Introduction
Introduction
1.1. Overview
This report considers theory and evidence on the inter-generational effects of parents’
education on children. We focus particularly on the role of parents’ education but do
so within a framework that recognises the importance of a multitude of other factors.
We provide a coherent structure within which to assess (i) the role of each factor; (ii)
the interactions between factors and (iii) the role of parents’ education within the
overall framework of influences on children’s development.
This general framework is drawn from the work of developmental psychologists, most
notably Bronfenbrenner (1979, 1986; Bronfenbrenner & Crouter, 1983). The great
advantage of the framework is that it enables a focus on relationships between the
many important factors rather than a simple list of important influences. This
ecological perspective also provides a framework within which to nest economic
perspectives together with those from other disciplines. One objective has been to
present the valuable perspectives described in the developmental literature to those
more versed in the sociological and economic literature and vice versa.
The paper fits within two wider concerns: (i) to understand the processes involved in
the inter-generational transmission of opportunity generally and (ii) to evaluate the
effects and importance of education. The focus in the paper is on the benefits for
children of parents’ education. The reverse interaction and other inter-familial
relations are also important but are not assessed here. Furthermore, our main focus in
this paper is on the prior learning of parents rather than adult or family learning,
although there are important relations between the two and the model developed here
will be very relevant for future work on family learning.
1.2. The attainment gap
The relation between family social class and children’s academic development is well
known and fairly universal, although with varying degrees of gradient across
countries (Unicef, 2002). Evidence for the UK suggests that the social class gradient
kicks in significantly before children enter school (Feinstein, 2003) suggesting that
family contexts are particularly important in explaining educational disadvantage.
Indeed, it has been estimated that upwards of 50% of the variance in such attributes as
cognitive development as measured by IQ tests is predictable from levels of
functioning in the first three years of life (Bloom, 1964). Although there is strong
evidence from behavioural genetics to suggest that a proportion of this is due to
genetic differences it is also clear that environments play a substantial and relevant
role (Collins et al. 2000; Rutter, 1997).
This report examines the role of parental education and learning in this inter-
generational transmission of attainment. The distinctions between education and
learning are discussed below (1.5.10). Social class is about much more than just