Parental Divorce, Family Structure, and Children's Academic Performance in China¹.

This study investigates the impact of family structure on Chinese adolescents' academic performance in the context of parental divorce, using data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS). It finds that children from divorced single-father families exhibit significantly lower academic scores compared to those from intact families, with single-mother families also showing disadvantages after controlling for child characteristics. The presence of grandparents living in the household (grandparental co-residence) moderates these effects, particularly benefiting children in single-father families by improving peer quality, which in turn enhances academic outcomes. The research highlights the interconnected roles of extended family and peer groups within Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems framework and suggests that leveraging grandparental co-residence may help mitigate academic disadvantages in divorced single-father households. The study also notes potential gender differences in single-parent family effects and calls for further research on these dynamics across cultural contexts.