Perceived school and home characteristics as predictors of school importance and academic performance in a diverse adolescent sample

Research suggests adolescent school attitudes and subsequent academic success are associated with the characteristics of several immediate developmental contexts (e.g., the home and school environments). Despite the support for these associations, the specific associations between characteristics of the home and school environment and adolescent academic attitudes and performance remain unclear. In order to examine specific contextual associations, the current study examined the association between 1) school, parent, and home academic characteristics, and adolescent attitude towards school importance, and 2) adolescent attitudes towards school importance and academic performance. Path analysis using data from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context (MADIC) study, indicated adolescent perceptions of school quality and time parents spend with the adolescent were positively associated with adolescent school importance, and adolescent school importance was positively associated with the following year's school performance. Model modification indicated home resources and adolescent perceptions of school quality were also positively associated with academic performance. Findings are discussed in terms of the associations between both immediate and distal contexts and adolescent academic attitudes and academic success.