TY - JOUR
T1 - Parental misbeliefs and household investment in children's education
AU - Wang, Haining
AU - Cheng, Zhiming
AU - Smyth, Russell
PY - 2022/8
Y1 - 2022/8
N2 - We examine the effect of parental misbeliefs about their child's academic achievement on household investment in children's education in China. We find that nearly 60% of parents hold inaccurate beliefs about their child's educational performance. Parental upward biased beliefs are positively associated with both financial and time investment in their children's education. The results for financial and time investment are mainly driven by paternal and maternal upward biased beliefs, respectively, reflecting differences in credit and time constraints on each parent. We find that parental educational expectations, confidence in their child's future and parenting style are underlying mechanisms through which parental misbeliefs affect household education investment. Our findings suggest that mistaken parental beliefs may have an important role to play in narrowing educational inequality.
AB - We examine the effect of parental misbeliefs about their child's academic achievement on household investment in children's education in China. We find that nearly 60% of parents hold inaccurate beliefs about their child's educational performance. Parental upward biased beliefs are positively associated with both financial and time investment in their children's education. The results for financial and time investment are mainly driven by paternal and maternal upward biased beliefs, respectively, reflecting differences in credit and time constraints on each parent. We find that parental educational expectations, confidence in their child's future and parenting style are underlying mechanisms through which parental misbeliefs affect household education investment. Our findings suggest that mistaken parental beliefs may have an important role to play in narrowing educational inequality.
KW - Children
KW - China
KW - Household education expenditure
KW - Parental misbeliefs
KW - Parental time investment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85133154091&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.econedurev.2022.102284
DO - 10.1016/j.econedurev.2022.102284
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85133154091
SN - 0272-7757
VL - 89
SP - 1
EP - 15
JO - Economics of Education Review
JF - Economics of Education Review
M1 - 102284
ER -