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Visible Learning™
Visible Learning MetaX™
Version 1.4 – Updated February 2026

Parental autonomy support

Overview

  • Influence: Parental autonomy support
  • Domain: Home
  • Sub-Domain: Home environment
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Likely to have positive impact
  • Influence Definition: The promotion of independence or self-endorsed behavior by parents. Parental autonomy support takes many forms. In one form, the "promotion of independent functioning," parents encourage their children to rely on themselves and make their own decisions, often in line with parental values.

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 6
  • Number of studies: 267
  • Number of students: 217,517
  • Number of effects: 984
  • Weighted mean effect size: 0.28
  • Robustness index: 4

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
Educational Psychology Review Vasquez, Patall, Fong, Corrigan, & Pine Parent autonomy support, academic achievement, and psychosocial functioning: A meta-analysis of research 2015 Parent autonomy support 36 NA 29 0.22
Dissertation Cor Clarifying the relationship between autonomy support, motivation, performance, and educational outcomes 2008 Parent autonomy support 14 3,905 14 0.11
Developmental Psychology Pinquart Associations of parenting dimensions and styles with externalizing problems of children and adolescents: an updated meta-analysis 2016 Authoritative parenting 55 NA 51 0.30
Developmental Psychology Pinquart Associations of parenting dimensions and styles with externalizing problems of children and adolescents: an updated meta-analysis 2016 Permissive parenting 39 NA 28 0.02
Contemporary Educational Psychology Mammadov & Schroeder A Meta-Analytic Review of the Relationships Between Autonomy Support and Positive Learning Outcomes.  2023 Parent autonomy support 69 213,612 69 0.41
Psychological development and education Xie, Zifi, Lin, & Luo A meta-analysis of the relationships between Chinese parenting styles and children's academic achievement. 2022 Emotional warmth and understanding parenting 54 NA 793 0.37
TOTAL/AVERAGE 267 217,517 984 0.24
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