The Prevalence of Parent-Teacher Interaction in Developing Countries and Its Effect on Student Outcomes

Empirical evidence from developed countries supports the idea that parent-teacher interaction is high and improves student outcomes. The evidence from developing countries is, however, decidedly mixed. Using longitudinal data that we collected from nearly 6,000 students and 600 teachers in rural China, we show that the prevalence of parent-teacher interaction is generally much lower than that of developed countries, especially for disadvantaged students. Using student fixed effects analyses, we also show that parent-teacher interaction, when it exists, can have positive effects on raising academic achievement and reducing learning anxiety, especially among more advantaged students. The empirical work also demonstrates that the prevalence and effectiveness of parent-teacher interaction in a developing country context varies considerably due to both demand-side (or factors related to parents) and supply-side (factors related to teachers) factors. The findings suggest that there is ample room to help both parents and teachers build social capital that can, in turn, contribute to the building up of human capital among students.