More time or more money? A longitudinal examination of parental involvement in shaping academic success of China’s left-behind children from 2010 to 2020

Utilizing data from the China Family Panel Survey spanning 2010 to 2020, the study encompasses 1,604 children, aged 10 to 15 years at the survey period, with 47.13 % being female. This research examines the long-term influence of parental involvement on the academic success of left-behind children, defined in terms of their enrollment in high schools and key high schools. Latent growth modeling is used to analyze the dynamics between parental involvement, the duration of separation between parents and children, and the changes in the family’s annual per capita income over time. Findings suggest that children’s academic success is predicted by parental educational expectations and the provision of supportive educational environments, whereas academic parenting practices and reactions to underperformance have no significant impact. Parental financial contributions to their children’s education are linked to academic success, albeit up to a certain limit. Family income boosts key high school enrollment, while parental education aids in high school enrollment, showing varied impacts on academic success. The length of separation between parents and children does not predict academic success. Girls are found to be more academically successful than boys. Conclusions are drawn for strategies to promote academic success for left-behind children.

Abbreviations: SES, Socio-economic Status; CFPS, China Family Panel Study; CFI, Comparative Fit Index; RMSEA, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation; SRMR, Root Mean Square Residual; FIML, Full Information Maximum Likelihood; WLSMV, Weighted Least Squares Mean and Variance adjusted; LGM, Latent Growth Modeling.