Education and the Family: Passing Success across the Generations (Foundations and Futures of Education)

Why it is that success, deprivation or disadvantage are so often passed down intergenerationally? What part does education play? The educational achievement of parents is often reflected in that of their children and there are many underlying causes for such a relationship. Education and the Family argues that government policy has an important role to play in addressing this inequality even though many of the causes lie within the home. Although each child should be supported to achieve his or her objectives, differences in the willingness or capabilities of families to take advantage of educational opportunities exacerbate social class differences and limit actual equality of opportunity for many. Understanding the causes of this transmission is key to tackling both social class inequality and to expanding the skill base of the economy. By providing an overview of academic and policy thinking in relation to the role of the family, this book explores the educational success of children. It focuses on the education of the parents but also considers how the family - compared to wider, external influences such as schools - is a driver of differences in educational outcomes. It concludes with a consideration of what policy-makers are attempting to do about this key issue and why, and how this will impact on schools and teachers. This book will interest researchers and academics in education and social policy, as well as teachers and other education and social policy practitioners. 1. Introduction -- Background -- The Context -- An Overview -- Pt. I. Understanding And Conceptualising The Importance Of Education -- 2. Understanding The Importance Of Parents' Education -- Defining Education -- Measuring Education -- Parental Education And The Attainment Gap -- Correlation Does Not Imply Causation! -- But Is The Effect Of Education Causal? -- Summary -- 3. Conceptualising The Influence Of Parents' Education: A Framework For Analysis -- The Ecological Model Of Human Development -- A Conceptual Model Of The Intergenerational Transmission Of Educational Success -- Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Complementarities And Alternative Approaches -- The Wider Context -- Summary -- Pt. Ii. The Influence Of Parents' Education: A Review Of The Evidence -- 4. The Importance Of What Goes On In The Family -- Introduction -- Parenting Style -- Educational Behaviours -- Summary -- 5. Internal Features Of The Family Environment -- Introduction -- Parental Cognitions -- Parental Mental Health And Well-being -- Summary -- 6. Distal Family Factors -- Introduction -- Family Structure -- Family Size -- Teenage Motherhood -- Income And Poverty -- Maternal Employment -- Summary -- 7. The Importance Of Other Developmental Contexts -- Introduction -- Pre-schools -- Schools -- Neighbourhoods -- Summary -- Pt. Iii. Policy And The Wider Responsibilities Of Education: Early Preventive Action -- 8. A Framework For Supporting Resilience In Childhood -- Preventive Action To Enhance Equality Of Opportunity And Of Outcomes -- Methods And Research Resources -- The Prediction Data And Outcomes -- Results -- Summary -- 9. Implications Of The Ecological Model Of Home-school Interaction For Policy Development -- Summary: The Key Channels For Education Effects -- Future Research -- Themes For Policy -- Concluding Discussion And Three Key Themes. Leon Feinstein, Kathryn Duckworth And Ricardo Sabates. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [187]-213) And Index. Education, Politics & IR, Sociology & Social Policy Book Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Illustrations 9 Series editors’ foreword 11 Preface 13 Acknowledgements 15 Abbreviations 17 1 Introduction 20 Part I: Understanding and conceptualising the importance of education 28 2 Understanding the importance of parents’ education 30 3 Conceptualising the influence of parents’ education: A framework for analysis 42 Part II: The influence of parents’ education: A review of the evidence 62 4 The importance of what goes on in the family 64 5 Internal features of the family environment 92 6 Distal family factors 115 7 The importance of other developmental contexts 134 Part III: Policy and the wider responsibilities of education: Early preventive action 154 8 A framework for supporting resilience in childhood 156 9 Implications of the ecological model of home–school interaction for policy development 187 Notes 204 References 206 Index 234 This title takes the view that policy mechanisms are an essential part of overturning the persistence of social class differences and barriers to equality of opportunity