Families, Classrooms, and Educational Engagement in Rural China

Emily Hannum, University of Pennsylvania
Albert Park, University of Michigan

Educational research in developing countries often investigates school and family socio-economic influences on children's achievement and attainment. Less research has emphasized factors that engage children in education. Because engagement influences subsequent attainment, the topic is particularly important in developing country settings where early school-leaving remains significant. Analyzing a survey of 2000 children in Gansu, China, we investigate four dimensions of engagement: aspirations, academic confidence, industriousness, and alienation. Results show lower aspirations among girls and reduced engagement across measures among low socio-economic status children. Net of standard socio-economic controls, parent-child interactions and the presence of books significantly predict engagement. At school, stable access to classes and peer disruptiveness are significant predictors. Results demonstrate significant mechanisms linking families and classrooms to the educational outcomes of children -mechanisms that might be obscured within conventional school and family effects research frameworks.