Parent-child school-related interactions and helplessness in maths: the role of maths self-efficacy

Although learned helplessness has a long research tradition, neither its contextual predictors nor the ways that they take effect are fully understood. This study inquired into the role of selected aspects of the home learning environment for academic helplessness. We tested whether three dimensions of parent-child school-related interactions—school-related assistance, structure, and responsiveness—predicted helplessness in maths. The study also verified whether student self-efficacy in maths partially mediated the relationships. The analyses were run on a sample of 6726 German secondary school students and used structural equation modelling. They confirmed that higher school-related assistance, structure, and responsiveness in Grade 7 were associated with lower helplessness in maths in Grade 7. Moreover, self-efficacy in maths was a partial mediator of these relationships. Additional analyses with helplessness in maths measured in Grade 9 revealed the same pattern of results for school-related assistance and responsiveness, but only an indirect link was present in the case of structure. The results highlight the protective role that parent-child interactions around school may play against academic helplessness.