High school siblings of children with disabilities: Five case studies

Abstract

How mothers' level of education and attitudes toward education related to their children's academic achievement was investigated in the present study. One hundred fifteen mothers of high school students participated in this study by completing a questio1maire that evaluated their level of education and their attitudes regarding the importance of education. Their children's grade point averages were also collected. Results indicated that when the mothers had less positive attitudes toward education, mothers' level of education was not related to their children's academic achievement. When mothers reported more positive attitudes toward education and had a high level of education themselves, however, their children's grade point averages were significantly higher than students whose mothers had more positive attitudes toward education and a lower level of education. The prediction that mothers' educational levels would have a more indirect influence on their children's academic performance and that mothers' attitudes toward education would be a more direct influence on their children's academic development was not supported. How the results relate to previous research findings, as well as limitations of this research and future directions, are discussed.

Date of Award	2008
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	Eastern Illinois University
Supervisor	Linda Leal (Supervisor)