Parental Influences on Young EFL Learners’ Affection, Cognition, and Achievement in the English Classroom

Abstract

This study investigated the relationships between parental involvement and Japanese young learners’ (YLs’) affection and cognition within a second language (L2) classroom based on the social cognitive theory framework. A web-based survey was conducted with 278 dyads of Japanese parents and their fifth- and sixth-grade children. By employing factor analyses and structural equation modeling, this study revealed predictive links between parental involvement, children’s self-efficacy in L2 learning, goal orientations, use of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies, L2 classroom engagement, and self-reported L2 achievement. The findings indicate that parental involvement significantly enhances children’s self-efficacy beliefs and two specific goal orientation types (i.e., valuing learning English as an academic subject and valuing learning communicative English). This study also identified two distinct behavioral pathways to L2 learning behaviors that stem from different goal orientations: children valuing learning communicative English actively engage in classroom activities but use fewer SRL strategies, whereas those valuing learning English as an academic subject tend to use more SRL strategies but show classroom engagement. This study underscores the crucial role of parental involvement in shaping children’s L2 learning attitudes and behaviors, and highlights the importance of shared L2 learning experiences at home to enhance YLs’ L2 affection and cognition in the classroom.