Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

An ethnographic case study on the influence of family environment on Chinese rural migrant children’s emotional literacy practice

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-25-2025

Abstract

The cultivation of emotional competence is not only a key aspect of the educational process, but also a core component of personal socialization. This ethnographic case study conceived using sociocultural theory, studies two rural Chinese migrant families via 4-months of data collection. Subsequent thematic analysis of data surrounded self-emotional literacy, interpersonal emotional expression, and the family cultural environment. This study found that both cognitive and emotional factors were involved in the development of rural migrant children and jointly point to educational goals. Secondly, either overly high- or low-expectations and goals of family education can negatively affect children’s cognitive and emotional learning. Therefore, it is important to explore the mechanisms and causes of emotional disorders among rural migrant children; the “family” needs to be incorporated into the emotional literacy curriculum of schools in practice; and rural migrant families at the bottom of the socio-economic class urgently require the help and guidance of schools as well as public welfare organizations and other institutions.

Publication Title

Asia Pacific Education Review

DOI

10.1007/s12564-025-10083-w

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