The literature links parental practices to students' academic achievements, highlighting the roles of both supportive and psychologically controlling parenting. However, few studies have separately examined mothers' and fathers' contributions to students' achievement goals and learned helplessness in university students. This study aimed to explore the mediating role of student achievement goals (mastery goals, performance-approach goals and performance-avoidance goals) in the association with perceived maternal and paternal autonomy support or psychological control and the outcomes of learned helplessness and academic achievement. The study involved 651 Italian university students. Results indicated that maternal and paternal autonomy support/psychological control relate differently to students' achievement goals, which in turn is related with learned helplessness and academic achievement. Specifically, perceived maternal autonomy support was more closely associated with mastery and performance-avoidance goals, leading to reduced learned helplessness and improved academic performance. Conversely, perceived paternal autonomy support showed a distinct pattern, suggesting that fathers and mothers contribute uniquely to shaping their children's academic motivation and outcomes. The findings highlight the importance of considering both maternal and paternal roles in educational research and interventions. They emphasise the differential relationship of parenting practices with students' achievement goals, which subsequently are related to their academic success and susceptibility to learned helplessness.