enero de 2023, de https://cuved.unam.mx/revistas/index.php/rdpcs/article/view/61/109
Pedraza, A.P., et al. (2017). Familia y Escuela: Dos Contextos Comprometidos con la Formación en Ciclo III de la Educación Básica. Universidad Santo Tomás. Recuperado 6 de febrero de 2023, de https://www.redalyc.org/journal/5155/515558054003/html/
Ramirez, R., et al. (2020). ¿Qué Factores Podrían Afectar el Rendimiento Académico en Educación Primaria? VII Jornadas Iberoamericanas de Innovación Educativa en el Ámbito de las TIC y las TAC. Recuperado 6 de febrero de 2023, de https://accedacris.ulpgc.es/bitstream/10553/76608/2/que_factores_podrian_afectar.pdf
Salvia, A., & Tuñón, I. (2011). La Primera Infancia: Importancia del Proceso de Crianza y Socialización Para el Sano Desarrollo. Acta Académica. Recuperado 24 de enero de 2023, de https://www.aacademica.org/agustin.salvia/72
Sinisterra, J. (2019). Caracterización de los Estilos Parentales de Crianza y el Rendimiento Académico en Adolescentes de 12 Años de Edad, que Asisten a la Institución Educativa Técnico Industrial Pedro Antonio Molina, Sede Inmaculada Concepción. Fundación Universitaria Católica Lumen Gentium. https://repository.unicatolica.edu.co/bitstream/handle/20.500.12237/1337/CARACTERIZACIÓN_ESTILOS_PARENTALES_CRIANZA_RENDIMIENTO_ACADÉMICO_ADOLESCENTES_12_AÑOS_EDAD_QUE_ASISTEN_INSTITUCIÓN_EDUCATIVA_TÉCNICO_INDUSTRIAL_PEDRO_ANTONIO_MOLINA_SEDE_INMACULADA_CONCEPCIÓN.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Vega, M.F. (2020). Estilos de Crianza Parental en el Rendimiento Académico. Scielo. Recuperado 13 de septiembre de 2022, de http://scielo.senescyt.gob.ec/pdf/podium/n37/2588-0969-podium-37-89.pdf
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