Marital adjustment and children's early learning behaviors: The mediating role of maternal involvement and parenting

Liu, Cong and Wang, Shuang and Xie, Hongbin (2024) Marital adjustment and children's early learning behaviors: The mediating role of maternal involvement and parenting. Family Relations, 73 (3). pp. 1781-1798. ISSN 0197-6664, DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12999.

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12999

Abstract

Objective: This study examined associations between marital adjustment and children's learning behaviors, as well as the potential mediation effects of maternal involvement and parenting on these associations in Chinese contexts. Background: The family is a vital setting for children's early learning behaviors, encompassing self-efficacy in learning and approaches to learning. Marital adjustment, as well as maternal involvement and maternal parenting, are crucial factors in the family setting. However, there is a paucity of research on the pathway mechanism between these three family factors and children's early learning behaviors. Method: There were 750 mothers of Chinese preschoolers (48.24% girls, M-age = 5.94 years, SD = 1.43) in three provinces-Fujian, Sichuan, and Xinjiang-who participated in the study. Mothers completed questionnaires related to marital adjustment, maternal involvement, maternal parenting, and children's learning behaviors. Structural equation models were estimated to test the hypothesized paths. Results: The results revealed a positive association between higher marital adjustment and improved children's self-efficacy in learning (beta = .10, p = .004) and approaches to learning (beta = .15, p < .001), with maternal involvement (for self-efficacy, beta = .25, p < .001; for approaches to learning, beta = .23, p < .001) and parenting (for self-efficacy, beta = .25, p < .001; for approaches to learning, beta = .31, p < .001) recognized as significant mediators in this relationship. Conclusions: The study indicated that marital adjustment, maternal involvement, and parenting have significant direct and indirect effects on children's early learning behaviors. Implications: Given the research findings, marital adjustment is worth considering when recognizing children's early learning. Furthermore, parents may be encouraged to understand proper involvement and parenting practices with their children. Briefly, these findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge on how family variables are related to children's learning behaviors.

Item Type: Article
Funders: The Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment towards Basic Education Quality, East China Normal University
Uncontrolled Keywords: early learning behaviors; marital adjustment; maternal involvement; maternal parenting; mediation
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
L Education > L Education (General)
Divisions: Faculty of Education
Depositing User: Ms. Juhaida Abd Rahim
Date Deposited: 11 Nov 2024 06:23
Last Modified: 11 Nov 2024 06:23
URI: http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/45739

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