Perceived quality of parental homework assistance and students' academic functioning in secondary school – Does grade level play a role?

High-quality (i.e., needs-oriented) parental homework assistance is positively associated with students' outcomes. However, taking developmental theories into account, the quality and the effects of homework assistance may change over the course of secondary school. Thus, we investigated grade-related differences in the quality of homework assistance and tested whether its links with students' outcomes were moderated by students' grade level. We used structural equation modeling on the basis of data from 1782 secondary school students in Grades 5 to 9. We found grade-related differences in the quality of homework assistance, which contributed to differences in students' homework behavior and achievement across grades. However, we did not find that the links between the quality of homework assistance and students' outcomes differed substantially between students from different grades. On the basis of our findings, it can be recommended to maintain high-quality homework assistance in the early and middle stages of secondary school. • Homework assistance quality was equally beneficial (or detrimental) across grades. • High-quality homework assistance decreased during secondary school. • Changes in high-quality assistance predicted declines in academic functioning. • However, controlling homework assistance also declined during secondary school. • Declines in control buffered grade-related declines in academic functioning.