Analysis of the influence of the family environment on the choice of educational strategies among students of pedagogical universities

Abstract

The relevance of the study is determined by the growing academic difficulties among students of pedagogical universities and the insufficient investigation of the role of the family environment in shaping learning strategies, which are directly related to the quality of teacher training. The aim of the study was to quantitatively assess the influence of family characteristics on the choice of deep, surface, and strategic learning strategies and to construct a predictive model for practical use in universities. Materials and methods included a multicenter survey of 572 second- to fourth-year students (MPGU, Herzen University, NSPU). The ASSIST questionnaire (adapted by N. T. Badmaeva) was used for profiling strategies, along with a family environment questionnaire (family structure, parenting style, parental education, involvement, communication); an anonymous online data collection was conducted. Statistical analysis in SPSS 26.0 included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, Student's t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression (significance level p less than 0.05). Representative background characteristics were obtained: two-parent families - 78,49%, single-parent (mother) - 19,23%; a democratic parenting style predominates - 45,11% (authoritarian - 31,47%; liberal - 18,35%); higher education among mothers 62,41%, among fathers 55,24%. Key correlations: the democratic style is positively associated with a deep strategy and negatively with a surface one; the authoritarian style shows the opposite pattern; the permissive-liberal style is weakly related to the surface one and negatively to the strategic one. GPA comparison revealed a performance hierarchy: with parents having higher education and a deep strategy, the average GPA was 4.58 versus 3.59 for students without parental higher education and with a surface strategy (p less than 0.001); moreover, strategy had a stronger effect than family educational status (deep without parental higher education: 4.24 more than surface with parental higher education: 3.72). The regression model for predicting the choice of a strategic strategy was significant, explaining 42,7% of the variance. Predictor contributions: democratic style, father's emotional involvement, mother's education. The discussion emphasizes that the family system shapes the student's cognitive and motivational attitudes. Practical recommendations include initial screening of family and learning factors, metacognitive and self-regulation training, and targeted work with parents. Limitations concern self-reporting, the cross-sectional design, and the specialized sample; future research should include longitudinal panels and an expanded set of family predictors.