Dynamics of Parental School Involvement on Children’s Quality of Life—An Interactive Model

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Parental school involvement (PSI) is an adaptive construct that is sensitive to developmental and contextual changes and refers to the active and sustained engagement of parents in school- and home-based activities that support children's educational experiences. Perceived social support can strengthen PSI by reducing parenting stress, while PSI may, in turn, mediate the effects of all the above factors on children's quality of life (QoL). This study examined the direct and indirect associations among perceived social support, parenting stress, PSI, and children's QoL, adopting an integrative framework encompassing multiple psychosocial dimensions. METHODS: The sample comprised 358 Portuguese parents who completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and validated measures assessing PSI, parenting stress, social support, and children's QoL. RESULTS: Preliminary analyses showed that all four variables were strongly and significantly correlated. Path analysis revealed that the model showed satisfactory fit indices. Perceived social support was linked to lower parenting stress, which in turn was associated with reduced PSI. Meanwhile, greater involvement was associated with better children's QoL, indicating an indirect pathway from stress to QoL via involvement. Parenting stress and PSI acted as critical mediating pathways between perceived social support and children's well-being, the former as a risk factor and the latter as a protective resource. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the central role of PSI in promoting children's QoL and suggest that interventions aimed at increasing social support and reducing parenting stress may enhance parental engagement, with positive implications for family well-being.