Family Matters: Exploring the Complexities of Families of Immigrant Adolescents and Achievement in Four G8 Countries

This study analyzes the PISA 2003 data to describe the family demographic and educational process characteristics of immigrant adolescents in Canada, France, Germany and the United States of America (USA) and investigates the relationship between family circumstances and the adolescents’ educational success. The four countries are among those that receive the most immigrants, have the highest percentage of foreign born among the total population, and where the discrepancy between the immigrant and native students varies dramatically between countries. Adolescent immigrant students within each country were diverse but different patterns were seen in the family characteristics between Canada, the USA and the European countries. Family demographic and educational process characteristics were related to educational achievement of adolescent immigrant students but the associations varied somewhat between countries. Results are discussed in terms of relevance for educational policy, practice, and future research.