“It’s Pressure From Everyone”: The Perspectives of Asian American Mothers and Adolescents Regarding Adolescents’ Motivation and Achievement

The current study aims to understand how parental and adolescent beliefs related to academic achievement and motivation can influence areas such as perceived pressure and perspectives of future career goals. Although previous research has focused on experiences related to academic motivation and achievement among adolescents, there are limited studies prioritizing both parent and adolescent perceptions. Qualitative interviews among seven Asian American adolescent-mother dyads were conducted in the United States of America, with interviews facilitated separately for adolescents and mothers. The study included seven adolescent participants from grades 9 to 12, consisting of five females and two males. All were academically driven and highly involved in extracurricular and co-curricular activities. Utilizing thematic analysis, four main themes were identified: (a) Adolescents’ Perceived Pressure for High Achievement, (b) Youth Involvement in Extracurricular Activities, (c) Parent-Child Perspectives of Career Development, and (d) Family Values. Results indicated that perceptions of pressure were different among mother-adolescent dyads, and parental approaches to achievement motivation were embedded within family values. This likely minimized adolescent resentment and strengthened family connections. The findings highlight the critical role of facilitating healthy parent-child relationships and the importance of using a culturally situated approach when working with diverse families.