Family, School, and Migration Effects on Academic Achievement in China
Open Access
- Author:
- Tan, Minda
- Graduate Program:
- Educational Theory and Policy
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- December 18, 2019
- Committee Members:
- Katerina Bodovski, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Katerina Bodovski, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
David P Baker, Committee Member
Paul Morgan, Committee Member
Thomas Anthony Loughran, IV, Outside Member
Kevin Kinser, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- Academic achievement
Middle school student
Migrant student
Left-behind student
China - Abstract:
- Family and school-related factors are the primary contributors to students’ school performance. Although the well-known Coleman Report suggested that the family background accounts for more variation in educational outcomes than the school quality, the arguments on the relative importance have never been fully resolved. Different characteristics rooted in diverse socioeconomic factors and educational systems may generate a distinct conclusion. In the context of China, geographically unbalanced development rapidly increased educational investment, and massive internal migration further complicates the factors shaping children’s school success. Using the nationally representative data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS), this study examined the relationships between factors influencing the academic achievement of students from 7th- and 9th-grade. The findings indicate that the relative importance of family versus school factors differed by specific subjects. Migrant and left-behind children can enjoy improved material and educational resources, but they faced academic challenges derived from unstable social networks and parental absence. Family SES is positively related to students’ school performance. However, students with higher cultural capital achieved lower test scores at school. Social capital favours educational returns in a way characterized by Chinese culture. The boarding school program and supplementary education have the potential to be policy tools to promote education equity in China. Both migrant and left-behind students performed no worse than their regular cohorts while holding the other characteristics as constant. A supportive school climate contributes to students’ academic achievement. The positive effects of family capital, learning attitudes, and school location are moderated by student migration in China. Solo parental migration exposes children to considerable psychological pressure. As such, left-behind children get lower advantage from higher parental expectations and studying in urban schools than the otherwise similar regular students. This dissertation contributes to the theory and practice concerning students’ academic achievement in the context of China. In the theoretical aspect, the current study develops a new model for explaining Chinese students’ academic performance in mathematics, Chinese, and English reading. In the practical aspect, this dissertation describes the patterns and tendencies of factors influencing students’ educational outcomes, which fill the current research gap.