Parents' Education Levels, Parents' Beliefs, and Child Outcomes

Relationships between parents' education levels, parents' beliefs concerning children, children's cognitions related to themselves and their relationships, and academic achievement were investigated in a sample of Turkish fourth-grade children and their parents. Structural equations were used in data analysis. Level of parents' education was a significant predictor of parents' beliefs for both parents. Relationships between parents' beliefs and child outcomes were somewhat different for mothers and fathers. In addition, level of mother's education was directly related to child perceptions of external control, child endorsement of insecure attachment prototype, and child academic achievement; level of father's education was directly related only to child perceptions of efficacy.