Although the impact of the family environment on children's academic ability differs in the three countries of Japan, the United States, and China, it is common in all three countries that the increase in homework time increases academic ability.A research group led by Professor Hideo Akabayashi of the Faculty of Economics, Keio University conducted a comparative study on the family environment and educational outcomes using data from three countries, and the following results were obtained.
According to Keio University, the research group analyzed data from the "Japan Children's Panel Survey" conducted by the Keio University Panel Data Design and Analysis Center and the Children's Opportunity Equal Research Center, as well as comparable data from the United States and China.
The time required for homework in the second year of junior high school in Japan tends to be less than in both the United States and China, but it is common that the academic ability of mathematics increases as the time for homework increases. In all three countries, female students have higher scholastic ability than boys, and math scholastic ability is different between men and women only in the United States, and boys tend to be higher.
In Japan, girls are vulnerable to the negative impact of their parents' low income, but in the United States, boys are negatively affected by their language proficiency.No such tendency was seen in China.
It was found that both parents' educational background and income have an effect on the increase in homework time in China.On the other hand, in the United States, the influence of educational background alone can be seen.Neither effect has appeared in Japan.
The research group believes that the social systems and cultural backgrounds of the three countries influence the process of academic achievement and make a difference.In the future, we plan to continue comparative research by adding data from South Korea.
Paper information: [Chinese Journal of Sociology]
A Comparative Analysis of Children's Time Use and Educational Achievement: Assessing Evidence from China, Japan and the United States
Gender Differences in Educational Outcomes and the Effect of Family Background: A Comparative Perspective from East Asia
