Family Factors/Home Environment

There is considerable research done in the field of education that studies the impact that family factors and home environments can effect academic success for students. In Dr. James Muthee Muola's research paper titled A Study of the Relationship Between Academic Achievement Motivation and Home Environment Among Standard Eight Pupils, he explains his findings that many home environmental factors contribute to student's academic motivation. For example, his findings showed that students that come from small families rather than large families have greater academic success and motivation because parents of smaller families can take time to help each child and praise them individually while parents of large families are busier meeting each family members' basic needs. He also explains that his findings show low correlation between parental encouragement and academic achievement motivation which could imply that too much parental encouragement could cause the student to become anxious and fearful of failure which could lead to a decrease in academic motivation. Further than academic motivation, family factors and home environment can also effect how mentally present and open to learning the child is during the school day. This can also impact how socially accepted they are by their peers.

A family who is standing in a yard in front of their house 

From the time I have spent in the classroom, I have bene able to see the effects a students home life can have on their educational career. Whether it be on their academic performance, or their social experiences at school, the effects of their lives outside of school on their lives inside of school is substantial. I once had a student in a class I was shadowing that was completely mentally absent each Friday because she was dreading going home for the weekend. This student came from a very large family and had very significant mental and physical disabilities. Although it was sad to see, my heart was warmed that the teacher I was shadowing was able to create a safe place for this student where she felt happy and seen. I have also seen the effects of too much parental pressure being put on students' and the effects that this has on their education. It is understandable that the child would feel fear of failure and begin to withdraw from academic content. Although there can be some negative effects the student's home lives have on their education, there is just as much good. Parents are superheroes; they work tirelessly during the day to provide for their families, and then tirelessly at night to be there for their kids and their needs. It is important as a teacher to keep in mind that each parent is doing the very best they can in their given position, and that it is not our place to judge what is going on at home.