Family structure and students’ academic achievement in Malta

Abstract

Family structure is rapidly changing in the modern society and there is evidence of the increased number of non-traditional families. A large number of studies demonstrate that children residing in non-traditional families experience many challenges in their education. The research shows a significant association between the family structure, parental support and child achievement. However, it is not well known how parents in different types of families support their children and how parental support influences their children’s academic achievement. The aim of this study was to answer the major research questions regarding parental support and the difference in family structure regarding the students’ academic achievement. This study applied a survey of students in eight different colleges in Malta and included 270 year 6 students from Public, Church and Private schools. Results of this study were consistent with the literature. The results from this study indicate that students residing in non-traditional families tend to achieve slightly lower grades in school examinations and less frequently receive parental support than do students from non-traditional families. Since the study demonstrates that parental support is highly important fro students’ academic achievement future studies should focus on the impact of extended family members (e.g. grandparents, uncles and aunts) on students’ academic achievement.