Home math environment as a mediator of socioeconomic differences in early math skills: A study of Chinese families from disparate backgrounds.

IF 3.1 2区心理学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL

Developmental Psychology Pub Date : 2025-01-23 DOI:10.1037/dev0001918

Linxi Lu, Marina Vasilyeva, Elida V Laski

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Children exhibit substantial variation in their early math skills, with pronounced achievement gaps by socioeconomic status (SES) observable even before formal schooling. These SES-related differences in math skills are long-standing and globally observed, prompting investigations into how SES variations in home math environment contribute to early math development. The present study employed a mixed-methods design to examine the relations among SES, key aspects of home math environment, and early math skills in a non-Western context. The sample comprised 122 Chinese parents and their preschool children (M_age = 5.25 years, 52% female) from diverse SES backgrounds. Quantitative analyses indicated that low-SES parents experienced higher math anxiety (large effect) but also placed greater value on math (small effect). Although the frequency of formal math activities did not differ by SES, high-SES parents engaged more in informal math activities and provided math talk with higher quantity and diversity (small effects). Crucially, the study identified parents' math anxiety and the frequency of informal activities as mediators of SES-related differences in early math skills. Qualitative analyses further revealed that low-SES parents viewed math as essential for future success but defined it more narrowly, focusing mainly on formal practices of concrete skills. The implications for future research and practice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

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来源期刊

Developmental Psychology PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL-

CiteScore

5.80

自引率

2.50%

发文量

329

期刊介绍： Developmental Psychology ® publishes articles that significantly advance knowledge and theory about development across the life span. The journal focuses on seminal empirical contributions. The journal occasionally publishes exceptionally strong scholarly reviews and theoretical or methodological articles. Studies of any aspect of psychological development are appropriate, as are studies of the biological, social, and cultural factors that affect development. The journal welcomes not only laboratory-based experimental studies but studies employing other rigorous methodologies, such as ethnographies, field research, and secondary analyses of large data sets. We especially seek submissions in new areas of inquiry and submissions that will address contradictory findings or controversies in the field as well as the generalizability of extant findings in new populations. Although most articles in this journal address human development, studies of other species are appropriate if they have important implications for human development. Submissions can consist of single manuscripts, proposed sections, or short reports.