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Does Parent-Teacher Communication Truly Boost Students' School Performance?

Author

Listed:
  • Huang, Kaixing
  • Liao, Yuxi
  • Luo, Renfu

Abstract

Parent-teacher communication has long been regarded as vital for children's academic success. Our theoretical model indicates that when parents contact teachers, it may have a positive direct effect and a negative spillover effect on students’ performance. Using a large panel of junior high school students randomly assigned to classes, we find a substantial negative spillover effect and a far smaller direct effect on both the academic and non-cognitive performances of students, which indicates a significantly negative net effect of parents’ contacting teachers. The strong negative spillover effect can be attributed to the decline in teachers' attention to and attitude towards students, and this effect is more pronounced for students with lower performance and whose parents have a lower social status. Our finding suggests that excessive parent-teacher contact should be avoided to safeguard student performance and educational equality.

Suggested Citation

  • Huang, Kaixing & Liao, Yuxi & Luo, Renfu, 2024. "Does Parent-Teacher Communication Truly Boost Students' School Performance?," MPRA Paper 123072, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:123072
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/123072/1/MPRA_paper_123072.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mary A. Burke & Tim R. Sass, 2013. "Classroom Peer Effects and Student Achievement," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 31(1), pages 51-82.
    2. Esther Duflo & Pascaline Dupas & Michael Kremer, 2011. "Peer Effects, Teacher Incentives, and the Impact of Tracking: Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Kenya," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(5), pages 1739-1774, August.
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    4. Leonardo Bursztyn & Robert Jensen, 2015. "How Does Peer Pressure Affect Educational Investments?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 130(3), pages 1329-1367.
    5. Heather Antecol & Ozkan Eren & Serkan Ozbeklik, 2015. "The Effect of Teacher Gender on Student Achievement in Primary School," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 33(1), pages 63-89.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Parent-teacher communication; spillover effect; student performance; educational equality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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