Date of Award
5-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Center for Science and Math Education
Committee Chair
Dr. Maria Wallace
Committee Chair School
Center for Science and Math Education
Committee Member 2
Dr. Kendrick Buford
Committee Member 2 School
Center for Science and Math Education
Committee Member 3
Dr. Rachel Gisewhite
Committee Member 3 School
Center for Science and Math Education
Committee Member 4
Dr. Carlos Alvarez
Abstract
A select group of high-performing Asian economies consistently anchors the peak of international educational assessments, including the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), since these assessments were launched. These high-performing Asian societies are largely collectivistic and share values that underscore filial piety. Evidence attributes high academic achievement across many Asian education systems, in part, to parental expectations, demands, and control over children rooted in collectivistic values. However, the surveys administered by PISA in 2015 and TIMSS in 2019 revealed that some of these high-performing students exhibited measurably lower interest in these subject areas than those who scored lower on the assessments. While the literature links parental pressure to negative psychological health of students, there is a gap in empirical analysis on how perceived parental pressure may impact students’ academic interest among Asian students especially in higher education. The purpose of the study is to examine (1) the relationship between parental pressure (microsystem) stemming from collectivistic ideology (macrosystem) and academic achievement and (2) the relationship between such collectivistic (macrosystem) parental pressure (microsystem) and academic interest among post-secondary Asian American and Asian international students, through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory.
The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional design to investigate correlational relationships between variables. This research assessed academic achievement by collecting the cumulative grade point averages (GPAs), parental pressure via the Living-up-to-Parental Expectations Inventory (LPEI), and academic interest via the Study Interest Questionnaire (SIQ). Spearman’s rho between parental pressure (LPEI PPE) and academic achievement (GPA) was ρ = -.358, 95% CI [-.723, .163], p = .158, n = 17. Spearman’s rho between parental pressure (LPEI PPE) and academic interest (SIQ) was ρ = -.169, 95% CI [-.610, .353], p = .517, n = 17. Analysis demonstrated no statistical association between parental pressure and academic achievement as well as that between parental pressure and academic interest. The results implied that increasing academic pressure may not inherently translate to higher academic achievement or deeper interest. Although the study was not able to draw definitive conclusions due to a small sample size, this study provides a preliminary exploration of the ways in which parental pressure, rooted in collectivistic cultural frameworks, influences academic achievement and academic interest among post-secondary Asian students.
Copyright
AeJung Lemon, 2026
Recommended Citation
Lemon, AeJung, "Examining the Dissonance between Academic Achievement and Academic Interest: A Bioecological Analysis of Parental Pressure among Post-Secondary Asian Students of Collectivistic Cultures" (2026). Dissertations. 2440.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/2440