From External to Internal: The Mediating Role of Educational Aspiration and Depression on the Association Between Caregiver Expectation and Academic Performance Among Chinese Rural Students

Although empirical studies have consistently suggested that educational expectations from caregivers would shape students’ internal factors of learning (e.g., educational aspirations, mental status, and motivation), how such processes further link with students’ academic ability received relatively little scholarly attention. Using the longitudinal China Family Panel Studies survey data, this paper applies structural equation modelling to examine the interrelationship between caregiver educational expectation, educational aspiration, depression, and academic performance of Chinese rural students (N = 584). The results show a negative correlation between caregiver educational expectation and rural students’ depression. Further, we find that when family wealth, fathers’ education level, students’ age, gender, and school type (public/private) are controlled for, caregiver educational expectation positively correlates with rural students’ educational aspiration and negatively associates with their depression, which is further positively and negatively associated with their academic performance, respectively. Our findings indicate that caregiver educational expectations might play a salient role in intervention programs enhancing rural students’ academic performance through promoting their educational aspirations and alleviating their depression. The results of this study offer fresh insight into how rural educators, families, and practitioners might address the issue of Chinese rural students’ low academic outcomes.