Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

This research explores the role of parents’ educational background on students’ English academic achievement in higher education in Indonesia. This research describes the difference between the role of parents with a high educational background and parents with a low educational background. It also describes the difference the English academic achievement of students from parents with a high educational background and students from parents with a low educational background. This research uses descriptive qualitative research method. It was conducted at the State Islamic Institute (IAIN) in Palopo, Indonesia. The subject of this research were ten students with a high educational background parent and ten students with a low educational background parent during the third semester in the English Department at IAIN Palopo. In collecting the data, the researcher used observation, questionnaire, and interview as the instruments. The Interactive Model by Miles and Hiberman was used to analyze the data. It consist of three steps, including data reduction, data display, and conclusion. The result of this research shows that there were differences between the role of parents with a high educational background and parents with a low educational background on their child’s academic activity in English learning. The parents from high educational backgrounds are better in communicating, responding, monitoring, motivating, mentoring, and facilitating academic activity in English learning than the parents from low educational backgrounds. It is also found that the students of parents with high educational backgrounds have better achievement than the students from low educational background parents. It can be concluded that parents’ educational background contributes positively on the students’ English academic achievement at IAIN Palopo.