Family assets, parental expectation, and child educational achievement in China: A validation of mediation analyses

Previous research found positive correlations among asset accumulation for children, parental educational expectations, and students’ educational achievement. However, more research is needed to validate the mediation effects of asset accumulation on children's educational achievement through parental expectations. We create a sample of children (N = 1,101) using data from a longitudinal and nationally representative survey in China, and apply three sets of multiple regressions to examine the proposed mediation hypothesis. We use family savings for children measured in 2012 to predict parental expectations and children's academic performance in 2014. Analyses also include lagged indictors of parental expectations and children's academic performance as control variables. Results suggest that family savings for children are positively and significantly associated with subsequent parental educational expectations and children's academic performance. A partial mediation process is supported by the results. The study highlights the policy and practice significance of asset building for children; asset building for children could be a potential policy tool to promote educational development in China.