Influence of parental control on the academic independence of adolescents

The study aimed to identify the level and nature of the influence of parental control on adolescents’ academic independence. The study conducted a survey of adolescents at gymnasium No. 228 in the Dniprovskyi district of Kyiv. Total respondent number – 306. The results of the diagnostics demonstrated that parental control has a significant and at the same time ambiguous impact on the academic independence of modern adolescents, while the nature of this impact depends on how parents control their children’s learning process and several other factors. The study determined that excessive parental involvement in the educational process, as well as complete indifference of parents, negatively affect the academic independence of adolescents, their motivation and academic results, while a high level of interest in educational and school processes has the opposite effect and serves as a motivation for adolescents to learn. The academic independence of secondary school students is enhanced when parents share their children’s views, interests and hobbies, and are interested in, but do not interfere excessively with, their children’s school life and educational processes. The study also noted the importance of finding the boundary between interest, sharing the problems of school life and the educational process and total control, as a high level of control is bad for relationships with adolescents, their stages of maturation, and academic performance, while it is necessary to address the individual characteristics of each child, as different approaches to parental control can have different effects on their motivation and academic achievement. This approach promotes the development of critical self-regulation and responsibility skills necessary for adolescents’ future academic and professional achievements