Understanding the benefits of parent-child discussion: the role of students and teachers

Abstract

While ample literature shows that parenting practices are related to educational inequality, less is known about how this occurs. In this study, we examine several potential mechanisms that facilitate the conversion of parenting practices into educational success by focusing on the role of students and teachers. More specifically, we examine how student confidence and teacher praise mediate the relationship between parent-child discussion and students’ grades, and whether the mediation patterns are the same for students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Analyzing nationally representative data of middle school students from China, we find that parent-child discussion facilitates students’ academic success in part by helping children develop confidence directly, and to a lesser extent by garnering positive teacher attention indirectly. Moreover, while teacher attention is not a salient mediator for students from less advantaged families, it plays a prominent role in linking parent-child discussion with academic performance for those from socioeconomically advantaged families.