Determinants of Parental Involvement in Preschool Education in Rural China: A Mixed-Methods Study Integrating the Parenting Process Model and Grounded Theory

A survey was conducted with the participation of 1,284 parents of preschool children from rural areas. Guided by the parenting process model, this study investigated the predictive roles of parental characteristics, social context, and child characteristics on parental involvement. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that parental characteristics were the strongest predictors of parental involvement (34.9%), followed by social context (3.4%) and child characteristics (2.5%). The procedural grounded theory further discovered that parental characteristics serve as the decisive factor in parental involvement, while social context acts as a key mediator. Child characteristics provide feedback on parents' involvement efforts. Involvement methods reflect the visible outcomes of the interplay between parental characteristics, social context, and child characteristics.