The Longitudinal Relation Between Academic Support and Latino Adolescents’ Academic Motivation

This study examined whether longitudinal trajectories of academic support from mothers, fathers, and teachers predicted trajectories of Latino adolescents’ (N = 323) academic motivation. Findings indicated those boys’ perceptions of mothers’ and fathers’ academic support and girls’ perceptions of mothers’ academic support declined throughout high school. Furthermore, girls’ academic motivation increased significantly over time. Although neither boys’ nor girls’ trajectories of support predicted trajectories of academic motivation, initial levels of academic support predicted adolescents’ academic motivation in the ninth grade. Finally, girls who reported lower academic motivation during the ninth grade also tended to report steeper increases in academic motivation over time. Findings underscore the importance of examining the unique impact of academic support from multiple individuals in adolescents’ lives.