How is the Educational Anxiety of Middle-class Parents Formed? An Survey Based on the Status of Junior Middle School Students' Family Education in Eight Provinces and Cities
Parents'educational anxiety has become a common phenomenon at present,especially among middle-class parents.Based on the survey on the family education status of junior high school students in 8 provinces and cities in China in 2022,this paper uses a moderated mediation model to explore the formation mechanism of middle-class parents'education anxiety.The results show that:(1)middle-class parents generally have educational anxiety,and the overall characteristics of"high anxiety and low educational involvement"are presented.Academic and physical and mental health are the most anxious content of parents,and academic supervision is the most important educational involvement behavior of parents;(2)parents'education stratification cognition positively affects their educational anxiety;(3)the positive impact of parents'education stratification cognition on educational anxiety was mediated by educational expectations,and the direct effect is larger than the indirect effect;(4)the mediating effect of educational expectations was moderated by parents'perception of educational competition.It can be seen that in the formation mechanism of middle-class parents'educational anxiety,parents'education stratification cognition is the logical starting point,educational expectations are the direct cause,and educational competition perception is the key link.Therefore,a systemic reform should be taken to alleviate parents'educational anxiety,including reducing social differentiation and achieving common prosperity;constructing a fundamental education structure with low selection and weak competition.Weakening the hierarchy of diplomas and competition of education;guiding parents to establish reasonable educational expectations and educational needs.