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.