The role of parents' motivation in students' autonomous motivation for doing homework

The present research employed Self-Determination Theory as a theoretical framework for investigating the role of parents in the quality of the motivation that students adopt towards homework. One hundred and thirty five dyads of 4th grade Jewish-Israeli children and one of their parents responded to surveys. The findings indicated that parents' behavior that supported the children's psychological needs was positively related to the children's autonomous motivation for doing homework. Parents' need-supportive behavior was associated with parents' own autonomous motivation for involvement in helping with homework – i.e., parents' identification with the importance of such involvement – with parents' competence beliefs, and with parents' positive attitudes towards the task of homework. The findings highlight the role of type of parents' involvement with their children's homework in the children's motivation toward homework, and of parents' own type of motivation for this task in the quality of their involvement.

Research highlights
► Parents' behavior that supported children's psychological needs is positively related to the children's autonomous motivation for doing homework.
► Parents' need-supportive behavior is associated with parents' own autonomous motivation for involvement in helping with homework.
► This is an important insight for educators who aim to encourage parents' involvement with their children's education and homework.
► This understanding is also important for other research seeking to identify meaningful parental characteristics that contribute to the family well-being.