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The relationship between mother–child discrepancies in educational aspirations and children's academic achievement: The mediating role of children's academic self-efficacy

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  • Lv, Bo
  • Zhou, Huan
  • Liu, Chunhui
  • Guo, Xiaolin
  • Zhang, Caiyun
  • Liu, Zhaomin
  • Luo, Liang

Abstract

We examined the relationships between parent–child discrepancies in educational aspiration and child academic achievement and the mediating role of child's academic self-efficacy. In total, 829 Chinese elementary students (10 years old) and their mothers (36 years old) were invited to participate. The educational aspirations of the students and their mothers and students' academic self-efficacy and academic achievement based on their most recent midterm and final examinations were assessed. The results indicated that the absolute difference between mothers' and children's raw aspiration scores was negatively associated with children's academic achievement. Additionally, after accounting for the degree of discrepancy, the direction of the discrepancies showed differential effects. Compared to children whose aspirations were the same as their mother's, children whose mothers held higher aspirations than their own had lower academic self-efficacy. Furthermore, academic self-efficacy played a significant mediating role in the relationship between children's academic achievement and the direction of discrepancy “mothers' aspirations > children's”. In contrast, the direction “mothers' aspirations < children's” was positively associated with children's academic achievement. The reasons for this finding are also discussed in the paper.

Suggested Citation

  • Lv, Bo & Zhou, Huan & Liu, Chunhui & Guo, Xiaolin & Zhang, Caiyun & Liu, Zhaomin & Luo, Liang, 2018. "The relationship between mother–child discrepancies in educational aspirations and children's academic achievement: The mediating role of children's academic self-efficacy," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 296-301.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:86:y:2018:i:c:p:296-301
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.02.010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Oscar David Marcenaro-Gutierrez & Luis Alejandro Lopez-Agudo, 2017. "The Influence of the Gap Between Parental and Their Children’s Expectations on Children’s Academic Attainment," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(1), pages 57-80, March.
    2. John R. Reynolds & Jennifer Pemberton, 2001. "Rising College Expectations among Youth in the United States: A Comparison of the 1979 and 1997 NLSY," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 36(4), pages 703-726.
    3. Katharine H Greenaway & Margaret Frye & Tegan Cruwys, 2015. "When Aspirations Exceed Expectations: Quixotic Hope Increases Depression among Students," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(9), pages 1-17, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Haoyang Zhang & Jennifer E. Glick, 2024. "Internal Migration: Understanding Parent–Child Differences in Educational Expectations," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 43(2), pages 1-26, April.
    2. Li-Hui Huang & Yi-Lin Chiang & Wen-Hsu Lin & Chi Chiao, 2023. "Is Educational Aspiration Mismatch Associated With Depressive Symptomatology? An Analysis of Mother-Adolescent Dyads," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(1), pages 305-319, February.
    3. Xiaoou Man & Jiatong Liu & Yutong Bai, 2021. "The Influence of Discrepancies between Parents’ Educational Aspirations and Children’s Educational Expectations on Depressive Symptoms of Left-Behind Children in Rural China: The Mediating Role of Sel," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-13, November.
    4. Esef Hakan Toytok & Sungur Gürel, 2019. "Does Project Children’s University Increase Academic Self-Efficacy in 6th Graders? A Weak Experimental Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-12, February.
    5. Cazzuffi, Chiara & Díaz, Vivián & Fernández, Juan & Leyton, Cristian, 2020. "Spatial inequality and aspirations for economic inclusion among Latin American youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).

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