Contextualizing rural students’ aspirations for higher education in China: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Understanding educational aspiration is pivotal for studying access to and success in higher education, given its influence on academic, occupational, and societal trajectories. Yet, aspiration is a challenging topic to research, in part because of its complex definitions, measurements, and contexts. This review focuses on the educational aspirations of Chinese rural students, a crucial but underrepresented group in the country’s higher education system. It begins by conceptualizing educational aspiration and laying the groundwork for an integrated sociological-economic approach to its examination. Using this approach, the paper analyzes four interrelated contexts shaping rural students’ aspirations: social, economic, and policy; higher education; school and community; and habitus. The study further explores the nuanced processes through which individuals form and transform their aspirations by cost-benefit calculations. Building upon the analysis, this review identifies implications for theory and research when studying educational aspirations. This paper concludes with actionable recommendations for policy and practice in China.

Keywords:

• Educational aspiration
• higher education
• rural students
• China

REVIEW EDITOR:

• Stephen Darwin, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Chile

SUBJECTS:

• Chinese Studies
• Higher Education
• International & Comparative Education
• Education Policy & Politics
• Education – Social Sciences

Disclosure statement

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yulu Hou

Yulu Hou is currently a PhD student in the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education program at Michigan State University. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Peking University, China, and a Master of Arts in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles.